Especially in the living room, magazines and catalogs gradually accumulate that no one will probably ever read through. This creates unnecessary chaos in the room. One or two copies placed on the coffee table as a decorative element can add a nice touch to the room. However, a pile won’t give you the coziness you want in your living room.
To create more comfort in the living room, it can help to clear out small, inconspicuous furnishings and replace them with more comfortable and cozy alternatives. So feel free to get rid of these 8 things and you’ll see that coziness will soon move into your four walls! Credit: stock.adobe.com – Africa Studio
Over time, thick layers of ice build up in the freezer. To keep your freezer working effectively, you should defrost it regularly. This can sometimes be quite time-consuming. To prevent your freezer from becoming blocked with thick layers of ice in the first place, there is a simple trick to prevent ice from forming in the freezer. All you need is a simple household remedy.
Prevent ice from forming in the freezer
If your freezer looks like this, you should act quickly! Credit: IMAGO – CHROMORANGE
When you open your freezer, warm air and moisture get inside. This can create thick layers of ice. These take up space and also ensure that the freezer consumes more energy. Because the appliance now has to cool its interior through the layers of ice, electricity consumption increases enormously. If you defrost your freezer regularly, you can counteract this problem. To prevent ice from forming in the freezer, you need the following household remedy.
Wipe out the freezer with baking soda
Baking soda is a real all-rounder in the household and also helps you to keep the freezer free of layers of ice. To do this, first defrost the freezer as usual. Then pour two to three tablespoons of baking soda onto a damp cloth. Now use this cloth to thoroughly wipe the walls, ceiling and floor of the freezer. However, make sure you avoid the rubber seals. These could possibly be damaged by the household remedy.
But why can baking soda prevent ice from forming in the freezer? It’s simple: the household remedy ensures that the moisture in the freezer cannot settle as quickly. This ultimately delays the formation of a new layer of ice. If you have also wiped the walls of the freezer with baking soda, it will be much easier to remove ice the next time you defrost it. Another advantage: baking soda even binds unpleasant odors in the freezer!
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More tips to prevent ice forming in the freezer
If you don’t have baking soda to hand, you can also try this trick with cooking oil or glycerine. To avoid thick layers of ice in the freezer, the following also applies:
Do not place your fridge and freezer next to the dishwasher or oven. These appliances give off heat, causing your fridge or freezer to consume more energy.
Do not place the freezer too close to the wall so that it can still give off heat to the surroundings.
Do not leave the freezer door open for long periods. If you always close the door again quickly, less warm air will get inside.
Before you freeze food or cooked dishes, you should let them cool down. Otherwise, condensation will form in the freezer due to the heat. This will eventually lead to new layers of ice.
Check the freezer seals regularly. If these are no longer intact, warm air will also get inside and new layers of ice will form.
Defrosting the freezer always takes a lot of time and effort. So it’s all the better that you can delay this tedious household chore with just one household remedy and a few tips. You’re guaranteed not to have to deal with thick layers of ice in the freezer in future!
If you’ve ever been surprised by a moth infestation, you’ll know how difficult it is to fight moths. But even if it’s difficult to get rid of the little beasts, our tricks can help you get rid of the pests again soon! Read on to find out which tips really help with pest control and what you should look out for.
Where do moths actually come from?
Moths enter your home through open windows or old carpets, blankets or used upholstered furniture. But they can also be brought into your home when you go shopping, as food such as flour is often already contaminated with moths.
How do I recognize moths?
The most common types of moths in the home are clothes moths and food moths. The term food moth refers to a whole range of species. For example, the dried fruit moth, the flour moth or the flour moth.
Clothes moths can be recognized by their light yellow to dark brown wings and indirectly, of course, by damage to clothing. The larvae of the moth cause the damage because they feed on keratin, which is found in animal products such as wool, fur, feathers, down and leather. Check your clothes, as well as curtains, carpets and upholstery, for small, irregular holes or bald patches.
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Depending on the species, food moths are usually rather grey and often difficult to recognize, as the pests are small and inconspicuous. They prefer dry foods such as flour, rice, pasta, cornflakes, baking powder, cocoa, nuts and animal feed and contaminate them with their excrement and saliva. However, they do not pose a health risk and do not transmit diseases.
