Sowmya J Krish

3 easy hacks for some common household tasks

More and more people are committed these days on the impact that their daily choices have on this wonderful planet we reside on and I have been passionate about this much before the movement gained momentum. It can feel quite a lot as you started gaining awareness about the different ingredients in household products and even the containers we use in our homes for storage.

So here are some hacks you can begin straight away that do not need a lot of investment (natural products are for some reason much more expensive than the store shelf ones, a trend I hope changes in the coming years!).

1. Apple Cider Vinegar for cleaning kitchen slabs

So this one is a double whammy because it tackles those stubborn food splats and is tough on those germs, bacteria and what not. Mix a few drops of apple cider vinegar in a bowl of water and wipe away

2. Salt for clothes in the laundry

This one was something I discovered by accident. I had a small packet of salt in one of my shirt pockets and had a dress that was definitely a candidate for leaking color on everything else (anyone remember the pink laundry load episode from FRIENDS? Think it was the one with the German Laundry detergent).

So if you are washing clothes in a hurry and are unsure if some of those are going to leak color and mess up all the other clothes, throw a handful of salt in and see the magic!

3. Baking soda to clean burnt food

Another one we all struggle with. We leave the food on the hob to cook and then go down the rabbit hole of Instagram (or facebook or whatsapp) scrolling and suddenly you realise something is burning. Aside from the fact that you have to cook something else (or worse eat that burnt food), we also worry about having those gleamy vessels be marred by the black residue. So do not worry, here is a solution (other than well, not burning the food!). Add some water to the pan and a spoonful of baking soda, put it back on the hob and heat it to medium temperature. Do not put it on high. Once the water starts boiling, you will see the food starting to come off, switch off the hob and leave it for a while. You should now be able to scrap it off and use lemon slices for the more gritty bits.

So hope that helps you with some of the common household problems where you can use natural products to work through those glitches and do not need to buy chemical detergents and bleaches and what not that just pollute the environment and your home.