9 Home Cleaning Hacks Tested
The internet is awash with natural cleaning hacks. We put them to the test.
1. REMOVING A WATERMARK BY RUBBING WITH A WALNUT
The advice: Get rid of watermarks on wood by rubbing it with pieces of walnut (the nut not the shell).
How it worked: Vigorous rubbing was needed and we went through a few walnuts, but gradually the watermark disappeared. A quick polish with a clean cloth to finish it off.
Worth repeating? Yes, we were surprised at how well it worked, we even tried it on larger surfaces and it did the trick there too. | Rating: 5/5
2. USE OIL TO GET RID OF GREASE STAINS ON STAINLESS STEEL
The advice: Use a smear of olive oil (or similar) on a rag to clean fingerprints and grease smears off stainless steel appliances.
How it worked: Like a dream! It was easier and neater than using the spray-on stainless steel cleaner I have been buying from the supermarket. Trick is not to use too much, you just need the slightest smear...
Keep reading (with pictures: www.curtainclean.co.nz...)
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: Would you help your kids out with buying a home?
OPINION: Over the past year, I’ve had the same conversation with many Waikato families again and again.
A child has found a house. The market feels like it’s moving. There’s pressure to act quickly. And before anyone has really had time to think it through, parents are being asked to step in with cash, guarantees, or equity from their own home.
Would you help your kids out with buying a home? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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0% I already have.
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100% Yes.
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0% No
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