Great ideas for home cleaning

Scrubbing and then scrubbing some more, yet not getting anywhere - it's time you improvise on technique. Tips and tricks Facebook followers of our sister publication GH swear by..

 Use a mixture of hand wash, antiseptic liquid and water to clean the outside of the oven and fridge or to get the stickiness off grills and fans. Try a wood stick with a cloth duster at the end to reach the difficult nooks. Pinky Makhijani, Mumbai When cleaning a stubborn stain on a mirror, cover it with a thick layer of toothpaste. After 10 minutes rub the coated stain with a damp newspaper, and you are done. Arpita Mukhopadhyay, Kolkata

Mix salt in mopping water to put an end to ant menace. Clean the kitchen, including slabs, with baking soda mixed in water to get rid of cockroaches. For stubborn, blocked drains - pour a cup of vinegar down the sink; half an hour later follow up with a litre of hot water. Monika Bhatia, New Delhi Clean the inside of the fridge with cotton dipped in white vinegar to get rid of offensive odour while also getting a spotlessly clean look. Kavita Nayak, Bengaluru.

Home cleaning

To add sparkle to tiles, mix one cup of vinegar, 1.5 cups of water and 3 spoons of dishwashing liquid. Scrub the tiles with this and leave for half an hour; scrub again and rinse off thoroughly. Also, a mix of hot water and vinegar cleans kettles and greasy frying pans very effectively. Ann Joy Jacob, London.

To clean tiles, I use a wipe soaked in baking soda and follow it with a vinegar-water rinse. For cleaning wood furniture, mix a little coconut oil in water for protection against termites. Nidhi Mathur, Abu Dhab

Monsoon gear up
This is the time to stock up for making instant snacks for that coffee and TV moment; go shopping for florid cushion covers; spread out lively doormats (See GH Picks in this section); check roof drains for blockage to avoid seepage; invest in a dehumidifier to keep your home comfortable; leave neem leaves or camphor balls in wardrobes to prevent fungus. This is not the time to renovate since termite attacks are more likely in humid conditions; flaunt the greens only indoors (remember to put them out in the rain from time to time).

While cleaning glass windows with newspaper, use horizontal strokes o n one side and vertical strokes on the other; it becomes easy to identify which sid e still ne eds cl eaning. Zehnaz Kothari Lokhandwala, Pune

Put a basket and a rack outside your front door; the former will take care of dripping umbrellas and the latter, wet shoes Rain