Spring is the time of year when you want to shake off winter and bring a breath of fresh air into your home. So whether it’s your house or your garden there’s a handy hack for most things.
We have found 20 spring time hacks that everyone needs to know to help you get ready for a new year.
Cleaning The Microwave
Getting to grips with a grimy microwave is a tough job. So if there is a hack, use it! This one uses natural ingredients and involves no scrubbing.
Put some lemon slices and white vinegar in a bowl of water and microwave on high for five minutes.
Any stuck on food can be effortlessly wiped off.
Use Lemons To Clean Water Stains
Lemons are great for cleaning water stains off stainless steel.
Simple cut a lemon in two and rub it over faucets or stainless steel surfaces to remove limescale. It also removes rust.
The surfaces will be clean, stain free and smell really fresh.
Declutter Your Wardrobe
Spring is the perfect time to clear out your wardrobe and start the new year with a declutter.
Put your winter clothes and footwear in vacuum pack bags for ease of storage and to keep them free from damage.
Anything you haven’t worn in the past year, consider donating to goodwill or for textile recycling.
Organize Kitchen Cabinets With Tension Rods
Putting tension rods between the shelves in your kitchen cabinets provides a great storage space for baking sheets and chopping boards.
This will make it easier for you to find what you are looking for while keeping your kitchenware in good shape.
Use A Squeegee For Carpet Hair Removal
Getting hair out of your carpet or rugs usually involves laboriously vacuuming until you have managed to get them clean.
With a squeegee this is a breeze. Put a normal window squeegee on a long handle to save your back. This also works on furniture covered in pet hair.
Dust Using Fabric Softener Sheets
Dusting typically just displaces the dust only for it to settle somewhere else in your home. Using fabric softener sheets for this task makes sure you pick up all the dust and dispose of it.
They work the same way as electrostatic cloths but for less money.
Use Coke To Clean Toilets
Pour some coke into your toilet bowl and leave it overnight. Then flush the next morning to leave a sparkling clean and stain free toilet.
The coke dissolves any stains in the toilet, and it may help if you warm it up in the microwave first.
Clean Shower Door Tracks
One of those awkward hard to clean areas, your shower door tracks can end up looking very grimy.
Soak some paper towels in vinegar and lay in the tracks. Leave to work for thirty minutes and clean out the softened dirt with an old toothbrush.
Then rinse with clean water.
DIY Window Cleaning Solution
In a spray bottle mix half vinegar and half warm water with a squeeze of dishwashing liquid. Spray onto your windows and wipe off with a clean cloth.
Remember to clean your windows on a cloudy day or the sun will dry them too quickly, leaving streaks.
How To Freshen Towels
If you want to freshen up your towels and make them smell spring fresh add a cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda to a hot wash.
Then hang outside in the fresh air to dry or put in the dryer with a nice fragrant softener cloth.
Homemade Compost
We love getting out in the garden when the weather warms up. What better way to treat your garden after a long winter than with some homemade compost.
Add some eggshells and coffee grounds to your compost heap. This will give it some added nutrients and help to prevent blossom-rot on vegetables.
Rehydrate Plants With Cooking Water
Why throw away your cooking water when you could use it to water your garden? There are so many nutrients in it that if you aren’t going to use it in the kitchen then give it to your plants.
Just make sure you let it cool down first.
Protect Young Seedlings With Milk Jug
You need to protect young seedlings on cold nights so use a plastic milk jug to do just that.
Cut the bottom off the milk jug and invert over the seedlings. Push it down into the soil to keep it stable.
Remember to remove it when the cold weather has passed.
Use Potatoes To Grow Roses
In early spring you may want to plant some new roses. And while this may sound like a weird new hybrid plant, it’s actually a really useful gardening hack.
Put a new rose cutting into a potato before planting outdoors. The moisture from the potato helps to keep the rose hydrated.
Cinnamon To Protect Seedlings
If you don’t like the idea of using artificial weed control there are some homemade solutions to keeping your plants disease free.
Cinnamon has antifungal properties that can prevent diseases in your soil. Sprinkle some on your garden to protect it. Cinnamon can also be used as a pest control substance.
Sponges To Prevent Overwatering Houseplants
If you have a habit of killing your houseplants with kindness through overwatering this is the springtime hack for you.
Put sponges in the base of your flower pots. Then if you do add too much water the plant won’t be sitting in a puddle which threatens root rot.
Put Soap Under Your Nails
To keep your hands clean and prevent you having to scrub them raw after gardening try this hack.
Put some soap under your nails by dragging them across a bar of soap. This will prevent dirt from getting under your nails and makes it easier and quicker to clean your hands afterwards.
Zip Ties To Train Trailing Plants
If you have vines or other trailing plants that you want to train in a certain direction use some zip ties.
Loop the zip tie gently around the vine or plant you want to redirect or train. Then hook the zip tie around a stable object such as a fence post or trellis.
Insecticide From Coffee Grounds
Most of us don’t like using artificial insecticides in our garden and indeed many insects are essential for the ecosystem. However, some can be pests.
For a safe and cheap alternative to protect your plants use some coffee grounds.
Sprinkle them around your plants to keep slugs and ants away.
Homemade Weed Killer
As well as insects we are often fighting a losing battle with weeds. If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals in your garden try this homemade weed killer.
Mix some vinegar, baking soda and dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle and douse the weeds with it. Make sure to do this on a dry but overcast day.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few handy hacks we hope will help you out both in your home and in your garden.
We hope you have found this guide to 20 spring time hacks that everyone should know useful.
There’s nothing better than sitting down after a long, stressful day with a good craft or hobby - right?
Hi, my name is Helena Forsite and I am a self-proclaimed crafter. I love everything to do with DIYs, baking, crafting, and more!
When I was younger, fresh out of college, I developed a pretty strong anxiety disorder. I found it difficult to go to work, socialize with friends, or even get out of the house at all.