Fighting moths
Female moths usually lay between 250 and 300 eggs which, once hatched, eat their way through the contents of your wardrobe, leave droppings behind and continue to reproduce. If you do nothing to prevent this, you will have a moth infestation within a very short time, which will take a lot of effort to get under control.
Therefore, proceed as follows if you have discovered the pests in your home and want to combat the moths:
Wash textiles
If you are dealing with clothes moths, you should machine wash all infested items of clothing at a temperature of at least 50 °C. The insects usually do not survive the high temperatures.
Heat or cold
Delicate items of clothing that cannot be washed in the washing machine should be wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in the freezer for a week. This is because cold can also successfully combat moths.
Large textiles such as curtains, carpets or upholstered furniture fit neither in the washing machine nor in the freezer. In summer, place them in the blazing sun for several hours or blow-dry them on the highest setting to catch all the pests.
Be careful with leather sofas: They do not tolerate heat and can warp when blow-dried.
Remove food
If you are dealing with food moths, you should throw away all infested and adjacent food, as the small pests can easily eat through cardboard, paper, natural fibers and even plastic film.
Clean the cupboard
After you have removed all nests and affected textiles or food from the cupboard, you should first vacuum it out and then clean it thoroughly with vinegar cleaner. Finally, wipe it out again with warm soapy water.
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Clean the entire room
Finally, the room in which the moths have been located should also be cleaned. This includes skirting boards, cracks and crevices between cupboards, cavities, radiators and all areas that are covered by furniture. If not all areas can be reached easily, use a hairdryer again and blow-dry hard-to-reach areas at the highest setting to destroy all moth eggs and larvae.
Prevent further infestation
In order to protect yourself from another moth infestation, there are a few things you should bear in mind:
Fit windows with fly screens
Vacuum regularly
Store unused clothing in plastic bags
Clean out, rearrange, clean and air wardrobes several times a year
only hang freshly washed clothes in the wardrobe (the smell of sweat, skin and hair dandruff attract animals)
Wash curtains, carpets and cushions regularly at 60 °C
Store flour, rice, pasta and muesli in glass or plastic containers
Line your closet with scented sachets made from lavender, laurel, cloves or cedar wood
Moth traps
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Moth traps can be used for the early detection and monitoring of moth infestations. These are so-called pheromone traps, which attract male moths with their attractants. These then stick to a layer of glue. This makes it easy to determine whether the pantry or closet is infested with moths.
However, the moth traps are not a method of combating moths, but rather a way of observing how severe the infestation already is. If more than 10 moths per week stick to the trap, steps should be taken quickly to combat them.
Ichneumon wasps
Ichneumon wasps are a simple remedy for moths. You can get them easily from DIY stores or online retailers. These are small insects that target the eggs of moths. They lay their eggs in those of the moths and feed on them at the same time. As soon as all the moth eggs have been eaten, the ichneumon wasps also die.
Make your own lavender sachets
You can buy lavender sachets relatively cheaply in shops, but they are also very easy to make yourself. All you need are dried lavender flowers, a cotton cloth, a cord and a pair of scissors. If you have lavender flowers in your garden, pick them between June and August and leave them to dry upside down for about a week. The dried flowers are then stuffed into the cloth and closed with the cord. They can then be placed in the closet where they will remain fragrant for up to two years.
If moths have taken up residence in your home, this is usually very unpleasant, as it involves a lot of work to get rid of them. Because they reproduce quickly, moths can quickly become a plague and cause considerable damage to various materials. Timely action and careful moth control are therefore necessary to get rid of the pests permanently.
You’ve probably heard of this special household trick: cinnamon in mop water is said to work wonders. But what’s really behind this household remedy? Is it just an old superstition or does this aromatic additive actually have practical benefits for your household?
The benefits of cinnamon in mop water
It is common knowledge that cinnamon can keep bugs away. In fact, there are scientific explanations for the effect of cinnamon as a household helper. The spice has an antibacterial effect, which means that bacteria and viruses are killed when wiping and their growth can also be suppressed.
