Dear Diary,
You all know how much I love to clean and organize. I am always looking for ways to make these things easier and more enjoyable!
Since living in our new home, I have started using these hacks that have totally changed the way we live!
They make the days smoother and the cleaning easier!
1.Toilet Brush Drying
Does anyone else get totally grossed out when cleaning the toilet with a brush then putting it right back in the holder?! Imagine all the bacteria collecting in that holder. Bathroom germs freak me out as it is…so I started putting my brush under the toilet seat to let it dry!
This allows the brush to dry for as long as you need it to. I know this isn’t totally getting rid of all that nasty bacteria, but it definitely makes me feel a little bit better knowing I’m not putting a soaking wet brush back in the holder.
2. Fruit Fly Catcher
I can’t STAND fruit flies. We have been getting them all over the kitchen, especially in this humidity. I am always trying to clap at them or slap them on the counter. I wanted to find a way to keep them away for good!
Here is what you’ll need to catch those fruit flies:
- a small bowl
- apple cider vinegar
- dish soap
- water
Directions:
- Pour about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar into the bowl
- Add in two-three drops of any dish soap
- Fill the rest of the bowl with water
- Mix together
Put this mixture in areas where the fruit flies are bothering you the most. Within hours, you will see that the mixture has caught the flies! The smell of the ACV attracts them and the soap makes them stick to the surface.
If you are still getting those nasty fruit flies in other areas of your kitchen. just make another batch of the mixture and put it there too. They will all be gone in no time!!
3. Dirty Dish Towel Bin
This one is simple but a serious life saver!
I get pretty grossed out by kitchen towels (are we noticing a pattern here?), so I tend to go through them pretty quickly.
Since it would be a pain to take them up and down the stairs every time I want to clean a dirty one, I put a Dollar Tree bin under the sink to collect them.
Every time I have used up a towel, I throw it in my bin under the sink. Once I have enough towels to clean, I can easily grab them and take them up to get washed!
4. Sheet Tag
Does anyone else go crazy trying to find the right way to put on the sheets or quilt on the bed?
I go crazy when I think I have the sheet on the right way, and realize its totally sideways!
An easy tip….the tag ALWAYS goes on the right corner of your bed. This goes for the top sheet and quilt/cover!
Now you will never have to think about if your bedding is on the right way again!
5. Stair Basket
This is one of my favorite hacks I started to use!!
Similar to the dish towels, we are always running up and down the stairs to take something up or to bring something down. While it’s a good workout, it can get annoying.
It can even be as silly as a phone charger or a book, but for whatever reason, we feel the need to get it done right then and there…or maybe that’s just me and my OCD.
Either way, I decided to put a cute basket at the bottom of the stairs. This is our “catch all” basket.
Anything that doesn’t belong downstairs can be tossed into the basket. At the end of the day (or if the basket is about to overflow), I take the basket upstairs and return the items to their home. The basket goes back down with me with items that don’t belong upstairs or empty to go back and collect more!
This avoids a pile of things at the bottom of the stairs or on the counter tops. They are out of the way but easy to access!
*This would be a great hack for mom’s with little kids (or pets) that are bringing toys all over the house!
BONUS HACK!! Because it was too difficult to pick just five!!
6. Cleaning Candle Jars
You all know I love an affordable storage solution..but what could be better than a FREE organizer?!
If you’re anything like me…you have a ton of candles in your house.
Think about all the candle jars we get rid of once they are used up!
This is the easiest way I have found to clean out those candle jars so you can have a beautiful FREE organizer.
What you’ll need:
- Freezer
- Knife or something sharp
- Water
- Dish Soap
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Paper towel
Directions:
1.When the candle is at the very end, stick the jar in the freezer over night.
2. The next day, take it out of the freezer. Carefully take a knife or scissors and start to pick away at the wax. It will fall apart very easily, including the wicks. Watch for any pieces that might fly out of the jar! This should remove all of the wax, but some residue might be stuck to the sides.
3. Remove the labels. If you have a hard time getting them off, run them under warm water and peel away.
4. Put a few drops of dish soap in the jar and clean it out as best as you can using warm water and your hands. I like to use gloves to help this process.
5. If you still have some wax left on the sides, fill the jar with about 2 inches of white distilled vinegar. Take a paper towel and rub the vinegar around the jar, even the outside to get rid of any of the label residue.
6. Finish off with a little more dish soap to make it smell nice and really shine!
7.For an extra rinse, you can throw it in the dishwasher!
Now you have a shiny new organizer! You can use it with the lid on or off. There are so many things you can fill these with…makeup brushes, pens, cotton balls, candies, etc.!
What hacks will you be using in your home?!
Make sure you follow my instagram @bethsnot_so_secretdiary! I posts tons of stories about organization and budget friendly shopping!
Thanks so much for stopping by to read my Not-So-Secret Diary!
I post every Wednesday and Sunday!
xx,
Beth
Beth's Not-So-Secret Diary 