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  4. Surprising Household Cleaners

Surprising Household Cleaners

Real Simple Author
By Real Simple Editors Updated August 29, 2014
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Vegetable oil and patent leather shoe
Credit: Burcu Avsar
Clever ways to repurpose everyday items.
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Cooking Oil as Shoe Polish

Vegetable oil and patent leather shoe
Credit: Burcu Avsar

Use a damp cloth to wipe away dirt, then apply a small drop of oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks.

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Lemonade Kool-Aid as Dishwasher Cleaner

Lemonade Kool-Aid and a dishwasher
Credit: Monica Buck

Clean lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher by pouring a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and running the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains; you don't have to.

Watch the video to see this tip in action.

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Mesh Vegetable Bag as Dish Scrubber

Mesh vegetable bag, pots, and dish soap
Credit: Monica Buck

Repurpose the bag that held your potatoes to remove caked-on food from dishes. Wad the mesh into a ball, add soap and water, and scrub away.

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Lint Roller as Lamp Shade Duster

Lamp and lint roller
Credit: Frances Janisch

Run the roller up and down the outside of the lamp shade to get rid of small particles that shouldn't be there. Ah, the satisfaction of knowing that every surface in your living room will pass the white-glove test.

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Lemon as Cutting Board Cleaner

Woman cleaning a cutting board with lemon
Credit: Rick Lew

To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. The best part? You'll have a house that smells like a lemon grove rather than chemicals.

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Baking Soda as Silver Polish

Baking soda and silver bowls
Credit: Beatriz da Costa

To polish silver: Wash items, then place on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot. Add a baking-soda solution (¼ cup soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water) and cover for a few seconds. The result? A chemical reaction that gets the black off the gravy boat.

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Salt as Egg Cleanup

An egg and a canister of salt
Credit: Tria Giovan

Sop up a spilled egg by sprinkling salt over the mess. Wait two minutes and wipe it up.

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Coaster as Drip Catcher

Coasters and condiments in a cupboard
Credit: Monica Buck

Catch the sticky stuff from bottles and jars in cupboards. No more shelves that require a full wipe-down after every spoonful of honey, slather of jam, or glug of olive oil.

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Cooking Oil as Adhesive Remover

Cooking oil and glasses
Credit: David Prince

Apply cooking oil to the sticker using a paper towel or a soft cloth, rub firmly, then rinse with warm soapy water. (If the adhesive is stubborn, use a dab of toothpaste along with the oil.)

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Car Wax as Sink Polish

Car wax at a sink
Credit: Frances Janisch

Polish faucets, sinks, tile, even shower doors with Turtle Wax, which leaves behind a protective barrier against water and soap buildup, so your hard-earned sparkle will last past the next tooth-brushing.

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Newspaper as Food-Container Deodorizer

Newspaper in a food container
Credit: Charles Maraia

Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a plastic container that has developed a funk, and let it sit overnight. By morning the paper will have absorbed the offending smell.

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    1 of 11 Cooking Oil as Shoe Polish
    2 of 11 Lemonade Kool-Aid as Dishwasher Cleaner
    3 of 11 Mesh Vegetable Bag as Dish Scrubber
    4 of 11 Lint Roller as Lamp Shade Duster
    5 of 11 Lemon as Cutting Board Cleaner
    6 of 11 Baking Soda as Silver Polish
    7 of 11 Salt as Egg Cleanup
    8 of 11 Coaster as Drip Catcher
    9 of 11 Cooking Oil as Adhesive Remover
    10 of 11 Car Wax as Sink Polish
    11 of 11 Newspaper as Food-Container Deodorizer

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