Surprising Household Cleaners

By Real Simple
Updated August 29, 2014
Burcu Avsar
Clever ways to repurpose everyday items.
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Cooking Oil as Shoe Polish

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

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.

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Mesh Vegetable Bag as Dish Scrubber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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