How to use cinnamon for cleaning:
If you want to try the cleaning trick, add a drop of washing-up liquid in 5 liters mop water. Then add half to a whole teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture. Alternatively, you can also add two drops of cinnamon oil into the mop water or boil several cinnamon sticks in water and use this – when it has cooled down – to clean the floor.
Cinnamon in mop water has an antibacterial effect. Credit: Foto-Ruhrgebiet – stock.adobe.com
The disadvantages of cinnamon in mop water
As is so often the case, this internet trend also has some disadvantages. For cinnamon to have a truly antibacterial effect, you need a comparatively large amount into the mop water. As the spice is quite expensive, this cleaning trick will also cost you a little more money. Finally, when you add cinnamon to the mop water, you automatically spread the powder on your floor. Depending on the amount of cinnamon powder, this could make the floor slightly crumbly and brownish appear brownish. This does not necessarily make a good impression.
What’s more, if you walk around your home in socks or slippers, you’ll spread the cinnamon powder everywhere, soiling not only your socks but also carpets, sofas or even the bed. Of course, you could avoid this by using cinnamon oil is used. However, you run the risk of unsightly stains forming after wiping. streaks on the floor. Furthermore, the smell of cinnamon could also attract pests that feed on organic or inorganic materials.
Alternative household remedies for mopping water
In summary, despite its pleasant smell, cinnamon does not necessarily belong in the mop water. You can also achieve an antibacterial effect by adding lemon peel to the mop water, for example. Alternatively, you can hang apple, orange or mandarin orange slices to dry in your home for a Christmassy smell. What do you think of cinnamon in the mop water – have you ever tried this cleaning trick?
They are everywhere: there is hardly a garden that is free of slugs this summer. The slimy molluscs have become a real nuisance. If you go to the trouble of collecting the uninvited guests from your plants, you will inevitably ask yourself the question: What is the best way to dispose of the collected slugs?
Collecting slugs with a trick
Before thinking about what to do with the pests, you first need to collect them. You will have the greatest success for a rich “slug harvest” after a Rain shower or early in the morning. If you are disgusted by touching the slimy snails, it is best to pick them up with a glove or a small scoop.
You can also use a wooden board in your garden and wait for the snails to gather underneath. As they like it damp and cool, they will be there in large numbers. A lettuce trap is also a great snail magnet: Simply place lettuce leaves in a sheltered spot and wait until the next day. You can then easily collect the slugs.
This is how you should dispose of the collected slugs
Opinions differ widely on how to deal with collected slugs. You often hear about killing them with scissors, beer, salt or boiling water. But even though slugs are among the animals for which little or no sympathy is shown, it is now known that even these so-called lower creatures are sensitive to pain.
Incidentally, killing slugs can also be counterproductive. Slugs are cannibalsso that they are attracted by the smell of dead conspecifics. If the slimy animals decompose in the bushes, more of them will come.
So how can you dispose of the snails you collect? The best way is to take them as far away from your garden as possible. Throwing them in the neighbor’s garden is not the best choice here. You should also avoid taking your collected snails to other natural areas. Instead, take them to Dog meadowswhere the crawling molluscs can scavenge the dog’s droppings. This kills two birds with one stone: the slugs have disappeared from your garden and they keep the dog meadows tidy by removing the dog excrement.
How to keep slugs out of your garden in the long term
To avoid having to dispose of slugs again and again, you should make your garden unattractive to slugs. Credit: stock.adobe.com – Michal
Now, getting rid of slugs is only a short-term solution. Even if you have removed 50 slugs from your garden today, there could be just as many slimy visitors tomorrow. To avoid having to head to the nearest dog run with a bucket full of slugs every day, you should make your garden as slug-free as possible. unattractive for slugs.
Effective protection against the pests is provided by planting snail resistant plants. These include bearded carnation, marigold, foxglove, tomatoes, rosemary and potatoes. If you grow vegetables, choose a raised bed – this offers a certain amount of protection from snails. A slug fence can also keep the pesky visitors away from your vegetable plants.
