As home care experts with years of testing practical solutions, we at comment-economiser.fr share tips that truly simplify life. Sometimes, it's a small change that makes all the difference.
Ready to discover 100 new, reliable life hacks backed by real-world experience? These proven methods cover DIY, cleaning, kitchen, and more. Watch and learn:
Contents
- DIY AND STORAGE
- 1. Dip the tips of the nails in vegetable oil to drive them in more easily
- 2. Dilute the alabaster plaster in milk. Thus, it hardens less quickly and becomes easier to apply
- 3. Did you just put up wallpaper? So avoid airing the room for a few days, otherwise the wallpaper may peel off
- 4. Store your bedding in the pillowcases
- 5. To prevent your cables from getting tangled, store them in toilet paper rolls
- 6. No paint tray? Use a plastic bottle and put the brush in the neck of the bottle
- CLEANING TIPS
- 7. To make a mirror shine, clean it with pieces of cotton soaked in alcohol at 70°
- 8. To prevent dust from returning, wipe your baseboards with a dryer sheet
- 9. Use vinegar water to clean bathroom tiles (1 part white vinegar to 5 parts water)
- 10. To whiten the tile joints, spray with hydrogen peroxide then sprinkle with baking soda and leave to act for 10 minutes. Scrub the joints with a brush.
- 11. Do not use soap to clean the windows as it leaves streaks that are difficult to remove
- 12. Use a brush dipped in salt water to restore a beautiful golden hue to baskets and other straw objects
- 13. To revive the color of your carpet, sprinkle it with a little salt. Leave overnight and wipe with a damp cloth the next morning
- 14. Never use hot water to wash a linoleum floor, as it will lose its shine and color
- 15. To shine a wooden floor, use a mop soaked in cold water and glycerin (1 tablespoon of glycerin per glass of water)
- 16. To descale your washing machine, pour 80g of citric acid into the detergent drawer then run a hot cycle with no load
- 17. The soleplate of your iron is burnt? To clean, sprinkle salt on a cloth and iron
- 18. Always clean a room from top to bottom. This way, you avoid depositing dust on the places you have just cleaned
- 19. To quickly clean your fabric furniture, cover it with a damp cloth and pat
- 20. To prevent the bathroom mirror from fogging, wipe it with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of gelatin mixed with a glass of water
- 21. To remove mold from a shower curtain, rub it with a sponge soaked in white vinegar then put in the washing machine at 30°C.
- 22. Use modeling clay to easily fix a cracked glass
- 23. Use a piece of bread to clean dust off an old board
- 24. Are you going to mop the floor? Put fabric softener in the cleaning water: it is a powerful anti-static which prevents dust from coming back
- KITCHEN TIPS
- 25. To restore shine to your cutlery, rub it with a raw potato
- 26. To revive and make porcelain dishes shinier, clean them with water mixed with a little ammonia
- 27. Never wash your crystal glasses in hot water. This can leave a white veil and cause small cracks to appear
- 28. For even cleaner glasses, add a little vinegar or coarse salt to the dishwater
- 29. Does your gratin dish have traces of burning? For easy cleaning, boil cleanser in it and rinse with hot water
- 30. Traces of burnt food in your casserole dish? Pour hot water into it and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Leave to stand for a few minutes then bring to the boil
- 31. To clean a frying pan thoroughly, put 200 ml of white vinegar and 200 ml of water in it. Add a handful of baking soda and let sit until the mixture stops foaming. Empty, wipe and rinse: the pan is shiny
- 32. Boiled milk overflowed on your plate? To eliminate bad smells, sprinkle salt on the affected area and cover with a damp cloth
- 33. To descale your kettle or coffee maker, pour 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts water into it and boil. Wash and rinse thoroughly
