We Test Out Cleaning Hacks for Your Last Minute CNY Spring Cleaning Needs

You've seen them online, just mix a witches brew of potions together and wipe away tough grease and stains with ease. The perfect life hack for the chronicaly lazy. This Chinese New Year, we actually tested them and the results were... mixed.

Cleaning Shower Curtains (It Works!)

It may be tempting to throw away your shower curtain and just buy a new one, but these small costs can quickly add up and it’s also more sustainable just to clean it. The bottom areas of our shower curtain were noticeably disgusting with spots of mould on it, so we decided to give it a good wash without much hassle needed.

Source: Writer's Mama

This is what we did:

• We removed the shower curtain and threw it in our washing machine with a fluffy cotton towel. This is because shower curtains are made up of light materials and they may not be properly cleaned without the weight of the towel.
• We threw in a 1:1 ratio of one cap of clothes detergent and one cap of bleach.
• Your washing machine should automatically set the timing for the wash, otherwise, just set it to about 30 minutes.

The verdict: We found that our shower curtain was almost as good as new, it wasn’t 100% clean but most of the mould was removed and it should still hold out for some months yet.

Getting Rid of Stubborn Stains on 30-year-old Tile Surfaces (It Works, Somewhat)

The wet kitchen's surfaces are usually where the most grime accumulates over months and years. It's also one of those areas where you think: why bother cleaning out the oil when it just gets dirty the next time I cook? Well, we tried to clean it anyway.

Source: Also writer's Mama

• Throw in a dash of baking soda and dishwashing soap in a small bowl
• Mix them well and prepare a sponge
• Dip the sponge in the solution and you’re ready to scrub

Lightly scrub the surface with the sponge and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then, wipe the surface with a power towel and voila! See the difference here?

Verdict: It removed tough grime stains but it's not 100% spotless.

Cleaning the bottom of the pan (100% Fake)

We saw a video online that actually managed to clear the bottom of the pan with a paper towel. We didn't believe it and we tested it out. It didn't work as you can clearly see.

Source: Youtube

Method:

• Pour generous amount of salt, baking soda, and dishwashing liquid on the surface
• Cover with a paper towel and pour white vinegar on it
• Leave for 10 minutes
• Wipe off the grime

Cleaning Nonstick Pan (Works, 70%)

Since the bottom of the pan hack failed so miserably, we tried another hack for the inside of the pan because what have we got to lose at this point?

Source: YouTube

• Make a slurry with baking soda, 70% baking soda with 30% water
• Spread the slurry evenly on surfaces
• Leave on for 30 minutes

Surprisingly, this simple 2 ingredient method worked. There was some scrubbing involved and it wasn't so easy to scrub but it still removed really tough stains.

We tried it for oven glass, the actual intent of the hack and actually, it didn't work as well. We had to scrub pretty hard to get the oil stains out.



All the best for open house next week! Try these "hacks" and let us know if it works.