Grandma’s cleaning hacks
8 household tips from our grandmothers that will make spring cleaning easier for us
© Alejandro Ivan Suarez / Shutterstock
There has always been cleaning. That’s why we can rely on our grandparents’ advice when it comes to the vexing topic of spring cleaning – then the housework will almost take care of itself.
Does the little bit of housekeeping take care of itself? It would be nice. How often do we dream of a little cleaning elf who just waves his magic wand and everything sparkles and shines. Unfortunately, the reality is different, and as much as we are happy about the first rays of sunshine, it also brings completely new layers of dust into the daylight that we skillfully ignored in winter.
Our grandmothers probably couldn’t do magic – even though it often seemed like that to us as children. Admittedly, it may have seemed more like magic to the masters of creation at the time, as equality was only likely to have entered the household back then in the rarest of cases. This reminds me of my grandma, actually a modern woman, who, after finishing her studies, asked me in shock how I was going to get food on the table with a full-time job in time for my husband’s return.
So: When it comes to dividing up housework, we prefer to look forward rather than back. But when it comes to implementation, it’s worth listening to the good advice of your grandmother (or, depending on your progressiveness, even your grandfather). In almost every family, little secrets are passed down from generation to generation that make the annoying weekly cleaning as pleasant as possible – and allow one or two forks to shine again in their unexpected splendor.
We asked the editorial team to find out which household tips from our grandparents still accompany us today. Et voilà – the result is a little spring cleaning guide, the results of which make you believe in magic.
8 magical household tips from grandma
“Clean the windows first, with more light cleaning is more fun!”
“Never clean windows in the sun!”
“My grandma always stored the potatoes in the cellar over the winter months. The last ones that had sprouted properly were then used for silver cleaning. Either simply rub them with the raw potato or, with forks, for example, because you can’t get between the tines comes, put it in hot potato water.”
“Putting lemon slices in it helps to prevent unpleasant smells from the dishwasher.”
“Stains on light-colored things come out if you put them in direct sun.”
“Always wash out blood stains with cold water instead of warm.”
“My grandma always preaches: first vacuum, then wipe.”
“Limescale stains can be easily removed with rinse aid!”
“Do the sports clothes smell? Then soak them in a bucket with a vinegar-water mixture. Then rinse and then put them in the machine”
“The fringes on the carpet look so messy and messy? Then just run a small comb over them!
Thank you Grandma!