Real Living's Most Loved Cleaning And Organizing Hacks
We've rounded up all your face home care tricks, from organizing bags and shoes to using affordable, all-natural cleaners

The cleaning and organizing articles of Real Living are some of the most-read stories on the website. Because who doesn’t want to have a clean and clutter-free home? We’ve rounded up our top home care stories here, and we’ve thrown in a few of our favorites. Â
The KonMari craze
Now who hasn’t read Japanese de-cluttering guru Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? This bible of minimalism urged us to purge methodically, create order, and celebrate newfound tidiness. Now doesn’t that spark joy?
READ: The Magic Of The KonMari Method
Plants that are pest repellants
If you’re wary of chemical-based mosquito repellant sprays, it’s good to know that there are all-natural pest repellant alternatives—from the usual citronella to the unexpected geranium and marigold flowers—that you can plant around your home.
READ: 8 Plants To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes At Home
Baking soda…always!
From cleaning and de-greasing to de-clogging and deodorizing, there is always some new use for this versatile kitchen staple. RL’s fave baking soda use: sprinkling it into a vase will keep flowers fresh for longer!
READ: 5 New Uses For Baking Soda Around The Home
Storing your precious bags
This has been one of my most-click-on stories for the past four years. And we can’t blame our readers, as this article by Arlene Maslog is one of the most comprehensive yet, as it shows how to store different kinds of bags, and also how to care for the different types of bag materials.
READ: RL Ideas – How To Organize And Take Care of Your Bags
Banishing roaches
How do you eliminate pesky roaches? You have to bait them or repel them. This anti-roach hack was actually an unusual recipe that involved boric, sugar, and a hard-boiled egg.
READ: Get Rid Of Cockroaches Forever With This Amazing Hack
Where to de-clutter your clutter
Now that you’ve purged your belongings, where do you bring it? We know that this dilemma has stumped many homeowners, so we listed down some legitimate organizations and people—from Habitat for Humanity to Aling Puring—who gladly take in your donated junk.
READ: 6 Places To Bring Your De-cluttered Home Items
An all-natural deodorizer
We all want a nice-smelling home, but if somehow, we can’t seem to avoid stinky garbage bins or pet corners. So this affordable, DIY, all-natural (with baking soda as an ingredient, natch!) deodorizer recipe was a welcome remedy for funky corners.
READ: This Deodorizer Will Keep Your Home Fresh For A Month
Storage for the shoe-crazy
You can never have enough shoes, but you can definitely run out of space for them! Our popular shoe stories present unexpected storage spots, from under the stairs and within the stairs, to being used as actual décor for your walls.