Establishing predators can also put a stop to the annoying snail plague. If you make your garden attractive to hedgehogs, shrews, blackbirds, starlings, magpies, toads and slow worms, the snail problem will soon take care of itself.
By the way: There are snails that are protected in Germany. These include the spotted snail and the common snail. If you kill one of these protected snails, you could face a fine of up to 65,000 euros!
With the start of the warm season, the first mosquitoes are already on the move. The blood-sucking pests that can really spoil your evening in summer or buzz around your head at night and rob you of your sleep have probably not been missed by anyone. All the worse that a NABU expert is now warning of a mosquito plague in summer 2025. Read here what’s behind this prediction.
Is there a threat of a mosquito plague this summer?
The south and southwest of Germany in particular are currently enjoying ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes – after weeks of rain, it is now warm and summery. “All the rain has created pools or puddles that are ideal for laying eggs,” NABU expert Julian Heiermann told t-online. According to the expert, it could be a very mosquito-filled summer – a mosquito plague is imminent!
Is there a threat of a mosquito plague this summer? Credit: IMAGO / ITAR-TASS
The short, mild winter was also favorable to the pests. In spring, it was initially dry in many places and the animals hardly laid any eggs. However, the insect expert knows that the mosquitoes will be able to catch up by now at the latest. The pools of water that have formed as a result of the rain do not dry out immediately, even at higher temperatures. This means that the brood has a good chance of surviving in these places.
The blood-sucking pests that make life difficult for humans and animals in summer are exclusively female mosquitoes. They need the protein contained in blood to form and lay eggs after fertilization. This means that mosquitoes cannot reproduce without blood. But wouldn’t that be a real relief in summer?
Mosquitoes are important for the ecosystem
As annoying as the biting pests are, NABU also informs us that mosquitoes make a crucial contribution to our ecosystem. Mosquitoes and their larvae are important prey for other animals, such as fish, amphibians, dragonflies and birds. If mosquitoes were to disappear from the ecosystem, this would also have far-reaching consequences for other animals.
Did you know that mosquitoes also make an important contribution to the pollination of plants? Mosquito expert Doreen Werner told t-online: “Everyone always talks about bees and bumblebees. But the large mass of mosquitoes and flies do about the same amount of pollination.” According to the expert, midge larvae living in the soil also help with the decomposition of leaves and contribute to the formation of humus.
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Nature created mosquitoes for a reason – you should always keep this in mind, even if you are threatened by a mosquito plague this summer. Maybe you’ll be lucky and the biting pests will leave you in peace for the most part. Otherwise, here are 6 preventative home remedies to ward off mosquitoes.
Source: t-online
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Even if the gardening season hasn’t really started yet, you can already check whether your gardening tools are in good condition. In addition to rakes, gloves and planting trowels, you should also take a closer look at your watering can. This is because deposits and mold can build up inside over time. And these should be removed. Read this article to find out the best way to clean your watering can.
It’s not just garden owners who know about the need for a good watering can. Whether you are watering plants in a flower bed or providing your houseplants with sufficient water – the watering can is a useful everyday helper. The watering can for the garden is usually made of single-colored plastic, functional and without a lot of frills. In some gardens, you can still find old tin watering cans that have been doing their job reliably for many decades.
Cleaning the inside of watering cans is somewhat difficult. Credit: stock.adobe.com – butus
Indoor specimens are a little fancier to look at and are less likely to have a spray attachment. Indoor plants generally require less water than their outdoor relatives. A small opening for the irrigation water is sufficient for this. But regardless of whether it is for indoors or outdoors, the longer water “stands” in the watering cans, the more likely it is that mold, limescale and other things will settle. However, there are household remedies that can quickly make these deposits history.
How to clean your watering can properly
As with many other things, the same applies to cleaning watering cans: The sooner you reach for the brush, the easier it is to remove mold, limescale, etc. If you remove deposits in the early stages, you can prevent major soiling from occurring in the first place. The following tips will get your watering can clean again:
Remove limescale
If hard water comes out of your tap, limescale can build up quickly. Watering cans for indoor use are particularly susceptible to limescale deposits. If you don’t have the option of using rainwater for watering, vinegar can help. To do this, mix vinegar and water in equal parts and either soak the watering can in it or fill the mixture into the inside of the can. Loose parts, such as the spray attachment, should be removed beforehand and cleaned separately. Then scrub the jug clean as best you can with a brush and rinse it thoroughly before the next use.
