More Cleaning Tricks Your Grandma Used That Still Work Today

7. Tea dye your dingy linens

Instead of throwing away stained sheets or towels and starting over, the bygone generation made do with what it had. If you have any stained linens, you can tea-stain them for a uniform look that’s also wonderfully chic.

To do this trick, add four or five black tea bags to a bucket of hot water, and let it steep for at least 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add your soiled sheets, swishing them around to absorb all the water. Let it sit for as long as you like. (The longer they stay in, the darker they’ll get.) Let them dry, and then wash in cold water to set.

8. Try some borax for just about everything

Instead of purchasing a special cleaner for each space in your house, try one multi-purpose cleaner that’s been around basically forever. Borax is endlessly versatile and can be used to clean tile, porcelain, sinks, faucets, and even grease-spattered kitchen cabinets. It also works well as a pre-treatment for stains and can be added to your laundry as a booster.

9. Freshen the air with vanilla extract

You don’t have to whip up a batch of cookies from scratch to make your house smell amazing. Instead, add a few tablespoons of vanilla extract to an oven safe dish, such as a ceramic mug, and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. After about 20 minutes, your house will start to smell amazing, no pricey air fresheners required.

Not a fan of vanilla? (Or afraid it will make you hungry?) You can achieve the same effect with a few drops of pure essential oils.