Simple household habits I learned from my mother to use in my own home – time-tested housekeeping tricks that actually work

Home decorator Ammarah Hasham is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts infusing her rental house with plenty of personality. See the rest of her articles here.

I had just finished a call with my mum asking her how to tackle a stubborn stain when it hit me: my homemaking was never acquired from a guidebook, although plenty have passed through my hands over the years.

I own the books. I have bookmarked the pages and neatly underlined the promising bits. But if anything, the groundwork had been laid long before I ever cared about such things.

Growing up, I was far too occupied with surviving maths tests, navigating friendship drama and panicking over a dying Walkman battery, which later upgraded to a CD player. Priorities. Life was too busy waiting for the next episode of The X Files. Who had the mental capacity to worry about a fitted sheet when Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were out there chasing aliens? Right?

I used to trail behind my mum from room to room, narrating my teenage crises while she calmly got on with her day. She, fully attentive. Me, half present. I realise now that while I was offloading my so-called exaggerated emergencies, I was quietly building a blueprint of my own simply by watching her. She knew the art of homemaking, always saving the small tips she came across and experimenting with the ones in her beloved Reader’s Digest.

Here are a handful of time-tested housekeeping tricks I picked up from her and still use in my own home.

1. Sunbathing your bedding

Our duvets and pillows were always carefully chosen and, more importantly, properly looked after. Every so often, they would be carried outside and laid out in direct sunlight for a few hours. Nothing elaborate. Just fresh air and daylight.

Pillows collect more than we care to think about. Dead skin. Moisture. Face creams. It is all there, even when we cannot see it.

Why it works: There is simple science behind it. Sunlight lifts any residual odours, warmth helps dry out trapped moisture, and ultraviolet rays can help reduce bacteria. Add a fresh breeze and natural fibres feel revived again.

It is a surprisingly powerful cleaning combo, all in one and completely free. A few hours in sun is usually all it takes. Trust me, you can the difference when you bring them back in. They seem cleaner, lighter and fuller.

2. Using soap as a repellent

Whenever there was a seasonal wardrobe switchover, I remember the faint fragrance of soap lingering in the clothes. It is one of those vivid childhood memories. The scent would greet you before you even unfolded a jumper. Small pieces of wrapped soap were tucked into storage bags between neatly folded clothes and duvets.

Why it works: Moths and other fabric-loving pests are drawn to natural fibres. Wool, cotton, cashmere. They also prefer dark, undisturbed spaces. Instead of relying on sharp-smelling mothballs or heavy chemical sachets, soap works as a gentler alternative.

Its scent helps discourage the insects by making the environment less inviting, without overpowering your clothes. It is a simple, inexpensive solution that feels far less harsh than traditional repellents, while also helping to prevent that familiar musty storage smell.

I now use the same trick when storing clothes in my favourite IKEA PARKLA cases, which are my absolute must-have. Months later, when the seasons shift again, everything comes out fresh and lightly scented.

I prefer to:

• Pick bars with natural fragrances.
• Avoid soaps with bright colours or strong oils that could transfer to fabrics.
• Cut the soap in small pieces and wrap them in thin paper or fabric.
• Place the wrapped pieces between layers of folded clothes, in storage boxes and linen cupboards.

3. The bicarbonate of soda trick

There are some household habits that feel almost inherited. Bicarbonate of soda has to be one of them. In our house, there was always a small bowl of bicarbonate of soda sitting at the back of the fridge. Its job? To keep things smelling fresh.

Why it works: Bicarbonate of soda works as a natural deodoriser, absorbing strong food smells. Because it is a mild alkali, it helps neutralise the compounds that cause stubborn fridge odours. This is especially helpful when leftovers are not tightly covered as they should be.

Bicarb is also a fine powder which absorbs airborne particles inside the fridge. That is why keeping it in an open bowl is recommended. Replace it every three to four weeks so it stays effective. Any unpleasant smell will stay firmly under control.

4. Newspaper as a mirror cleaner

For as long as I can remember, mornings in our house began with the rustle of newspapers. Two different ones, always, as each parent had their preferred choice. Which meant we were never short of newspaper. It found a second life everywhere. Before microfibre cloths became the standard, sheets of newspaper were used to clean mirrors, windows or any other glass surfaces.

Why it works: Newspaper has a slightly textured surface, but not enough to scratch the glass. That mild texture helps lift grease, dirt and fingerprints without leaving any lint behind, unlike many cloths. It gives the glass a streak-free finish because it buffs away any stains surprisingly well.

Choose a suitable glass cleaner, take a sheet of newspaper, crumple it into a ball and see the magic unfold.

5. Dust with a paint brush

If you ever owned carved furniture, you will know that dusting it properly can be quite a chore. All those tiny grooves, ridges and decorative corners look charming until it is your time to clean them. Speaking from experience.A solution that made my life easier? A clean, soft bristle paint brush.

Why it works: A soft brush slips into those hard-to-reach corners and lift the dust without scratching the surface. It gets into the curved lines and detailed carvings that a cloth simply cannot reach and does a beautiful job.

You know, homemaking doesn’t need to be complicated. It doesn’t require elaborate systems. It lives in the ordinary. Small. Repeated. And somewhere along the way, without even realising, it stays with us.