9 Foods that make Amazing Home Cleaners

We don’t want to alarm you but there are several food items tucked away in your pantry that are living a double life as cleaning agents.

Commercial cleaners can be expensive and made of harsh chemicals that can do more harm than good so we were pretty excited to discover the natural cleaning properties of some of our pantry staples. Best of all, the cleaning processes are really easy to follow! Check some of them out below.

Lemons

We know we bang on about the natural powers of lemons a lot but they really do pack a punch when it comes to cleaning prowess. Cleaning the microwave is one of the most disliked chores around the home. To make it a little easier, put a bowl of water and cut lemon pieces (of one whole lemon will suffice) in the microwave and heat until the microwave window steams up. Leave the bowl in the microwave for 10-15 minutes then wipe down.

Lemons are also a great way to freshen up stained chopping boards. Cut in half and place on the board, sprinkle with salt and rub, rub, rub! Rinse away with water to finish off the job.

Table Salt

Mix up the salt with some white vinegar or lemon juice and you’ve got yourself an excellent brass cleaner, ideal for non-lacquered cabinet knobs. Wet a sponge with the vinegar, shake on some salt, rub and rinse with water.

Coffee Grounds

Your ground coffee beans aren’t just great for a morning coffee hit, you can also use them to scrub stubborn stains on your pots and pans. It’s really easy to do, just make sure you scrub the granules away once you’re done. Did you know that coffee grounds can also be used to neutralise shoe odours? Pop the grounds into a sock or pantyhose, tie a knot and put them into the stinky shoes overnight.

Baking (Bi Carb) Soda

Have some jewellery that’s lost its shine? Combine one to two teaspoons of bi carb soda with just enough warm water to make a paste. Clean gently with an old toothbrush and rinse.

Tomato Sauce

Not just for your fries, tomato sauce is actually a great copper cleaner for your copper coated pots and pans. Massage into your cookware, rinse and dry – easy!

White Vinegar

Another one of your pantry’s secret cleaning weapons, white vinegar makes a great window cleaner. Combine 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of water, put into a spray bottle, spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth. You can save remaining solution for your next window cleaning adventure. Remember to wipe dust from windows before applying the vinegar solution.

Walnuts

Are your wooden surfaces looking a little worse for wear? Walnuts are a surprising saviour, as rubbing them darkens the wood to help hide imperfections such as scratches. Remove the walnut shell first before rubbing, though!

Vodka

Vodka is great at many things, but it does a fantastic job at deodorising clothing that may be smelling a little off. The vodka kills bacteria just by giving the clothing a few spritzes from a spray bottle. Hang the clothing item to dry outside or near a window.