Cleaning hacks to save you hours during and at the end of your tenancy

When it comes to cleaning, the saying ‘work smart, not hard’ really does come into action. Most people have a real love-hate relationship with cleaning (or maybe just hate it). But don’t worry, we’re here to help with our top 10 cleaning hacks to save you hours of time and unnecessary headaches during and at the end of your tenancy. Scroll to the end to find links to all of the products featured.

1) Let the chemicals do the work

We have placed this at the top spot as it really is the most effective way to clean. Let the chemicals do the heavy lifting of breaking down build-ups will save you so much time and backache from scrubbing. Spray your chemicals on and leave them to do their work instead of scrubbing them off straight away. To put this in a practical sense, we have listed a few examples below;

Oven Cleaner – Apply oven cleaner to the oven, trays and wire shelves and leave for 24 hours (Yes, literally 24 hours!). The burnt on food and stains should then wipe away with ease. We recommend “Oven Pride Deep Cleaner”.

Limescale – Spray limescale cleaner on affected areas (we recommend “Viakal”) and leave for 1-4 hours to do the work depending on how bad the build-up is. After this time, the limescale should be broken down enough to simply wipe off. Viakal works great on all chrome ware (taps, showerheads, sinks etc.), ceramic and shower screens.

Toilet Tablets – Have you tried cleaning your toilet bowl but no amount of scrubbing is removing the strange copper-coloured stain? Yes, we know TMI. However, this discolouring in the toilet bowl is a build-up of limescale and easily be treated. Grab a pack of “Harpic Power Plus Citrus Toilet Cleaning Tablets” and drop a tablet into the bowl and leave for as long as possible (24 hours if the build-up is bad) and then scrub away with your toilet brush.

2) Refresh your bath and shower silicone

We’ve all been there, you see a tiny spec of mould in your shower silicone and before you know it, it has taken hold and spread over the once bright white seal. Our hack for this is to tackle this straight away (as soon as it appears) by pouring some thick bleach on the silicone and leave to sit for 15-20 minutes before cleaning it off. Ta-da, brilliantly bright white seals again!

3) Restore your grout lines

Ok, we are all guilty of letting the grout get a bit discoloured from time to time! But we have an easy hack to sort that right out. Simply keep an old toothbrush and scrub the grout lines with “CIF Cream” and a tad of hot water. A very satisfying transformation.

4) Bring your kettle back to life

If you have lived in Norwich for a while, you will come to learn of the thorn in our side called limescale. It’s just part of life here in the East. If your kettle is growing a flaky limescale mess, simply grab a pack of “Oust Powerful All Purpose Descaler, Limescale Remover”, boil the kettle and pour in one sachet and leave for 10-20 mins and it should dissolve the build up away.

5) Keep Fairy Liquid on hand at all times

Not only is “Fairy Liquid” good for dishes, but it can also be used so many ways around the house. Aside from the specific cleaners to treat limescale and the oven, you can get most jobs done around the house with some good old trusted Fairy liquid.

To save yourself time, simply fill up your sink with hot soapy water, grab a microfibre cloth and get wiping. You can use it to clean bathroom fixtures, shower screens, furniture, floors, stains, skirting boards, kitchen cupboards, mirrors and the list really does go on. What’s more, it leaves behind a lovely streak-free finish to everything you have cleaned. It is great for cleaning mirrors and glass, just use a clean microfibre cloth and squeeze out the excess before cleaning the surface.

6) Use Vinegar to clean your microwave 

Microwaves can be a breading ground for smells, food build-ups and bacteria. Simply get a bowl with ½ a cup of vinegar and ½ a cup of water and place into the microwave for 3 minutes allowing the steam to break up the food. Then grab a microfibre cloth to clean it all down.

7) Do a little cleaning time, regularly

The most obvious and easiest hack to save you future headaches! Simply clean up as you go and do it regularly. This is especially helpful for places in your home where stubborn dirt can be hard to tackle if left for a long time such as wiping down your taps and sinks regularly to avoid limescale buildups, cleaning down showers, tiles and baths and wiping out your oven, fridges and hob regularly.

8) Line your oven and baking trays

Cleaning an oven requires some strong chemicals. To help keep your oven clean and fresh throughout your tenancy, simply line your baking tray or racks with tin foil or purchase oven liners at Amazon. Oven liners can be removed and cleaned down easily. Quick tip: always use baking trays for cooking instead of placing food straight on the oven racks.

9) Banish streaky glasses from the dishwasher

If your rental has a dishwasher, it is important to ensure that regular cleaning and maintenance are carried out to keep it in tip-top shape. It is crucial that salt is installed every month to the dishwasher to keep it limescale free and you run a cleaning cycle every few months to keep your dishes and glasses sparking clean!

10) Remove stubborn burnt-on stains from your hob 

Burnt on food and stains can be hard to remove from hobs and can become worse over time. To avoid this, it is essential to wipe all spillages away as soon as possible and wipe down after use. To remove burnt-on stains, spray some Mr Muscle oven cleaner on the affected areas and cover it with cling film. Leave for a few hours and wipe away! 

Products Featured

Viakal Limescale Remover – Linked here – (Purchase from most supermarkets and general shops like Home Bargains)

Oven Pride Deep Cleaner – Linked here – (Purchase from most general shops like Home Bargains, B&M and Wilko)

Harpic Power Plus Citrus Toilet Cleaning Tablets – Linked here – (Purchase from most supermarkets and shops)

CIF Cream – Linked here – (Purchase from most supermarkets and shops)

Thick Bleach – Linked here – (Purchase from most shops)

Oust Powerful All Purpose Descaler, Limescale Remover – Linked here – (Purchase from most supermarkets and shops)

Fairy Liquid – Linked here – (Purchase from most shops)

White Vinegar – Linked here – (Purchase from the cleaning aisle of most shops)

Oven Liners – Linked here – (Purchase online at Amazon or Argos)

Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner – Linked here – (Purchase at most supermarkets and shops)

Dishwasher Salt – Linked here (Purchase at most supermarkets and shops, located next to dishwasher tablets)

Dishwasher Cleaner – Linked here – (Purchase at most supermarkets and shops)