The household waste item that will stop your bin from stinking in hot weather

by Furnishly | Jun 23, 2025 | Design Inspiration

If the heatwave has left your kitchen bin smelling like sweaty sewage, you’ll be looking for ways to mask the pong. Two words. Coffee grounds.

Knowing how to stop a bin smelling bad in the heat is an important summer job, as both the heat and a decrease in airflow in your kitchen can mean bad smells linger around your bin for longer.

If you’ve got one of the best coffee machines, then I doubt you’re in short supply of coffee grounds. While there are plenty of ways of using coffee grounds in your garden, in the heat, consider saving some for your bin.

While coffee grounds do not absorb bad smells, they are excellent at masking bad smells – here’s how you use them.

How to use coffee grounds to stop a bin smelling

The hack is simple; all you need to do is sprinkle coffee grounds in the base of your bin or place them in a bowl next to your bin and allow the coffee scent to do all the hard work.

‘It works for deodorising bins because its aroma is pleasant and fairly neutral. In fact, perfume shops will often give you a bowl of coffee beans to smell between perfumes to ‘reset’ your nose. This is because we find the smell of coffee pleasant, and it’s not considered particularly strong,’ says Michael Bogoyavlenskiy, CEO of Cleaning Express.

‘To use it in your bins, sprinkle coffee grounds inside the bin bag on top of the rubbish. Unused coffee grounds are far more effective than used, mainly because the aroma compounds are still bound in the grounds. Plus, wet coffee grounds will introduce moisture into the bin, which can make it smell worse.’

Is this a good hack to use?

If you love the smell of coffee, then this is a good hack to use. However, if you are battling a particularly stinky bin, Michael says the best thing you can use is bicarbonate of soda (£2 at Amazon).

‘It absorbs and neutralises odour compounds rather than just covering them up. So, if you want to actually combat smells, this is a far better option,’ he says.

Bicarbonate of soda is one of the best cleaning products you can own, as it tackles a multitude of different cleaning woes. Bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline substance, so when it comes into contact with acidic odours, it reacts and neutralises it, removing the smell completely.

Stop the stink

If you don’t have coffee grounds to spare, or particularly like the scent lingering in your kitchen these other buys will keep your kitchen bin smelling fresh.

While coffee will create a gorgeous scent in your kitchen (who doesn’t love the smell of fresh coffee?) it will remove the smell. While an effective masker, if you want to eradicate the stench completely, reach for bicarbonate of soda instead.

Cleaning experts are urging people to wipe down their windowsills every day this summer

by Furnishly | Jun 19, 2025 | Design Inspiration

How often do you wipe down your windowsills? It may not be the top of your cleaning jobs list, but experts say you need to do this job every day during summer, especially if you have hay fever.

If you’re looking to pollen-proof your home and get rid of hay fever, then wiping down your windowsills daily is an essential cleaning task you need to include, particularly if you are prone to opening your windows during the day

This week, the Met Office has reported high temperatures and very high levels of pollen across the UK, which means this task is more important than usual if you want to avoid runny noses and itchy eyes.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Why you need to clean your windowsills every day

When you open your windows, pollen can easily build up on your windowsills, triggering an allergic reaction inside the home. However, adding cleaning your windowsills to your cleaning checklist can wipe away the pollen, preventing it from triggering your symptoms.

‘Pollen can build up on window sills throughout the day, especially if you’ve had the windows open during peak pollen hours, which tend to be mid-morning and early evening. It settles quickly on smooth surfaces like sills and frames, and the problem is, once it’s in, it easily gets wafted around the room,’ explains Nigel Bearman, home cleaning expert at Daily Poppins.

‘Every time you open or close the window, draw the curtains or walk past the windowsill, those particles can get disturbed and waft back into the air, which makes it awful to live in for people with hayfever. It can irritate your eyes, trigger sneezing, or worsen sinus congestion even when you’re inside, especially if it gets onto your bedding and furniture.’

How to clean your windowsill

I can imagine you’re not best pleased about having another cleaning job to tackle daily, but to remove pollen, you don’t need to do a deep clean – a wipe will suffice.

‘You do not need to clean them thoroughly every time, with a quick wipe using a damp microfibre cloth usually being sufficient. After wiping, ensure that the windowsill is dried thoroughly, as this will prevent any moisture from causing mould or mildew or leaving behind streaks or water spots, and a dry windowsill is less likely to attract pollen,’ says Liam Spencer, owner of Northallerton Glass.

