Home New Uses for Old Things at Home 96 Surprising Ways to Clean With Household Items Who knew you could use salt as an iron cleaner? By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hallie Burton Not all cleaning tips are obvious or taught to us when we start tackling chores around the house. Unfortunately, it's more likely that you waste a lot of time cleaning and make more work for yourself than necessary by not knowing shortcuts. (If only your parents taught you how to unclog a drain using salt or pick up broken glass with a slice of bread). Cleaning shortcuts make life easier. Not only that, but you probably spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies and tools when you might have just what you need hiding in the coat closet (or recycling bin). Our editors have devised dozens of hidden tricks to get your house sparkling in record time. So, learn how to clean up messes with household products, then share your favorite tips with your friends and family. 01 of 96 Collapsible Laundry Bins as Garbage Bins John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran During seasonal cleaning binges, soft-sided, handled laundry bins can double as trash cans. 02 of 96 Magnet as a Trash Bag Holder Sang An Minimize garbage-day malaise. Hold the top of a trash bag in place with magnets so bits don't find their way to the bottom of the bin. 03 of 96 Lemon as a Cutting Board Cleaner Rick Lew To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, use a lemon. Slice the 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. 04 of 96 Olive Oil as a Measuring Spoon Primer Rick Lew Rub olive oil on measuring cups and spoons coated with sticky substances (like honey) to ease cleaning. 05 of 96 Lemonade Kool-Aid as a 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. 06 of 96 Laundry Bag as a Dishwashing Aid Antonis Achilleos Keep mini Tupperware lids, baby-bottle caps, and other small items from falling through the dishwasher rack. You'll save time by no longer diving for treasure on the floor of the dishwasher. 07 of 96 Baking Soda as a Pan Scrubber James Wojick Sprinkle soda on crusted casseroles and roasting pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse. 08 of 96 Vinegar as a Coffeemaker Cleaner Anita Calero Clean a coffeemaker or a tea kettle by making a pot using a mixture of water and vinegar. Follow with several cycles of water to rinse. 09 of 96 Rice as a Coffee Grinder Cleaner Burcu Avsar Mill a handful of grains in your grinder and the fine particles will absorb stale odors and clean out residual grounds and oil. Discard the rice and wipe clean. 10 of 96 Citrus Peel as a Coffee Mug Cleaner Lucas Allen Remove coffee or tea stains from a mug by rubbing them with a lightly salted citrus peel. 11 of 96 Salt as a Salad Wash Antonis Achilleos Clean dirt from leafy vegetables by washing them in a bath of salt water. 12 of 96 Coaster as a 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. 13 of 96 Mustard Powder as a Jar Deodorizer James Baigrie Deodorize smelly glass jars by washing them with a mixture of one teaspoon powdered mustard and one quart warm water. 14 of 96 Vinegar as an Odor Remover Antonis Achilleos After chopping onions, scrub your hands with salt and a splash of vinegar to eliminate the smell. 15 of 96 Vanilla as a Freezer Freshener James Baigrie Trade frostbite funk for a more pleasing freezer scent and wipe the inside of the icebox with an extract-dampened cotton pad. 16 of 96 Citrus Peel as a Garbage Disposal Deodorizer James Baigrie Keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh by dropping a few orange peels down the drain and flipping the switch. Use any leftover peels to make homemade citrus cleaner. 17 of 96 Vinegar as a Garbage Disposal Deodorizer Antonis Achilleos Another option to deodorize the garbage disposal is vinegar. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through the drain. 18 of 96 Rubber Band as a Stemware Securer James Baigrie Secure wayward stemware in the dishwasher by tethering it to the machine's prongs with rubber bands. 19 of 96 Car Wax as a Stovetop Polish Lucas Allen Preserve a pristine stovetop by applying a thin layer of car wax, then wiping it off. Future spills will lift off easily. 20 of 96 Aluminum Foil as a Glassware Scrubber Quentin Bacon To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad. It's one way to recycle those used but perfectly good pieces of foil you hate to throw out. 21 of 96 Newspaper as a 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. 