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Having a clean, tidy, and cozy home feels absolutely amazing! There’s nothing like sitting back and relaxing with a good book and a cup of tea in your very own slice of heaven. But let’s be very honest here for a second: many of us Pandas deeply loathe cleaning. We’d rather munch on some bamboo and have a two-hour nap.

So when it comes to tips and tricks that make cleaning easier and potentially even fun, we’re all ears. Melbourne mom Chantel Mila, aka @mama_mila_, has a long-running TikTok video series where she features brilliant life and home hacks. Honestly, they’re a life changer (and we’re low-key jealous we didn’t think of them first). Scroll down for her very best advice on keeping a tidy and happy home, and upvote the tricks that you found useful, dear Pandas. Do you have anything to add from your own experience? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Bored Panda has reached out to Chantel via email, and we’ll update our post as soon as we hear back from her. So stay tuned! In the mood for some more genius hacks? Check out our earlier post about TikToker Chantel’s best tips right over here. And if you enjoyed her content, be sure to follow her socials to stay up to date with her newest posts.

More info: TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | Book | MamaMilaHomeTips.com

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The Scout
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is acutally a trick used to repell mosquitos and wasps - it seems those do not like the smell...

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Meanwhile, Bored Panda reached out to Ariane Sherine, the editor at These Three Rooms, to get her opinion about making our homes cozy, warm, and unique. She also shared her tips and tricks for making our homes appear roomier than they really are, and how to have fun while doing chores!

"Only have things in your home that you absolutely love. If you're lukewarm about an item of furniture or an accessory and you see them every day, you'll start to feel lukewarm about your home and, by extension, your life," Ariane explained to us. "So browse interiors websites for inspiration—thesethreerooms.com has lots of galleries, for example!—and this will help you develop your sense of style. Once you've discovered what you love, fill your house with it."

According to the editor at These Three Rooms, there are a few tricks that you can use to make your home appear bigger if you're pressed for space.

"One is to hang furniture, toilets, and basins on the wall so that you can see the floor underneath. Use wall area rather than floor area. This gives the illusion of space," she said.

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"Secondly, it's tough when you're short on room, but hide your stuff away in cupboards and try not to clutter your surfaces. Clear surfaces make a room seem bigger. Lastly, use big mirrors— if you can cover a whole wall with a mirror, it will reflect the whole room and your space will appear twice as large!" she advised.

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Chrissie Anit
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand how the first picture can lead to the second picture. How am I supposed to fold the sweater??

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Ariane, from These Three Rooms, suggested making a playlist full of upbeat tracks to listen to while doing housework. "Music always makes chores more fun," she told Bored Panda.

What's more, there's a huge upside to developing the habit of cleaning up after yourself immediately, leaving a room as you found it. It'll make life far easier. "That way, most of the chores take care of themselves at the time," she said. "And lastly, see if you can get a friend to help. Many hands make light work, and if you're enjoying yourself in their company, the time will fly by!"

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Dr. W.D. Gaster
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me, who sleeps on a loft bed and uses my Switch charging cable to charge my phone because it's the only one long enough: "I'm in danger."

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Chantel, from southeastern Australia, is an organizational expert, interior stylist, and a mom of 2 who creates fabulously stylish, fun, and energetic TikToks about cleaning, styling, and DIY.

Mama Mila shares on her YouTube channel that she hopes to help people make their home a place that they’ll love with all their hearts.

“I truly believe a clean and organized home is a form of self-care and I love sharing tips + tricks to help you achieve a beautiful, clean space for you to relax at the end of the day,” she writes.

Chantel shares a bit of everything. From simple home hacks and cleaning tips to cool room transformations, as well as how to wrap Christmas gifts. The latter tutorials are jaw-dropping and definitely worth checking out, too.

It’s absolutely fantastic that Mama Mila has so much enthusiasm. However, it would be naive to say that all of us are equally thrilled about keeping our homes clean and tidy. After a long day at work, school, or university, few folks feel energetic about doing chores. Most want to have a lie-down in front of the telly.

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Linda Tisue
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ain't going to work on ticks or mosquitoes for more than 10 minutes when the aromatic oils have evaporated.

