Mum reveals how to clean dirty and smelly lunchboxes with ease before term two kicks off 

A mum-of-four has revealed how to get your kids’ lunchboxes to look and smell brand new before the beginning of term two. 

Creative home stylist, Liz Amaya, from Brisbane, shared a video on Instagram of her lunchbox cleaning method as her kids’ finished school for term one.

The busy mum sprinkles the lunchboxes with bicarb soda before scrubbing in the corners with a toothbrush.

Scroll down for videos 

She uses bi-carbonate soda and does a dry scrub of the lunchboxes first

A mum-of-four has revealed how to get your kids’ lunchboxes to look and smell brand new before the beginning of term two

Then she puts the lunchbox into the washing machine

She adds essential oils and detergent along with vinegar to the wash

The mum uses essential oils, vinegar and laundry detergent and washes the lunchboxes using warm water

She then wiped out the loose powder with a dry cloth before putting the soft-cover lunchbox on a warm wash.

She added laundry detergent, vinegar and essential oil to help get the case clean.

Liz then dried the case outside in the sun – which also helps to eliminate any lingering smells built up over a term of everyday use.

The mum’s avid followers were excited by the seemingly simple trick.

‘They do get very smelly,’ one mum said of kids’ lunchboxes.

‘I need to do this,’ admitted another mum.

‘How did you know I needed this tip right now?’ another mum asked. 

The mum then hangs the lunchboxes outside, in direct sun and fresh air

She said there shouldn't be any lingering bad smells once it is dry

The mum then hangs the lunchboxes outside, in direct sun and fresh air

‘Can you come and do these hacks all over my house,’ one woman joked.

The cleaning post was liked 650 times in a few hours – showing how widespread the ‘smelly lunchbox’ issue is.

Liz’s cleaning advice continues to go viral – she recently shared a clever knife-cleaning hack on Instagram.

The mother simply took a serrated knife with a spot of rust on the blade and rubbed it with a halved lemon. 

She also revealed the secret to cleaning rusty knives every time, and said all you need is a lemon

She shows off amazing before and after photos of the knife

She also revealed the secret to cleaning rusty knives every time, and said all you need is a lemon 

She shared the video of her clever knife-cleaning hack on Instagram as well

She shared the video of her clever knife-cleaning hack on Instagram as well

‘Lemons aren’t just for making lemonade,’ the housewife quipped in the caption for the video.

She went on to compare lemons with vinegar and said they are both great for cleaning.

‘The acid in lemons in antibacterial and antiseptic and it acts as a natural bleach,’ she explained.

She also said that the oils in the rind of the lemon help to clean and shine.

And her fans were blown away by the simple hack.

'Lemons aren't just for making lemonade,' the housewife quipped in the caption for the video

'The acid in lemons in antibacterial and antiseptic and it acts as a natural bleach,' she explained

‘Lemons aren’t just for making lemonade,’ the housewife quipped in the caption for the video

‘This is brilliant. I have a few knives that have rusted from sitting in the dishwasher. Thank you for sharing,’ one woman wrote.

Others describes Liz as their ‘cleaning hack guru’ and thanked her for all of her handy tips. 

At the end of the video the mum wiped the knife with a dry cloth – showing how well her lemon trick had worked on the stubborn rust spot. 

Lemon juice also works to remove rust from fabric like clothes or even carpet. They can also be used to remove stains from dishes and counter tops, and get rid of yellow underarm stains from clothes.

WHAT CAN I CLEAN USING LEMONS? 

1 – Rust – Lemons can help remove rust and rust stains from metal and fabrics. Simply rub the patch of rust with lemon before wiping away with a cloth.

If the stain is on fabric and can be moved outside to the sunshine when cleaning this will help.

2 – Sweat stains – The annoying yellow marks can be removed with lemon too. Simply rub the effected area with a lemon before letting it sit over night and then pop it in the wash.

3 – Lemon is also a natural bleaching agent – so putting some in the wash with your whites is a great way to have them looking and smelling fresh. 

Liz also recently revealed how to fit your pots and pans in the dishwasher.

The mum-of-four simply lifts the top drawer until it locks in place, extending the space below by a few centimetres, allowing pans to fit. 

This isn't the first time one of Liz's hacks have caught the imagination of her audience and gone viral

She recently revealed how to fit your pots and pans in the dishwasher

This isn’t the first time one of Liz’s hacks have caught the imagination of her audience and gone viral – she recently revealed how to fit your pots and pans in the dishwasher 

After lifting the drawer the mum repeats the motion, adding the pan and spinning the water sprayer

The mum-of-four simply lifts the top drawer until it locks in place, extending the space below by a few centimetres, allowing pans to fit

After lifting the drawer the mum repeats the motion, adding the pan and spinning the water sprayer

The video starts with Liz demonstrating how the dishwasher’s sprayer can’t spin when large pans are in the draw.

After lifting the drawer the mum repeats the motion, adding the pan and spinning the water sprayer.

This time it spins freely.  

Some of her followers said it was the busy mum’s ‘best hack yet’.

Others continue to hold out for more of the mother’s good advice.

HOW DO I USE LEMON TO GET RID OF FLIES AND GNATS?

An Australian mum has shared an easy way to get rid of flies in your home this summer – and all you need is two ingredients.

A lemon and a handful of cloves is all it takes to get rid of flies in the home or on the verandah, according to the mum who posted her all-natural hack online.

‘This works. We live on a farm, it’s stinkin’ hot here today, my verandah was full of flies – put this out there; within half hour barely a fly,’ Vanessa said.

Simply sprinkle the cloves on the lemon and leave them on the bench or wherever you have a fly problem.

You can add water to the lemons when they begin to dry up.