The microwave lemon trick – and 10 other household hacks that actually work

Level 3: Advanced

1
  Warmer

hack: a good solution or piece of advice

a. Discuss the questions.

1. What household chores do you generally need to do? Do you relish or dread them?

2. What sources do you turn to for difficult cleaning or other household conundrums?

3. What are your favourite household hacks?

2
  Key words

a. Find the following words in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. A is a long, thin wooden or metal pin used for holding together

pieces of food during cooking. (paragraph 1)

2. If something is , it is made specially for a particular person or

situation. (paragraph 2)

3. If something is , it is poisonous or very harmful. (paragraph 3)

4. is a growth that develops on old food or things that have been left
in warm, wet air for too long. (paragraph 3)

5. means related to a kind of brain that is often considered different

from what is usual. (paragraph 4)

6. are the small pieces of a solid that sink to the bottom of a liquid,
e.g., coffee. (paragraph 5)

7. To is to burn slowly and without flames. (paragraph 5)

8. If something is , it is not clear. (paragraph 7)

9. If something is , it is dirty. (paragraph 8)

10. To is to heat or cook something in a microwave. (paragraph 8)

11. A is something that makes a substance neutral or stop it from

having an effect. (paragraph 9)

12. To is to put something through a sieve (a wire net in the shape of a

bowl) to break up large pieces. (paragraph 9)
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The microwave lemon trick – and 10 other household hacks that actually work
Level 3: Advanced
13. To is to have an unpleasant smell. (Paragraph 10)

14. To is to cook something liquid slightly below boiling

point. (paragraph 11)

b. Complete the sentences with words from the previous activity. You might have to change the
form of the word.

1. Their lab studies the unique creative skills of individuals, primarily

people with autism.

2. I have to clean my glasses constantly – they get all the time.

3. Coffee and eggshells make for an excellent fertiliser.

4. She invested in a good mask to protect her from compounds while

she works with clays in her ceramics studio.

5. The stove gets really , so I try to clean it after every meal I cook.

6. Burritos are my go-to quick lunch. I make a batch at a time, freeze them, and then
them for a minute or two when I’m hungry.

