It’s that time of year again; the sun is out, and so are you when you’re not studying. But are you grossed out by the amount of dirt that seems to have built up over the winter months, despite a weekly clean? Make the most of your Easter break by having a good old fashioned spring clean, and to help you out, here are 20 cheap spring cleaning hacks for students…

1. White Vinegar

white vinegar
Credit: The Kitchn

When you’re cleaning, white vinegar is your new best friend as it’s useful for so many things. If you want to clean your microwave, all you need to do is put a cup of vinegar inside and turn it on for one minute. The steam from the vinegar will help loosen old food, so it’s easy to wipe away and kill any lingering smells from late-night snacks or reheated takeaways. Plus, you can also soak your shower head in white vinegar to remove limescale or to get rid of any unnatural smells coming from the drains.

2. Cobwebs

Cobwebs
Credit: Cleanzen

Those pesky spiders would have been out and about over the colder months, so to make sure your house is full of life and not looking like a haunted house, here is the best way to get rid of cobwebs. Wrap a cleaning towel/cloth around the end of a broom and then use it to get the cobwebs down from the ceiling or awkward corners. Just don’t forget to wash the cloth when you’re done.

3. Lemons

lemons
Credit: Healthline

I know what you’re thinking, if life gives you lemons make lemonade, but not in this case. Slice a lemon in half, and you can use it to clean and polish your sinks. The acidic juice gets rid of water stains, and your kitchen be clean and will smell lovely and lemony. Plus, if you have any lemons leftover, as in unsliced and fresh, you can then make a glass of lemonade to celebrate your cleaning skills.

4. Car Wax

car wax
Credit: AutoGuide

I’ve not tried this hack yet, but it sounds like the ultimate cleaning hack. After you have cleaned the oven, the laborious task of scrubbing off burnt food and spill marks, apply a thin layer of the wax to the stovetop. Not only should this make your stove look newer as if it hadn’t seen some awful kitchen nightmares, but it should also make cleaning easier next time.

5. Dryer Sheets

Credit: Today Sheets

If you have a room that smells funky or just never smells fresh, you need to try this hack. Tape a scented dryer sheet over the air conditioner; pineapple is my personal favourite! Then switch on the air conditioner and wait for your room to turn into a tropical paradise. Something we all need since we can’t travel abroad at the moment. Another dryer sheet hack is to use it to clean your baking trays. Put the tray in warm soapy water with a dryer sheet and leave it for an hour or two, then rinse it off and apparently all the burnt cookies and pizza pieces will just rinse off.

6. Potato

potatoes
Credit: BBC

Who knew something that tastes so good could also clean so well! If you have some gross pots and pans, throw in some coarse salt and use half a potato to rub it in until all the gross mess and burn bits have come off. You can also use a potato to clean a grater, as it will remove any leftover pieces of food.

7. Self-Cleaning Blenders

Blender
Credit: Reviewed

Next time you use your blender, instead of carefully cleaning it by hand, why not save some time and elbow grease by letting the blender clean itself. All you need to is give it a quick rinse, and then add some warm water, baking soda, and a drop or two of washing up liquid. Then blend that cleaning mix as if it was a smoothie; just make sure to pour it away afterwards and DO NOT DRINK IT. It may also be worth giving it another quick rinse of water before you use it again.

8. Vodka

vodka
Credit: The Spruce Eats

Although most people don’t want to waste their booze, it may be worth it. You can use vodka to remove mildew; all you need to do is mix some water and vodka and then spray it onto any areas in your bathroom with mildew. Then after about 10 minutes, just wipe it away. The booze should not only clean your tiles but kill the mildew.

9. Rubber Gloves

rubber gloves
Credit: HomeGearX

Having a pet is amazing, whether it is an adorable dog or  cat, but pet hair can be a nightmare. Or maybe your hair seems to end up everywhere; either way, this hack is for you. Instead of using rubber gloves to protect your hands when you clean, you can use rubber gloves to do the cleaning. Use them to wipe any areas that seem to have a lot of hair, as when rubber makes it gather up, so it’s easy to remove.