22 of 96 Newspaper as a Refrigerator Odor Absorber Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Absorb odors in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer with a lining of newspaper. 23 of 96 Plastic Bag as a Kitchen-Cleanup Aid Kana Okada For no-fuss cleanup, instead of peeling fruits and vegetables over a cutting board or into the sink, do it over a plastic bag. When you're done, flip the peelings into the garbage and rinse the bag to reuse another day, or toss the whole shebang into the trash. 24 of 96 Binder Clip as a Sponge Stand Levi Brown To prevent a smelly, waterlogged sponge, air-dry it in a binder clip away from the sink. 25 of 96 Cotton Ball as a Rubber Glove Protector James Baigrie For leak-resistant gloves at your fingertips, push one cotton ball into the end of each finger of a dishwashing glove to keep sharp nails from splitting the rubber. 26 of 96 Baking Soda as a Drain Declogger Antonis Achilleos To get your drain running again (without resorting to chemicals worthy of a hazmat suit) pour ½ cup soda, then ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover, and flush with steaming-hot water. 27 of 96 Salt as a Homemade Drain Cleaner Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Get a slow-moving drain flowing again by pouring a solution of ½ cup of salt for every quart of hot water down the pipe. 28 of 96 White Bread as a Glass Magnet Philip Friedman; Styling: Linden Elstran The next time a tumbler takes a tumble, sponge up the shards with a slice of bread. Even tiny slivers will cling to it. 29 of 96 Baking Soda and Vinegar as a Stainless Steel Cleaner Getty Images We recommend buffing stainless steel with a damp microfiber cloth. Then, if needed, use a gentle mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and lemon for a beautiful shine. 30 of 96 Baking Soda as a Stain Remover Antonis Achilleos Clean discolored teacups and teapots by making a paste of baking soda and water. Gently rub over the stain to remove. 31 of 96 Baking Soda as a Silver Polish Beatriz da Costa To polish silver: Wash items, then place them 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), then cover for a few seconds. The result? A chemical reaction that gets the black off the gravy boat. 32 of 96 Salt as a Polishing Agent Rick Lew Shine brass and copper with a paste made from a few tablespoons of white vinegar and equal parts salt and flour. Apply with a soft cloth, rinse, and dry. 33 of 96 Chalk as a Tarnish Prevention Monica Buck Slow the tarnish on your good silver by tying up a few moisture-absorbing pieces of chalk in cheesecloth and store them with your cutlery for shinier flatware that reflects well on you in no time flat. 34 of 96 Baking Soda as a Tub Scrubber Hallie Burton Rub tub stains away. Create a paste mad up of equal parts baking soda and cream of tartar and a little lemon juice. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse. 35 of 96 Electric Toothbrush as a Grout Scrubber France Ruffenach Scour bathroom crevices with a battery-powered toothbrush. 36 of 96 Toothpaste as a Linoleum Cleaner Hallie Burton Use white toothpaste to buff scuffs out of linoleum tiles. 37 of 96 Nail Polish as a Rust Preventer Rita Maas Coat the bottom of a shaving-cream can to fend off rust rings on the ledge of the tub. 38 of 96 Pant Hanger as a Drying Rack Kana Okada Use a pant hanger to air-dry a bath mat after showering. Simply hang it over the shower curtain rod. 39 of 96 Dryer Sheet as a Scum Buster Antonis Achilleos Remove obstinate soap buildup from glass shower doors by sprinkling a few drops of water onto a used fabric-softener sheet and scrubbing. 40 of 96 Colander as a Toy Scoop Erica McCartney; Styling: Kristine Trevino One of the most popular kitchen tools also happens to double as a clean-up aid. Before draining the tub, use a colander to make scooping up small toys fun and easy. 41 of 96 Baby Oil as a Chrome Polish Kana Okada Forget keeping skin soft, baby oil also polishes chrome. Apply a dab to a cotton cloth and use it to shine everything from faucets to hubcaps. You'll end up with shiny, happy surfaces from a medicine-cabinet staple. (Who actually owns chrome cleaner, anyway?) 42 of 96 Car Wax as a 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. 43 of 96 Baking Soda as a Linen Freshener Antonis Achilleos Place an open box of baking soda alongside your stacks of sheets and towels to stave off mustiness. 44 of 96 Lemon as a Laundry Brightener Antonis Achilleos Skip the bleach—add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle to brighter up those fading whites. 