- 34. Remember to sift your flour from time to time to avoid lumps
- 35. Rub baking paper on your faucets to protect your faucets from water spots and fingerprints
- 36. Knives and scissors are easier to sharpen if you first soak them for 30 minutes in lightly salted water
- 37. Run a raw potato through your meat grinder for easy cleaning
- AGAINST ODORS
- 38. To easily deodorize your fridge, clean it with lemon water (water + lemon juice in equal parts)
- 39. To eliminate bad smells of fish or garlic on your hands, rub them with salt and then wash them with soap
- 40. To remove bad smells, mix half a glass of water, 1 to 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Use this magic cleaner on a cutting board that has been used for fish, for example
- 41. Breath that smells of garlic? Chew parsley to get rid of foul breath
- 42. To get rid of bad fish odors on a frying pan, rub with salt and rinse thoroughly
- 43. A room that stinks of cold tobacco? Open all the windows and place wet towels in the room to absorb bad smells
- 44. To remove bad onion odors from your cutting board, rub it with coarse salt and lemon juice
- 45. Bathroom too humid? Install a VMC to evacuate humidity
- FOR JEWELRY
- 46. UV rays can tarnish your pearls and other fine stones (amethyst, topaz, turquoise). To maintain their color, store them out of direct sunlight when not in use
- 47. To easily clean and shine your gold jewelry, wipe it with a cotton ball soaked in perfume, turpentine or egg white
- 48. To prevent a ring from leaving marks on your finger, put some nail polish on the inside of the ring
- 49. To make your gold or silver objects shine, clean them in half a glass of soapy water mixed with 1 teaspoon of ammonia. Then rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry with a soft cloth
- 50. To clean silver jewelry and objects, soak them in a bath of hot water and ammonia (mixed in equal parts). Let the solution work until it cools, remove the jewelry and dry it with a soft cloth
- SHOE TIPS
- 51. Shoes that smell bad? Wipe the interior with a cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide to remove unpleasant odors
- 52. To clean suede shoes, hold them over the steamer and then lightly brush them with a nail brush
- 53. Shoes too small? Wipe the inside with perfume and walk in it at home. This will soften the leather and the shoes will take the shape of your feet
- 54. For squeaky leather shoes, rub the insole with linseed oil or castor oil
- 55. Put sachets filled with baking soda inside the shoes to absorb bad smells
- 56. Are your new shoes too tight because your feet swell with the heat? Rub the inside with a little white vinegar
- 57. To waterproof your shoes, melt 40 ml of fish oil, 10 g of beeswax, 20 g of glycerin and 30 g of turpentine. Apply this homemade waterproofing to your shoes
- 58. Do your sports shoes need a facelift? Soak them in hot water until the leather becomes soft. Wipe off and let air dry. Then, apply a thin layer of glycerine and fill them with pieces of newspaper rolled into balls
- 59. In hot weather, it is better to use a liquid shoe polish, as it is permeable and allows the leather to breathe. In winter, it is better to use shoe cream, as it waterproofs the leather while giving it a shiny appearance
- 60. To easily soften leather shoes that you haven't worn for a long time, rub them with a generous amount of castor oil and let them dry
- 61. To get your sneakers all white again, scrub them with toothpaste and a toothbrush!
- 62. To dry wet shoes faster, stuff them with balled up pieces of newspaper
- FOR CLOTHES
- 63. To keep your favorite sweater from shedding, put it in the fridge for 3-4 hours
- 64. To easily eliminate static electricity from a garment, simply rub the inside with a dryer sheet
- 65. Use a hair straightener to easily remove creases from slightly wrinkled garments.
