8 DIY Apartment Maintenance Hacks

By Madison White on November 27, 2016

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

Taking care of a space is no easy task especially when it’s an apartment and you’re low on cash.

However, keeping up with some maintenance on your apartment and keeping it clean doesn’t have to be as difficult or expensive. Much of the upkeep can be done with a little ingenuity and a few household items you probably already own.

So what are you waiting for? Get some baking soda and a few rags, and get ready to make your apartment look a lot better.

Image via pixabay.com

1. Baking soda is your grime specialist.

Essentially, baking soda is the number one cleaning product that isn’t actually a certified cleaning product. It gets all types of grime cleared away, as you’ll realize while reading the rest of the article.

Firstly though, if you have any pots and pans that have burnt metal on the inside, baking soda can help get rid of those. Just use some hot water and baking soda, let sit for a while, then scrub and rinse to do away with those stubborn bits. This technique can also work on some metal stovetops with a baking soda and water paste.

2. Buff away spots with dryer sheets.

Keeping your sinks and faucets clean is also a huge hassle when water spots seem endless. You try and clean them with cloths and wipes only to find that those leave unsightly spots too!

An easy trick to getting rid of tough water spots is to buff them off with a dryer sheet. That’s right! Just scrub them off with a clean dryer sheet and you’ll be spotless in no time.

3. Remove hair with a squeegee.

If you have pets, or even just long hair of your own, you might know the struggle of hair getting absolutely everywhere. Of course, you can try to vacuum this up, but this usually only leads to clogs and frustration.

If you need an easy way to get the hair up and out of your carpet, try using a squeegee to scrape out all that hair.

4. Clean your oven with vinegar and baking soda.

Baking soda returns again to another part of your kitchen. If you’re having difficulty with your oven’s self-cleaning cycle, you may want to take things into your own hands. Putting some vinegar and baking soda in a spray bottle is a very effective way to spritz and wipe down the inside of your oven without investing in fancy cleaning sprays.

5. Clean vents with a knife and rag.

Noticed that your vents have that awful lint buildup on them? Your duster probably isn’t thin enough to get the insides of your vents so you need another solution to keep them looking pristine.

Try getting an old rag and a butter knife. Cover the knife with your rag, spritz some generic cleaning spray on the rag and use the knife to clean the insides of your vent slats.

6. Optimize storage with ottomans.

A major problem with most apartments is the sheer lack of space available. Your closets are already filled to the brim — how can you keep your apartment looking clean with all your stuff spread out all over?

An ottoman with space inside for storage is a wonderful idea to keep your things looking clean, organized, and hidden. You can hide almost anything in an ottoman, whether it be blankets or board games. Your extra space is sure to come in handy.

7. Clean your drains with baking soda, vinegar, and hot water.

Just like your ovens, pots, and pans, your drains can be cleared with some baking soda, vinegar and hot water as well. The baking soda reacts well with hot water to break up any grime that it comes across. Of course, this might not be a permanent fix for all your drainage problems, but it’s sure to help you when you need a quick solution to a clogged up sink.

8. Plump up your pillows with sunlight. 

stocksnap.io

If you’re having issues with flat and stuffy pillows, you need a cheap and easy way to bring them to new life. Dry cleaning might work, but who really has the time and money for that?

Placing your pillows in direct sunlight for 30 minutes will really help them fluff back up. This will keep your bed and your couches looking fresh and new for much longer. And it doesn’t cost a dime!

Hopefully these few hacks will keep your cleaning bills low and your apartment looking lovely as ever. A nice place makes for happy roommates and happy landlords.

Of course, not all of these can be total substitutes for some real cleaning methods and products, but they can work really well when you’re in a crunch or just need an easy fix.

So keep some of these DIY apartment maintenance hacks in your back pocket; they might just come in handy.

If you would like more specific information or even more hacks, see this website for more options: https://www.forrent.com

Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

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