7. Oh no, my shoes really !

8. Citrus oils like grapefruit or lemon oil are wonderful natural odour .

9. The secret to making a great chilli or curry is to let it for more than
an hour.

10. The recipe calls for the flour before mixing it with the other ingredients.

11. They have a bookshelf that covers an entire wall of their study.

12. I saw footage of the aftermath of the fire; what was left of the house was still
after hours.

13. Black usually forms when there is a lot of condensation and a lack
of ventilation; it can cause allergic reactions.
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The microwave lemon trick – and 10 other household hacks that actually work
Level 3: Advanced
Clean pans, blitz stains … 4 Take the work out of laundry
experts share their best KC Davis (Domestic Blisters on TikTok) creates
domestic shortcuts hacks for people who are neurodivergent or
who find it hard to look after their homes or
Rebecca Seal
themselves. For example, if you find laundry
18 August, 2023 overwhelming, do it once a week, she says:
wash everything on cold and don’t bother
1 Rig up a watering system sorting by colour. When the clothes are dry, she
Keep pot plants alive while you’re on holiday doesn’t fold. And the world does not end.
with this ingenious set-up from Armen Adamjan. 5 Make your own bug repellent
Take a discarded plastic bottle, pierce the cap
with the tip of a sharp knife and stick a cotton Save used coffee grounds, then spread out on
bud through the hole. Fill the bottle with water, a tray to dry for a few days. Shape a couple
replace the lid, tape a skewer or small bamboo of spoonfuls of the dry grounds into a mound
cane to the side of the bottle so it extends on a heat-safe plate or bowl, light the top and
about 20cm beyond the lid, and turn the whole leave to smoulder (outside). The smoke smells
thing upside down (a hole in the base of the like roasting coffee and deters wasps, flies,
bottle will help the water flow). Poke the skewer and mosquitoes.
into the soil at the base of a potted plant and 6 Remove stains
the water will slowly drip down the cotton bud
According to the many, many cleaning mavens
until you get back.
of #CleaningTikTok, for machine-washable
2 Sew your own luxury curtains fabrics stained with mud, blood, ink, tea,
or coffee, you need a bag of old-fashioned
“Bespoke curtains are very expensive, but
washing soda (sodium carbonate), which will
you can customise ready-made ones easily,”
set you back about £2 a kilo. Mix up a strong
says Kate Watson-Smyth, homes writer and
solution in hot water and soak for an hour or
podcaster. “Buy two sets – four curtains – and
so before washing as normal. For oil stains on
sew them together using two for each side
fabric or leather, try using baby powder.
of the window to give a sense of luxury and
fullness. Alternatively, buy flat linen sheets 7 Clean your computer screen
and sew ruffle tape along the top for hooks.” Adamjan recommends using a damp teabag to
(This will also make them pull more easily than clean a smudged or dusty computer screen. Dip
fabric tab tops, which tend to stick.) A personal the bag in a cup of cold water (or re-dip a used
favourite hack: if your curtains don’t pull one from your morning brew), rub it all over the
smoothly, spritz the rail with furniture polish. screen and then polish with a clean, dry cloth or
3 Make your own all-purpose cleaner paper towel. This trick also works well on mirrors.
In an attempt to avoid noxious chemicals, 8 Freshen up the microwave
Nancy Birtwhistle, eco home and garden Food writer Samira Kazan says lemon is
expert, created a homemade toilet cleaner. the best way to deal with a grimy, greasy or
“But,” she says, “it proved to be much more sticky microwave. Squeeze a lemon into a
than that. It will remove algae, dissolve rust microwave-safe bowl and add the shell (the
and kill mould, clean shower screens, baths, outer skin of the lemon). Zap for five minutes,
sinks and shower heads, brass and copper, leave to stand, door closed, for 10 minutes, and
and will remove the toughest stains on laundry.” then open and wipe down.
Mix 200g citric acid with 150ml boiling water
until clear. Stir through 20ml of eco-friendly
washing-up liquid and 5–10 drops of organic
essential oil (optional), cool, then pour into a
400ml spray bottle.”
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The microwave lemon trick – and 10 other household hacks that actually work
Level 3: Advanced
9 Tackle bad smells
Bicarbonate of soda is an excellent neutraliser:
it can remove the smell of urine (a side-effect of
both pets and toddlers) from a fabric armchair.
It also works on stinky shoes, rugs and carpets,
says YouTuber Melissa Maker; she uses a sieve
to sift it evenly over her uncovered mattress to
keep it smelling fresh.
10 Clean almost anything with vinegar
If your fridge really, really pongs, bicarb won’t
do the trick, but a good clean with vinegar
will. Dilute distilled white vinegar 50:50 with
water. Add a few drops of essential oil or
vanilla extract if the smell of vinegar offends
you (it fades quickly) and spritz then wipe
everywhere inside the fridge. Use the same
spray on glass and most kitchen surfaces
(be careful with wood, marble, or stone)
and the inside of food-waste bins. Or add
a cupful to the washing machine before
running it with detergent to soften laundry
and brighten whites.
11 Rescue burnt pans
Remove stuck or burnt food from metal pots
and trays by placing on the hob over medium
heat and adding boiling water. Bring to a
simmer, soften the burnt bits, then scrape them
off with a spatula. Cool, then wash as normal.
(Adamjan uses a paste made from lemon juice,
vinegar, and bicarb to scrub oven racks.)
© Guardian News and Media 2023
First published in The Guardian, 18/08/2023

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The microwave lemon trick – and 10 other household hacks that actually work
Level 3: Advanced

3
  Comprehension check

a. Answer the questions in as much detail as possible.

1. What will you need to make your own plant-watering system?

2. What is the reasoning behind buying two sets of curtains?

3. What are the ingredients in Nancy’s toilet cleaner?

4. What else can the toilet cleaner be used for?

5. What is KC Davis’s laundry hack?

6. What can be used as a natural bug repellent?

7. What old-fashioned ingredient can remove laundry stains and bad smells? How?

8. How should you clean a computer screen?

9. What natural thing can you use to clean a greasy microwave? How?

10. What can you use for smelly things when bicarb doesn’t work?

4
  Key language

a. Complete the verb + noun collocations from the article below.

avoid brighten deter dilute dissolve

kill remove scrub soften squeeze

1. chemicals

2. mould

3. algae/stains

4. rust

5. wasps and other insects

6. a lemon

7. vinegar

8. laundry

9. whites

10. oven racks

b. Ask and answer questions using the collocations from task A.

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The microwave lemon trick – and 10 other household hacks that actually work
Level 3: Advanced

5
  Discussion

a. Discuss these statements.

• “I like my house to be spotless.”

• “I find cleaning therapeutic.”

• “I feel overwhelmed by chores.”

• “I often let the dishes or laundry pile up.”

• “I like to stay on top of my chores with the right hacks.”

6 In your own words

  

a. You are going to share some life hacks. Choose one of the categories below. Think of
something you know how to do well or would like to learn to do better. Come up with at least
three hacks. Write a short text for each.

• health / fitness

• beauty / personal care

• cooking / nutrition

• cleaning / household chores

• technology / devices

• work / productivity

b. Present your hack to the rest of the class.

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C