Lemony fresh
Believe it or not, lemon juice can be used to scrub stains out of just about anything, including hard to clean plastic.
Wonderful walnuts
Have a scratch in your hardwood floor? It only takes some buffing with a walnut to make the mark practically vanish. The oils in the nut help to smooth out the streak and fill the crack.
Furball fixer
If you have a pet, then you know the annoyance of finding hair or fur everywhere. A rubber glove is just what you need to keep everything clean. Rub one along the surface of your couch, and the hair will adhere to the sticky surface.
Soap scum shaver
If you have a glass shower, keeping it clean and free from soap scum can be a challenge. The trick? Use some shaving cream to buff out stains. All you need is a bottle of the foamy stuff and a damp cloth.
Chip corrector
Giving your car a new paint job to fix a couple scratches or chips can be super expensive. To prevent rusting until you can afford the repair, dab the areas with clear nail polish to seal the paint. (Note: this hack won’t work if rusting has already started.) You can also use coloured nail polish to touch the spot up.
Blade rinser
Blenders are a beast to clean thanks to their sharp blades. The solution? Pour some soap and water into the appliance, then blend on high. Allow it to run for 30 seconds, then rinse with fresh water.
Marvellous mayo
Water stains are loathed by coaster lovers everywhere, but the good news is they’re generally easy to get rid of. You just have to wipe a bit of mayo along the surface with a damp cloth. Olive oil and salt also works.
Grime remover
Baked-on gunk is a menace to dirty pans and baking sheets. To clean with minimal elbow grease, soak the dish with water and a nontoxic, biodegradable dryer sheet. The sheet will help loosen the grime.
Caffeinated cleanser
Get streak-free windows by buffing them with a coffee filter or newspaper. Simply spray a solution of water and vinegar on the surface then shine away.
Five-minute fixer
Raise your hand if you hate scrubbing gross, baked-on goo from your microwave? To get the appliance glistening, warm a bowl of lemon and water for five minutes, then let stand for another five. You’ll be able to wipe dirt away with a paper towel.
Bread, recycled
If you have some dirty hand marks or fingerprints on your walls, removing them is as simple as rubbing them with an old piece of white bread.
Kid mess cleaner
Don’t have a piece of bread? Baby oil can perform the same fingerprint-removing or crayon-clearing feat. The substance also works particularly well on stainless steel.
Free-from spray
There are a lot of chemicals in air and fabric fresheners, but one substance can perform the same trick in an all-natural way: vodka. Simply mix some of the alcohol with water and a few drops of essential oil. Spray on fabric to give it new life.
Simple soaker
Who knew old newspapers could be so handy? Scrunch them up to soak up the oil in a pan before scrubbing it clean with some soap and water.
Beverage buffer
Remember that science experiment from elementary school in which you used coke to clean pennies? The same trick applies to stains in your toilet. Simply pour some cola into the bowl, let sit for about an hour, and scrub clean. Kool-Aid also works.
Stale smell solver
Towels can grow musty and mouldy after a while. The trick to making them smell as good as new is as simple as a vinegar bath. Pour vinegar and water into your washing machine instead of detergent, rinse, then dry. Your towels will be clean as can be.
Carpet clearer
A little-known trick to getting stains out of just about anything is to reach for a damp cloth and iron. Set the iron on high heat, lay the damp cloth over the stains, and press the iron on top. The heat will lift the stain, leaving your carpet or couch clean. (Note: do not use a coloured cloth for this task. It could leach colour onto your carpet.)
See-through shine
You could reach for a chemical-filled product to buff out watermarks on your bathroom mirror… or you could use some vodka and baking soda (some people use cornstarch instead). Pour some of each into a bottle, spray on the surface, and watch everything from glass to silverware shine.
Simple slat solution
The little slats of an air vent can be hard to scrub clean. Try wrapping a butter knife in a damp cloth then running it along each slat to get the job done in seconds. To add some disinfection into the mix, soak the cloth in vinegar first.
Nooks and crannies
The worst part of buying fresh flowers is that algae that can form in hard to reach places in the vase. The trick to easily getting it clean? Toss some vinegar with a bit of rice and pour the mixture into the vase. Let it sit, then swish around. The rice will scrub the glass clean.
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