45 of 96 Emery Board as a Stain Remover Monica Buck Remove small stains from suede by gently rubbing the file (either side) across the problem area a few times to get rid of the splotch and refresh the nap. 46 of 96 Dryer Sheet as an Iron Cleaner Sang An Remove gunk from the soleplate of an iron. With the setting on low, rub the iron over the dryer sheet until the residue disappears, and you're left with a pristine press. 47 of 96 Salt as an Iron Cleaner Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Eliminate sticky residue from an iron. Run the hot iron (no steam) over plain paper sprinkled with salt. If that doesn't work, clean the iron with baking soda. 48 of 96 Chopsticks as a Lint Remover Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Pluck the lint buildup from a clothes dryer's trap. 49 of 96 Hair Spray as a Lipstick Stain Remover James Wojcik Kiss that smudge of Really Red good-bye. If the fabric is machine washable, saturate the spot with hair spray, let it sit for 10 minutes, then dab with a damp cloth or sponge to remove. Launder as usual to wash out any residual stain and spray. 50 of 96 Lint Roller as a Handbag Cleaner John Lawton; Styling: Linden Elstran Quickly clean the interior of your purse by running a lint roller over the lining. 51 of 96 Coffee Filter as a Screen Cleaner Antonis Achilleos For lint-free viewing, grab a coffee filter to wipe down dusty and staticky computer monitors and TV screens regularly. 52 of 96 Bleach Bottle as a Cat Litter Scoop Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Cut diagonally across the middle of an empty, clean bottle, toss the base, and use the half with the handle to scoop up soil or cat litter. 53 of 96 Panty Hose as a Candle Cleaner Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Revive a forgotten flickerer. Slide a dusty candle inside a stocking and roll it around. 54 of 96 Cooking Spray as a Candlestick Cleaner James Baigrie Celebrating by candlelight? Spray the inside of a votive holder with a thin coating of cooking spray before dropping in a tea light. After the candle has burned down, the remaining wax will slip out. 55 of 96 Clothespin as a Cord Holder Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Keep a retractable cord from rewinding too soon. Just clip the cord near the opening to prevent the cord from being sucked back in too quickly. 56 of 96 Baby Oil as a Paint Remover Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Dab some baby oil on splatters to remove latex paint from skin. 57 of 96 Broom as a Long Distance Duster Kana Okada To dust crown moldings, place a microfiber rag over the broom's bristles and secure with a rubber band. Then use the long handle to dust areas that your arms can't reach. No more circus acts (starring you, on a rickety, wobbly stool). 58 of 96 Car Wax as a Garden Shear Lubricant Aya Brackett For cleaner cuts with less elbow grease, rub a little paste on the hinge of a pair of garden shears, so they don't get jammed. 59 of 96 Cooking Spray as an Ice Repellent Mark Lund Before clearing snow off a driveway, liberally spray both sides of a plastic or metal snow shovel with cooking spray. The ice will slide right off the oily surface. It's the easiest trick for smoother snow removal. 60 of 96 Dustpan as a Toy Herder France Ruffenach Scoop up small toys―Lego blocks, jacks, Barbie shoes, plastic soldiers—with your dustpan and brush, so you can reclaim your living room for grown-ups. 61 of 96 Eggshells as Bottle and Vase Cleaners Yunhee Kim Here's an idea for all those eggs you hard-boiled: Use their broken eggshells to clean the hard-to-reach places in bottles and vases. Drop some crushed shells in the bottle, add warm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, and give it a good swirl. The shells will scrape off the gunk you can't get to, so you can save your elbow grease for the dinner dishes. 62 of 96 Denture Tablet as a Vase Cleaner Antonis Achilleos When residue clings to unreachable spots inside a vase or a decanter, fill the container with warm water and drop in one or two denture-cleaning tablets for every eight ounces of warm water. Let the fizzy solution sit for the time specified on the product's box, then rinse. 63 of 96 Antacid Tablet as a Vase Cleaner Mark Lund Lift bouquet residue from the bottom of a vase. Fill the vase with water, add two tablets, let sit for a few minutes, wipe, and rinse. 64 of 96 Rice as a Vase Scrubber Hallie Burton Prepare a stained vase for a new batch of blooms. If you can't reach the residue at the bottom, add a tablespoon of rice and a lot of soapy water, shake, and rinse until clean. 