Ten unknown uses for dishwasher tablets
The problem was that she still had 100 dishwasher tablets left. Wanting to save money, American blogger Corinne Schmitt bought an extra large packet of cheap tablets. When she realized that they weren't compatible for her dishwasher though, she tried to find other ways to use them and came up with some excellent practical ideas.
1. Cleaning the oven
This tip works particularly well on the oven floor, even when fat is baked onto the surface. First soak the bottom of the oven with warm water for 10 minutes. After putting on rubber gloves, slowly rub a dishwasher tablet up and down the surface of the oven floor. Then use a sponge or paper towel to wipe away any liquid. For particularly stubborn stains, you can also dissolve one or two tablets in hot water and leave the mixture to sit on the oven floor for several hours.
2. Cleaning the casserole dish
When making lasagne or a casserole, you're often left facing the dilemma of no longer being able to get the casserole dish completely clean. To tackle this problem, simply fill the casserole dish with hot water before dropping a dishwasher tablet into it. For the best results, leave it overnight. The next day, simply rinse out the dish and be amazed by the sparkling finish.
3. Removing coloring from white clothes
We've all been there: someone has mistakenly put a red sock in with the white washing, leaving the clothes no longer looking their best. The next time you come to the washing, simply put a tablet in with the white wash.
4. Removing coloring pencil and crayon marks
Yes, these miraculous little tablets are even able to do that. This clever trick is particularly helpful when you have creative children who like to bring their stories to life all over your walls. To remove any marks and doodlings, dissolve a tab in a quart of water and use the mixture to clean the wall. Wear rubber gloves while doing so and use a cloth or sponge to help remove the marks.
5. Cleaning the washing machine drum
This is a great trick for cleaning your washing machine. To remove germs and limescale, run a wash cycle on a high-heat program with two tablets in the drum.
6. Cleaning outdoor furniture
This is an effective measure for removing dust, pollen and bird droppings encrusted on your deckchairs, garden tables or barbecue sets. Dissolve a tablet in hot water and simply remove the dirt; it's best to wear rubber gloves and use a cloth while doing so.
7. Removing coffee and tea rings
We all know about those unsightly little brown rings in cups and teapots. However, it's quite easy to get rid of them: simply fill the cup or pot three-quarters full with warm water and drop a tablet into it. Leave the mixture for one hour before rinsing thoroughly with hot water. You can also use this trick on vases and jugs.
8. Polishing metal
This hack works particularly well on stainless steel. While wearing gloves and using a cloth, clean and polish up your tools or cutlery using a tablet dissolved in water. Make your sinks sparkle again by filling them with water, dropping a tablet in and leaving the mixture overnight.
9. Cleaning the garbage can
When doing the housework, there aren't many tasks that are less pleasant than cleaning filthy garbage cans. What are you supposed to do when they stink or leftovers start to collect at the bottom of them? Once again, the clever little tablet is here to help. Fill enough water in the garbage can so that the worst of the dirt is submerged, and drop in a tablet. Once it has dissolved, wait 30 minutes before rinsing out the garbage can.
10. Cleaning the toilet
If there's anything worse than washing out garbage cans, then it's probably cleaning the toilet. Thankfully, you can make this task less daunting by dropping a dishwasher tablet into the toilet bowl beforehand. Once the tablet has dissolved, scrubbing will be a lot easier.
Be aware that it may take some time for the a tablet to dissolve, even when you drop it into hot water. Otherwise, there's little that these brilliant little tablets can't do when it comes to cleaning around the house.