Removing algae
Watering cans for the garden can usually be recognized by a dark green, slimy coating on the inside of the can, which indicates algae. Sand or gravel have proven effective in removing this coating. Pour some of this into the watering can, add a little water and shake the watering can vigorously. The deposits should dissolve. Baking soda can also help: Pour hot water with two tablespoons of baking soda into the jug and leave it to stand for 24 hours before pouring out the mixture and rinsing thoroughly.
Don’t forget to scrub
Admittedly, cleaning a watering can with a brush is not that easy. It’s best not to use a normal root brush for this, but a bottle or toilet brush instead – new and clean, of course! With these special brushes, you can even get into the nooks and crannies of the watering can.
Perhaps you should dispose of such a dirty watering can or clean it thoroughly. Credit: IMAGO / Zoonar
You better make short work of mold
Even if mold rarely forms in watering cans, it is better to dispose of the affected model if it is made of plastic. If you are very attached to your watering can, try drying it in the sun for a day or two. Perhaps the dry mold can then be removed. If not, it’s better to invest in a new model.
These household remedies do not belong in the watering can
Occasionally you read tips that you can clean watering cans with dishwashing tabs, denture cleaner or detergent. The watering can itself will certainly be clean with these products, but you will not be able to remove the residue from the can without leaving a residue or it will take so much time that you can resort to more harmless household products instead.
If you make sure that you empty your watering can completely after each use, leave it to dry in the sun in summer and store it scrubbed and cleaned for the winter, you will be able to enjoy it for a long time. Incidentally, garden plants do not usually have any major problems with limescale or algae deposits, but this is not the case with sensitive houseplants.
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It can happen quickly: Not paying attention when eating or cooking and a grease stain spreads across your clothes. Grease stains on blouses, trousers etc. are not only unsightly, but unfortunately also quite stubborn. But don’t panic! With WD-40 penetrating oil, you can remove greasy stains in no time! We’ll tell you how to do it.
WD-40 is not only a lubricant, but also an excellent cleaning agent that can be used in many different ways around the home. The penetrating oil also helps to remove grease stains from almost all textiles.
To remove stains with WD-40, you need:
WD-40 spray (penetrating oil)
Baking powder
Washing-up liquid
a piece of cardboard
cotton buds
Brush or sponge (e.g. an old toothbrush)
How to remove the stains:
Place the cardboard between the front and back of the garment. After all, you don’t want the other side to be stained as well. Spray the WD-40 onto the grease stain and carefully rub it into the fabric with the cotton buds. Now sprinkle baking soda generously over the affected areas. Don’t be too sparing, as the powder must be able to absorb all the oil.
The powder is then rubbed into the clothing with a brush until lumps form.
Credit: youtube.com/ homesteady
Now it’s the turn of the washing-up liquid. Put a few drops on the baking soda and rub it in well again.
Remove the residue from the household detergent and the cardboard before washing the garment in the washing machine as usual. After washing, the grease stain is history and your garment will look as if nothing ever happened. And all with the help of WD-40 penetrating oil, which you can also use to remove coffee stains and stains on the table.
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The next time you have a grease stain, it’s high time you tried this trick. Do you know any other home remedies for removing grease stains?
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Whether it’s limescale deposits or urine scale – the toilet needs to be cleaned regularly and, depending on how stubborn the dirt is, this can take quite a long time. If you can’t get any further with conventional household remedies or simply don’t feel like scrubbing, there is another solution: toilet foam! This is supposed to clean the toilet as if by itself. Find out here whether it really is a cleaning trick or whether the chemical mace is not as effective.
Cleaning the toilet with toilet foam
Using toilet foam is very simple. You need the following:
hot or warm water
one bag of active foam 🛒
First pour a liter of hot or warm water into the toilet. The cleaning foam reacts even better with warm water than with cold water. However, be very careful when doing this. There is a risk of damaging the toilet by adding water that is too hot. If the ceramic is already slightly damaged or cracked, you should make sure that the water you pour into the toilet is only lukewarm.