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd never heard of it either so I Googled it. According to Huffpost: According to board-certified dermatologist Hadley King of Skinney Medspa, micellar water is made up of micelles (tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules) suspended in soft water. “The idea is that micelles are attracted to dirt and oil, so they are able to draw out impurities without drying out the skin,” she said. Therefore, micellar water can be used as a facial wash, makeup remover and moisturizer all in one. 

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The more disciplined of us might find enough energy to push past the exhaustion and start working dinner, do some exercise, and focus on our hobbies or side hustles.

But in our personal experience, there are very few people who prioritize their household chores. Seriously, when we’ve got such a massive backlog of (un)enjoyable tasks already, why would we start by washing the dishes or vacuuming the floor? Of course, a clean home should be non-negotiable!

Previously, certified relationship and self-love coach Alex Scot shared some tips with Bored Panda on how to make doing chores more pleasurable at home. The secret is to divide them up if you’re in a relationship. It’s unfair if one person always does the lion’s share of the work at home.

“Divvying up house chores is a necessity. If one partner consistently does the majority of the work, typically it leads to that partner feeling like a nanny,” she said.

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The Scout
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For laundry there are much cheaper alternatives. Denture tablets do have their uses, though. They perfectly clean thermos bottles or coffee pots without much effort.

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It’s often best to take a look at what chores you don’t mind doing and which ones you absolutely loathe. For instance, yours truly hates, hates, hates doing anything related to dust; however, I actually enjoy washing the dishes.

“I don’t mind cleaning toilets but I hate vacuuming, so my partner is the one who vacuums and I’m the one that cleans the bathroom. For any chores that both partners don’t want to do, take turns alternating. This will vary from couple to couple but the goal here is to keep communication open, fair, and realistic for each other’s schedules,” relationship coach Alex told us previously.

Meanwhile, parenting blogger Samantha Scroggin, the founder of Walking Outside in Slippers, told Bored Panda a while ago that keeping the house clean is a moving target if you have kids.

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“For me personally, an at least somewhat clean house is tremendously important to my mental health. A tidy house helps me feel more in control of my life, and able to handle the curveballs that often come our way as busy parents,” she told us.

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Mihai Mara
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mom: "come help me pull all the weed from the garden. .... What are you doing? What's with all this boiling water? Why are you boiling 100 liters of water? What's wrong with you???"

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Karmageddon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omfg, most women already use way too much perfume already, and now it's going to last longer? No, just no.

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According to the blogger, it’s useful to create a small mental task list and to try and complete it by the end of the day. "The tasks could be as simple as emptying the dishwasher or putting away a load of laundry. Maybe most importantly, I invest in a professional housekeeping service once a month. That helps keep the house in a manageable state to the point that I can keep the house from getting totally out of control in-between visits. That said, I think parenting comes with a certain degree of clutter to be expected,” she said.

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Dr. W.D. Gaster
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, just spend the little bit of extra money and get some actual leather boots. The pleather stuff only lasts a few months, it gets wet once, gets ruined, and now you've wasted $60+ because the soles are disconnecting from the body of the shoe because of cheap glue. I've wasted enough money in my younger years on cheap shoes. Seriously, spend a bit more and get a better pair. Your feet will thank you.

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"My house is always a little bit chaotic because we all have big personalities and are a loud and busy bunch. But I stress to my kids the importance of us being kind to one another. Kindness and love are at the root of a happy home for me, even when things get crazy and we slip up and say things we don't mean,” mom and blogger Samantha told us earlier.

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While this works for fleece or jersey, it is a bit too aggressive for sensitive fabrics like cashmere. In that case, a commercial lint remover might be the better option.

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Dr. W.D. Gaster
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My clothes are already salty enough when I take them off because of my repugnant personality and general p**s and vinegar attitude.

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Becky Samuel
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Keep your chains from tangling in the first place by storing them threaded through drinking straws.

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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely untrue. It WILL make your drink colder, but the ice won't last as long. It will also cool a warm bottle more quickly, but not for as long.

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Mountainslady1
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And now you have hair conditioner all over your clothes. But hey, no wrinkles.. this is why you fold and use the wrinkle free feature on your dryer...............

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