- 66. To prevent a sweater from unraveling after washing, wring it out in a towel and lay flat to dry
- 67. To relax a sweatshirt that is too stiff, soak it in water then put it in the freezer for 1 night. The next day, soak it in lukewarm water to "thaw" it
- 68. One of your shirt buttons is unstitched, but you don't have a needle and thread? Put some nail polish on the button so the thread doesn't come off
- 69. Zipper stuck? Rub it with a piece of soap or a candle to loosen it WITHOUT breaking it
- 70. After ironing, allow your clothes to cool before wearing them. Otherwise, they may wrinkle
- 71. To repair a snag, just pull lightly on both sides of the hanging wire to get it back in its place
- 72. Are you packing your suitcase? To travel WITHOUT creasing your clothes, roll your pants and sweaters instead of folding them
- 73. To deodorize the closet, hang a sachet with a bar of soap in it
- 74. Jeans fading? Add white vinegar during the rinse cycle to fix the colors
- 75. To easily soften a leather jacket, simply moisten it or simply wear it in the rain
- 76. To iron shirt sleeves WITHOUT creases, place a rolled up terrycloth towel inside the sleeve
- 77. To avoid shiny spots due to ironing, simply dampen the shiny area and cover it with a dry cloth before ironing
- 78. To avoid marks on the seams when ironing, turn the garment inside out and iron the fabric around the seam first. Then turn the garment right side out and iron the seam with steam
- 79. Use rounded hangers to hang your sweaters WITHOUT deforming them
- 80. To recover a fabric that has become shiny, use a brush dipped in vinegar water
- 81. Have your terry towels lost their absorbency? After washing, soak them in salt water for 30 minutes, then let them air dry without wringing them
- LEATHER TIPS
- 82. Renovate your leather accessories and clothing by rubbing them with beaten egg whites
- 83. Use glycerine to revive the colors of your leather garments
- 84. Use coffee grounds to shine leather clothing. Simply put the grounds in a piece of woolen or flannel fabric then rub the leather vigorously to shine it
- 85. To make a dark colored leather handbag shine, rub it with a cotton ball soaked in lemon juice
- 86. To rejuvenate the leather of a handbag, rinse it with lukewarm water mixed with a few drops of ammonia. Air dry and buff the leather with a cloth dampened in castor oil
- 87. Sheepskins are easily cleaned with soapy water and a little ammonia. Let air dry then wring out with your hands
- 88. Does your suede jacket lint? Use a pumice stone to make them disappear
- 89. Are your new leather gloves too tight? Wrap them with a damp towel for 2 hours and let them dry on your hands
- 90. Are your suede shoes dirty? Use an eraser to remove stains
- ANTI-STAIN TIPS
- 91. A greasy stain on your wallpaper? To make it disappear, apply a cloth lightly soaked in gasoline on the stain for 2 to 3 minutes
- 92. Does your wooden furniture have dark stains from hot drinks? Rub the stain with half a lemon until it disappears
- 93. To remove white stains left by liquids, rub them in the direction of the grain of the wood with a sponge soaked in vegetable oil
- 94. To remove greasy stains, apply talc to the affected area and leave overnight
- 95. Do you need to remove a grease stain urgently? Dust it with talcum powder, cover with a paper towel and iron it
- 96. A tea stain on a garment? Easily remove it with lemon juice
- 97. Big grass stain on a piece of clothing? Soak the area with 10 cl of warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt, then rinse with warm water
- 98. Traces of marker on your floors or walls? Rub them with toothpaste then wipe with a damp sponge
- 99. To remove a sticker from a windshield, use window cleaner and scrape off the glue with a razor blade. Wipe off glue residue with a tissue
- 100. To remove sweat stains, use lemon juice or baking soda
- Bonus: Clean the jack of your smartphone with a small screw wrapped in cotton. Insert (very) gently the pointed part of the screw into the socket to easily remove dust and residue
DIY and Storage
1. Dip the tip of the nails in vegetable oil to drive them in more easily
And to plant a nail without tapping your fingers, use a clothespin! Click here to discover the trick.
2. Dilute the alabaster plaster in milk. Thus, it hardens less quickly and becomes easier to apply
3. Did you just put up wallpaper? Avoid airing the room for a few days, otherwise the wallpaper may peel off
And if you want to easily peel off wallpaper, use soda crystals. Click here to find out how.
Bonus: Clean the jack of your smartphone with a small screw wrapped in cotton. Insert (very) gently the pointed part of the screw into the socket to easily remove dust and residue
To discover: 33 Indispensable iPhone Tips Everyone Should Know.