10. Squeegee

squeegee
Credit: Chatham Window washing

Or, if you want to keep your rubber gloves for cleaning, you can always use a squeegee to remove unwanted hairs. This works well on carpets and mats, but why not try it on furniture as well.

11. Dishwasher

Dishwasher
Credit: Good Housekeeping

Whilst you’re cleaning something else, why not let your dishwasher double up as your cleaning partner. You can use your dishwasher to wash much more than plates and pans, including flip flops, shower heads, fridge shelves, oven shelves, hair brushes, and even makeup brushes. But I would do a separate wash for these items. You can even make the dishwasher clean itself by putting in a cup of white vinegar on an empty wash. To make it extra clean, you could also put some baking soda on the base to help get rid of any grime.

12. Toothbrush

toothbrush
Credit: Friendly Dentistry

As students, we spend almost every moment of every day on our laptops, meaning the keyboards are probably disgusting. But there’s an easy fix for this; all you need to do is use an old toothbrush. The bristles are sure to get in between all these pesky keys and get out the dirt, dust and anything else lingering beneath the keys.

13. Baking Soda

baking soda
Credit: The Spruce Eats

One place we are all guilty of forgetting about is the kitchen extractor hood/range hood. You know that thing above the oven? This greasy and gross filter is sitting right above the stovetop, meaning right above your food. All you need to do to clean it is a large pot, fill it with water and half a cup of baking soda, but make sure to add a little at a time. Then slip in the extractor hood, which you should be able to remove easily enough.

14. Essential Oils

Credit: Women’s Health

You can use essential oils in your cleaning to keep everything smelling fresh. To keep your mattress fresh and clean, mix one cup of baking soda with 5 drops of essential oil. Then sprinkle this concoction over your mattress, either by hand or using a sieve. Leave it there for at least an hour, and then hoover it all up. You can also use essential oils when cleaning your toilet. Just mix 15 drops of essential oil with 2 tablespoons of castile soap, a quarter cup of borax and a full cup of distilled white vinegar. But it’s important to think about what scents you are using; a citrus like lemon or lime would be better for the bathroom, and then something more relaxing like lavender for the mattress.

15. Coke

coke
Credit: Coke

Another way you can clean your toilet is just using a can of cake. Pour a can of coke on and around the inside of the toilet bowl. You should leave this for at least an hour, but it’s probably best if you just leave it overnight. The coke will break down the stains in the toilet, which makes it easier to clean.

16. Shaving Cream

shaving cream
Credit: Apartment Therapy

Here’s another cleaning hack for you, shaving cream can be used to remove water stains, such as on shower glass or mirrors. You can also use shaving cream to clean jewellery

17. Coffee Filters

coffee filters
Credit: Roasty Coffee

Who knew that coffee filters were great for dusting. You can use them to remove the dust off your tv, laptop screens, or those textbooks you haven’t opened in a few months.

18. Unpaired socks

Credit: Esquire

You can finally make good use out of all those socks that seem to have lost their partners by using them for cleaning, whether it’s to remove dust from ceiling fans, lamps, and blinds. You can also use socks to remove dust from candles that have been sitting on the side for years.

19. Newspaper

newspapers
Credit: Britannica

Newspaper is good for all sort of cleaning hacks; you should even use it to clean your windows instead of cloths or paper towels. You can also use newspapers to soak in moisture, so place one in your fridge if you have to switch it off or put a newspaper under your shoes to dry them.

20. Zoflora

Credit: Lakeland

Zoflora is the cleaning potion you never knew you needed. The brand has so many different cleaning products that can make cleaning so much easier, whether its to clean drains, remote controls, light switches, bathrooms, coffee tables, blinds, cushions, literally anything!