Then pour the contents of a bag of toilet foam quickly and all at once into the still warm water. Blue foam will now form and rise up to below the rim of the toilet. Leave this to work for at least five minutes. When the toilet foam slowly collapses, flush once – done!
If necessary, you can spread the foam with the toilet brush and finish it off by hand. Credit: FUNKE Digital
For particularly stubborn soiling, it is recommended to spread the foam with a toilet brush after it has risen and to work it over to loosen deposits. When used regularly, the foam should also prevent the build-up of new soiling and limescale. This method is also suitable for toilets, bidets and urinals. So much for the theory – how does the product perform in the practical test?
How well does cleaning with the active foam work in practice?
We have tested cleaning with the toilet foam for you. The toilet really is sparkling clean after cleaning with the active foam – and with very little effort. On closer inspection, however, it is noticeable that the foam was not able to completely remove the more stubborn deposits under the rim of the toilet – despite reworking with the toilet brush.
Reading tip: Read here how to remove the deposits under the rim of the toilet instead.
The disadvantages of active foam
Apart from that, the product is quite expensive – 5 bags cost around 8 euros at the DIY store. You can save a lot of money here with a conventional cleaning agent or tried-and-tested household remedies. Home remedies are also much less harmful to the environment than the active foam. Nevertheless, toilet foam can be a great and, above all, quick alternative for basic toilet cleaning from time to time. It is easy to use, but very effective.
Even if spring is still a little way off, the occasional afternoon sunshine invites you to sit outside in the winter. Snuggled up in a thick blanket, coffee and cake taste twice as good when the winter sun tickles your nose. Unfortunately, however, patios and planters don’t exactly present themselves in the best light after the seasonal weather. Deposits of algae and moss are particularly hard on your wooden patio. But don’t worry! We’ll tell you how you can easily clean your wooden decking using simple household remedies.
Mossy wooden decking: easy cleaning with soda and cornflour
It is quite normal for moss and algae to build up on your wooden patio over the fall and winter. And even plant pots, for example made of terracotta, are not immune to unsightly green deposits. You only need a few household remedies from your kitchen to make your wooden patio fit for spring and remove the green deposits.
To clean your wooden decking, you can make your own cleaning agent from just a few ingredients. Credit: ferkelraggae – stock.adobe.com
Before you make your own product to clean your wooden decking, you need to remove any stubborn dirt from the surface. Sweep thoroughly over your decking to remove all the dirt. Now it’s time for the stove!
You need:
5.5 liters of water
100-150 grams of washing soda
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
Heat 5 liters of water in a large pot. At the same time, heat about 500 ml of water and dissolve the cornstarch and washing soda in it with a whisk. Make sure that the mixture does not burn on the stove. When everything is as viscous as wallpaper paste, pour the mixture into the large pot of water and bring everything to the boil again.
Then it’s off to the patio! To clean your wooden decking, apply the mixture from the pot to the boards with a large brush. It is best to use a clean paste brush for this. Proceed as if you were painting your decking. Your homemade cleaning agent should not be too thick, as this could make it unnecessarily difficult to apply. However, if you also want to remove verdigris from your terracotta plant pots, you can take some of your cleaning agent and thicken it with cornflour. The viscous mixture will then adhere better to your pots. Then leave everything to work for four hours.
Scrub thoroughly for clean results
After the soaking time, grab a scrubbing brush and a garden hose and scrub your wooden decking thoroughly. You will see from the discoloration of the water that algae and moss have been loosened from the wood. It’s quicker with a pressure washer. When using it, make sure that you work with little pressure so that the surface of the wood is not roughened too much.
You can also wipe the cleaning agent off your plant pots with water and a brush after the cleaning time and enjoy the clean result. Incidentally, the cleaning agent made from soda and cornstarch not only works on your wooden patio, but also on the wall of your house or in the greenhouse – simply anywhere where moss and algae get stuck. Try it out for yourself!
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