Houzzers from around the world share their tips for transforming housework into child’s play

Household chores are a fact of life — no matter how we tackle them, there’s no getting around them. Sometimes we divide them up among family members and try to turn them into a game; at other times, we simply integrate them into our weekly routine. Either way, we’re eager to make them as easy as possible, and we want our tactics to be both cheap and effective.

Because 33 opinions are better than just one, we’ve asked the global Houzz community for household cleaning tips that will transform the novices among us into veritable pros. From herbs for deterring insects in Australia to green tea for banishing bad smells in Japan, these magic tips have one thing in common: They’ve been tested and approved by the best experts around — you!

Get busy indoors this month with some time spent cooking, improving air quality and prepping for spring

Outsmart winter weather by making your home inside a clean, cozy and healthy haven. Put a pot of soup on the stove, plan a trip or get a jump-start on spring cleaning with a whole-house refresh, from the air you breathe to the floors underfoot. And since this is a leap year, you’ll have an extra day this month to get it all done.

You may be surprised by some of these ideas for removing cloudy white water marks from wood surfaces

See what the experts recommend to protect your mattress from dust, moisture and stains

Americans sleep an average of 7.7 hours a day, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor. That’s a lot of mattress time. And the caliber of that sleep depends a lot on your mattress — mainly its quality and how well you take care of it. Once you’ve bought the right mattress, you’ll want to know how to properly maintain it. “Taking proper care of your mattress will help you to protect your investment and promote better sleep,” says Lin Enilk, a representative of the American Sleep Association. Here’s what experts say about cleaning and caring for your mattress.