If you’re still struggling with sleeping with hay fever or in your daily routine, it’s worth investing in one of the best air purifiers to help improve your home’s air quality.

This, keeping your windows clean and not making many hay fever cleaning mistakes, will help make your home feel like a sanctuary, rather than barely tolerable.

Everyone with a clean home loves these Joseph Joseph buys – and they’re currently up to 50% off

by Furnishly | Jun 16, 2025 | Design Inspiration

Joseph Joseph’s Summer Sale starts today, and it’s one of my favourite times of the year. After all, I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m a huge fan of this space-saving brand – both as Ideal Home’s editor for all things cleaning AND as someone who lives in a small home with limited storage.

And while I’m all about investing in high-quality cleaning tools and products, even I can’t deny that sometimes Joseph Joseph is out of my (and many other people’s) budget. So, I’m using this Joseph Joseph summer sale as my chance to stock up – and this summer, the brand has slashed the prices of many of its bestselling products to keep your home clean and tidy.

The sale is on until the 6th of July, but I’d urge you to act fast if you want to add these innovative products to your basket. Last year, I waited too long to stock up on a new laundry basket, and it sold out. So, excuse me while I go grab my credit card…

As if the Joseph Joseph Summer Sale wasn’t enough to pique your interest, the brand offers free delivery when you spend £50. And thanks to the wide range of both affordable and slightly more expensive products discounted right now, you can choose whether to buy a few smaller items or grab a bigger discount with a pricier pick.

From the more expensive Glide Plus Ironing Board (which has been reduced from £150 to £120) to the DUO Washing-up Brush Replacement Heads, which have been discounted to just £2, there really is something to suit everyone in the Joseph Joseph Summer Sale. But if you’re asking me, these are the 6 items you should be adding to your basket immediately.

So, which pieces in the Joseph Joseph Summer Sale will you be adding to your basket? I know what I’ve got my eye on…

Cleaning experts say a ‘vodka spritz’ is all you need to keep your mattress clean – here’s how to use it

by Furnishly | Jun 16, 2025 | Design Inspiration

Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie has revealed the clever trick she uses to give her mattress a refresh – and all you need is a bottle of vodka.

If you’ve been looking for new cleaning hacks, I doubt a bottle of vodka has entered your subconscious. Keep it for your summer cocktails, right? But Lynsey, a cleaning expert who shares her tips on This Morning, Instagram and TikTok, has revealed it’s a great way to clean a mattress and keep it smelling fresh.

All you need is a bottle of non-flavoured vodka, a spray bottle and a few drops of your favourite essential oils – this is how the hack works.

How does the hack work?

‘A surprising but very effective trick for freshening up your mattress is using vodka. Pour some plain, unflavoured vodka into a spray bottle and lightly mist the surface of your mattress. Vodka acts as a natural disinfectant due to its high alcohol content, helping to kill bacteria, germs, and dust mites that can accumulate over time,’ says Lynsey Crombie, AKA @lynsey_cleanofqueen on Instagram.

‘In addition to sanitising, vodka helps neutralise unpleasant odours without leaving any lingering smell once it evaporates. Make sure to let your mattress air dry completely before putting any bedding back on, it usually dries quickly, leaving no residue or scent behind.

‘For an extra touch, you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil (like lavender or eucalyptus) to the vodka before spraying, for a light, refreshing fragrance.’

As a top tip, Lynsey recommends doing a patch test on your mattress first, just to check the fabric reacts well to the alcohol. If it doesn’t, you should stick to other methods such as cleaning a mattress with baking soda.

Is this a good hack to use?

If you’re looking to give your mattress a refresh, then this is a great hack to use, but you should also maintain cleaning your mattress regularly and airing your mattress to maintain the best care.

‘It’s a clever trick, but not a total solution. It’s brilliant for quick freshening, especially in guest rooms or between deeper mattress cleans. But it won’t remove stains or embedded grime. Think of it as a top-up treatment, not a substitute for a proper clean every few months,’ says Suzanne Hayes is the founder of Headboards & Interiors.

What you need

Lynsey’s vodka spritz is a great choice if you’re looking to top up the freshness of your mattress between cleans without using any harsh chemicals. Will you be testing it out?