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Kitchen and bathroom cleaning hacks

C17B2T Smiling young black woman with sponge and rubber gloves cleaning kitchen spring cleaning woman; cleaning; smiling; kitche
C17B2T Smiling young black woman with sponge and rubber gloves cleaning kitchen spring cleaning woman; cleaning; smiling; kitche

Cleaning the kitchen and bathroom has to be one of the hardest (and least popular) chores around the house - but with a little know-how you can make your home shine in no time.

See also: Four surprising uses for kitchen sponges
See also: Why you're doing your household chores all wrong

Shower doors: soap scum and mineral deposits can leave shower doors looking lacklustre. If conventional cleaning products don't get results, try rubbing them with half a cut lemon, or adding a few drops of lemon oil to your scrubbing sponge.

Apply a little elbow grease, then wait for 30 minutes. Next, take a microfibre cloth or a heavy wash cloth and start rubbing. The soap scum and mineral deposits should come away easily. It also leaves a coating on the shower door, making it easier to clean the next time.

Shower head: fill a sandwich bag with warm water, vinegar and lemon juice, then tie the bag tightly round your shower's nozzle to allow the mixture to soak in and remove grime.

Bathroom tiles: if these are looking grimy around the edges, try cleaning them with this powerful formula. You'll need 1/4 glass of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tablespoon of liquid soap, and 1/2 glass of water. Mix the ingredients together, then apply the liquid to tiles and grout. Let it sit for 10 minutes to do its work. Scrub the tiles and rinse and repeat if necessary.

When you've finished working your magic in the bathroom, here's how to make your kitchen sparkle...

Stainless steel sinks: these can quickly become tarnished but it's easy to bring the sparkle back. Simply cut a lemon in half and dip in salt – then rub it on the soap scum and rinse clean.

Microwave: steam clean it with a mixture of cut lemons, cider vinegar and water. Pop a bowl of the mixture into the microwave, and cook on full power for three minutes. Keep the door closed, and leave it to steam for five to 10 minutes, before wiping away any remaining debris and stains.

Oven: A similar mixture can also be used to clean the inside of a grimy oven. To create a grease-removing formula, mix a lemon with some vinegar, baking soda and dish soap. Cover the inside of your oven, leave to soak for an hour, then scrub well.

Blocked sink: thankfully, it's easier to unclog it than you might think. Try pouring a pot of boiling water into the hole, then dump in a cup of baking soda. Leave it for a few minutes, then pour in a mixture of vinegar and hot water. Cover with a plug if you have one and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then flush it through one more time with boiling water.

The baking soda and hot water loosens any grime and debris that's blogging the drain, and the explosive chemical reaction with the vinegar will jolt it all loose. The final rinse of boiling water helps flush everything away.