9 DIY household hacks every parent should know

Individual cleaning cloths are über useful, but not so friendly on the wallet or the environment. Try your hand at these DIY wipes using an old T-shirt and some cleaning products around the house. Perfect for cleaning up grubby fingerprints, craft time messes, greasy surfaces, and the list goes on.

Making your own cleaning wipes is super easy. Simply repurpose an old T-shirt by cutting it into wipe-sized pieces, then add water and natural soap. Voila! Your reusable cleaning wipes are ready to use.

P.U.! No matter how diligently you clean your water bottle, chances are it'll start to smell a little funky over time. To combat the stink, you can use baking soda and vinegar or wash the bottle in the dishwasher. Other effective cleaning methods include letting boiling water disinfect the bottle overnight or soaking it in a water and vinegar solution overnight.

Potty training can be a messy process, but you can eliminate any stains or odors on your mattress using common household items. By applying a combination of dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, you can restore your mattress to its original condition.

Turns out the hours of painstaking detangling sessions (or haphazardly cutting Barbie's hair into a bob) were all for naught. There is an easy solution to taming a wild mane: liquid fabric softener. Just mix it with some water, grab a wig brush and a spray bottle, and you can get those knots and tangles out in no time. The key is to start at the bottom and work your way up. Easy peasy!

If your kids are always clamouring for a glass of water, allow them to help themselves. Attaching magnets to a kid-friendly cup close to the refrigerator water dispenser teaches kids the importance of staying hydrated while also cutting down on dishes and misplaced cups. Of course, this only works if you have a built-in water dispenser. Got a stainless steel fridge? Try attaching Velcro or magnetic strips to keep cups in place.

Bid adieu to the stinky—and potentially dangerous—black mildew that lurks in your little one's bath toys. The solution is simple: plug the hole using a hot glue gun.

Summer calls for frozen treat to help mitigate hot sunny rays, but sometimes more of the ice pop ends up on your child's face and shirt than in their mouth. Problem solved with these easy-to-make, virtually un-meltable, healthier-than-store-bought homemade frozen pops. The secret ingredient is Jell-O!

Just mix it up with some fruit juice, lemonade, or Koolaid, pour it into a mold, and you've got a delicious, stain-free dessert that your little ones will love. No more sticky, drippy messes, just pure summertime bliss.

Your kids' germy LEGO™ collection can be shiny, new and clean once more thanks to a go in the spin cycle. Be sure to invest in a quality mesh laundry bag for the task as sharp LEGO™ pieces have the potential to escape thiner bags. Helpful hint: LEGO™ and your dyer are not friends.

No need to dread organic carpet messes from pets, kids or that salsa you ate in the living room ever again (though if the stain is ink, this probably won't work). All you need is water, vinegar, a spray bottle and an iron to tackle the grime.