Life Hack: Three ways to use a dishwasher tablet for more than just cleaning dishes
A dishwasher tablet can be used to clean everything from an oven door to the sofa
It’s the worst-kept secret on social media that dishwasher tablets can do so much more than simply clean your dishes.
In 2020 a tip in a cleaning group went viral when one woman described how she pops a dishwasher tablet into her washing machine to clean the appliance. I tested it for this column and my shiny drum spoke volumes. If you missed the instructions for that, you’ll find them on the Irish Examiner website.
However, there are even more uses for the humble cleaning product.
On TikTok earlier this year, the account Charla’s Cleaning Hacks showed how Charla uses a dissolved tablet to refresh her sofa.
She says once a month she dissolves a dishwasher tablet in half a litre of boiling water. She adds a microfibre cloth to absorb the mixture. The cloth is then laid out flat before the lid of a saucepan is placed on top.
The cloth’s corners are gathered up tightly around the lid, meeting at the handle where they can be held firmly, keeping the fabric taut around the lid.
Holding the handle, the cloth-covered lid is swept around the sofa, and Charla says it removes dirt and stains from the fabric.
Other people have successfully tried the same method on grubby carpets to remove dirt with some impressive before and after pictures on social media.
Blocked sink drains are a too-common occurrence and while there are a good few ways to free them, a dishwasher tablet is among the most effective methods.
If you notice that water is not draining or is draining too slowly from your sink, place a dishwasher tablet at the plug hole and pour a kettle of hot water down the drain.
Often the hot water alone will clear the drain but for stubborn blockages, the addition of the dishwasher tablet’s powerful cleaning ingredients is very effective, especially on things like grease which may be causing the issue.
Plus, it has the added benefit of removing any lingering odours caused by the blockage. A dishwasher tablet dissolved in a sink of hot water is another easy way to freshen up your sink.
Another popular use for dishwasher tablets is to clean a grimy oven door. If your oven door has a clear window you’ll appreciate how quickly it can get covered in baked-in food stains which can be difficult to scrub clean.
Save your elbow grease and instead dip a dishwasher tablet in some water and rub the damp tablet directly on the inside of the oven door, using it to gently scrub away at the stain.
Wipe the dissolved tablet and water mixture away to reveal a spotless glass door, and buff it with a cloth for a shiny finish.
A quick and painless way to tackle a previously loathed kitchen chore.
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