15 spring-cleaning hacks for people who hate housework

Perfect for those who dread the annual deep clean, the money saving team at PromotionalCodes.org.uk have found the best tips for keeping your home neat and tidy without even breaking a sweat.
Forget expensive cleaning products and difficult organising rituals, all of these tips are easy to achieve and won’t cost more than five pounds.
Some of the tips are unconventional, including pouring cola down the toilet but promise to have sparkling results.
The helpful pointers also include organising tips such as keeping bed sets in a pillowcase and stacking clothes vertically not horizontally in drawers.
Darren Williams from PromotionalCodes.org.uk said: “For most of us, cleaning is a chore we dread and spending time on it can be laborious.
“These tips are great for those of us who hate cleaning as not only do they save time, they are cheaper alternatives to expensive cleaning products too.
“Saving time and money on cleaning leaves you feeling it’s a job well done and with more cash in your pocket too.”
1. Use a lemon to clean stainless steel
Annoying water stains on your tap and sink? Halve a lemon and use it to scrub stainless steel.
It will also make your kitchen smell fresh and citrusy.
2. Put a cup of vanilla extract in the oven
Sounds a bit crazy but by putting a few teaspoons of vanilla extract into a mug and baking for an hour, your whole home will smell gorgeous and inviting.
This is a trick estate agents swear by.
3. Steam clean microwave
Had a baked beans explosion? Clean your microwave the easy way by mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of your favourite essential oil with water and blast it for 5 minutes.
You’ll be left with a shiny clean microwave that smells amazing with zero scrubbing required.
4. Use cola to clean the toilet
You’ve probably heard about this one but never tried it, right?
It’s a miracle worker, just simply pour cola along the toilet bowl and flush for a sparkling result.
5. Use a cotton bud for cleaning keyboards
Instead of a wipe, take a damp cotton bud and use it to clean the difficult bits in between your keyboard.
6. Fold and stack clothes vertically not horizontally
Organise your t-shirt drawer by folding them and stacking vertically not horizontally.
This way you can flip through to find the one you want easily and minimise creasing which means less ironing, always good.

7. Cover fridge shelves in cling film
Fridge spillages can be disastrous but easily cleaned up by simply covering the shelves with cling film or plastic wrap.
That way when something leaks or gets sticky, you can peel it off and start fresh, no cleaning necessary.
8. Microwave sponges
If you’ve only got one sponge to do all of the spring-cleaning with, disinfect it quickly and easily by putting it in your now spotless microwave for two minutes.
Just make sure your sponge doesn’t have any metal on it.
9. Store sheet sets in pillow cases
Finding matching bed sets can be a huge time waster but solved easily by organising your linen.
Fold matching bed sets into the corresponding pillowcase so they are all kept together.
10. Stop your bin smelling of rubbish
Even after a bin is emptied, often a nasty lingering smell can remain.
To avoid this, sprinkle some baking soda or vinegar into the bottom of the bin to reduce the odour and lay down some clean newspaper to absorb any leftover moisture.
11. Clean toys in dishwasher
If your mucky pups’ toys are looking a bit worse for wear stick them in the dishwasher for a short cycle.
12. Make your bathroom smell constantly fresh
Add a few drops of essential oil to the inside of your toilet paper roll to keep your bathroom smelling lovely.
13. Refresh plastic containers
Get the leftover curry stains out of plastic containers by putting a solution of washing up liquid, bleach and water in them and microwaving until boiling point.
Once cooled, pour away and rinse.
14. Deep clean shower head
After having a shower, fill a sandwich bag with baking soda and vinegar and tie it around the showerhead using an elastic band.
Leave this to soak overnight then any debris will come off easily with an old toothbrush.
15. Use pastry brush to get crumbs out of toaster
Toast crumbs are notoriously difficult to get to but using a pastry brush can help sweep away the annoying trapped bits.