65 of 96 Fork as a Carpet Fluffer Monica Buck Use the tines to gently fluff plush carpet fibers back to their original height, removing dents left by heavy furniture. Now, that's a real fork lift. 66 of 96 Masking Tape as a Scuff Preventer Monica Buck Keep baseboards free of skid marks when you vacuum. Cover the edges of the vacuum head with masking tape so they won't leave dark smudges when you inevitably bump into the walls. There will be no more black marks on your cleaning record. 67 of 96 Seam Ripper as a Vacuum Roller Cleaner Antonis Achilleos Restore a vacuum to maximum power by cutting the lint and hair from its roller brush. 68 of 96 Baking Soda as a Carpet Freshener James Baigrie To absorb stale odors from carpet (and to generally freshen up a room), scatter soda on it, wait a few hours, then vacuum up the powder. 69 of 96 Rubber Glove as a Pet Hair Remover Antonis Achilleos Put on a damp rubber dishwashing glove and run your hand over hair-covered upholstery—the hair will cling to the glove, not the sofa. Rinse off the glove in the sink (with the drain catcher in place, of course). 70 of 96 Cornmeal as a Grease Absorber Kate Sears Add this to the grocery shopping list for new reasons. Cornmeal absorbs grease on light colored fabric or upholstery. Pour enough on to cover the soiled area and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Vacuum to remove the grains. 71 of 96 Bath Mat as a Car Seat Protector Sang An Protect your car seats from muddy paws by covering them with a bath mat or two before packing Lilly the Lab in the backseat. The rubber bottom will help the mat stay in place. Between trips, stow the mat in the trunk. 72 of 96 Dryer Sheet as a Sawdust Cleaner Antonis Achilleos An easy way to keep the work area clean. Saw dust at a work station sweeps up so fast with one pass of a used fabric softener sheet. 73 of 96 Cotton Swab as a Computer Detailer Antonis Achilleos With the machine turned off, disconnect the keyboard and trace between the keys with a cotton swab lightly dipped in isopropyl alcohol. If your mouse is the kind that rolls on a ball, unscrew the bottom and go over the ball and the interior with a cotton swab, too. 74 of 96 Tape as a Keyboard Cleaner Burcu Avsar Make cleaning your computer keys simple: Slide a 2½-inch strip of tape between the rows of your keyboard. The adhesive side will remove dust and crumbs. 75 of 96 Mayonnaise as an Adhesive Remover David Prince Banish stickers from mirrors, glass, and bumpers by applying a generous helping of mayo to persistent adhesives. Use a flexible putty knife to help coax them off. 76 of 96 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.) 77 of 96 Vinegar as a Sticker Remover Antonis Achilleos Dislodge a stubborn price sticker. Paint with several coats of vinegar, let it sit for five minutes, then wipe away. 78 of 96 Hair Dryer as a Sticker Remover Christopher Coppola A little hot air quickly loosens price labels—with zero fingernail-chipping frustration. 79 of 96 Rubbing Alcohol as a Permanent Marker Remover Antonis Achilleos Remove permanent marker from countertops and walls. Pour a bit of alcohol onto a cotton ball and rub on the stain. (Spot test on a hidden area first.) 80 of 96 Emery Board as an Eraser Saver Antonis Achilleos To revive a dried-out eraser or clean a smudged one, lightly rub it over an emery board. The board's fine grain will shave off the eraser's old top layer, leaving you with a good-as-new mistake-removing surface. 81 of 96 Baking Soda as a Crayon Eraser Antonis Achilleos Sprinkle it on a damp sponge to erase crayon, pencil, and ink from painted surfaces. 82 of 96 Lint Roller as a Glitter Pick-Up James Wojick Clean up glitter (and tiny pieces of construction paper) after craft time. 83 of 96 Onion as a Basement Deodorizer James Baigrie Clear the air in a dank basement. Cut an onion in half, place it on a plate, and leave it out overnight. Once the initial salad-bar aroma dissipates, you'll have a fresh (non-oniony) atmosphere. 84 of 96 Rubbing Alcohol as a Hairspray Remover Sang An To lift off hair spray residue from bathroom walls, spray a mixture of one part rubbing alcohol, two parts water, and a dash of dishwashing liquid onto vinyl wallpaper or semigloss (not flat) paint. Wipe clean. 85 of 96 Salt as a Wreath Duster James Baigrie Place a wreath of pinecones or faux evergreen in a paper bag with a 1/4 cup of salt. Fold the top of the bag over and gently shake. 86 of 96 Olive Oil as a Sap Remover Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran If dragging and decking out a fresh Christmas tree leaves you with sticky digits, pour a tablespoon of oil onto a cloth, then rub until clean. Bonus: The oil is a great moisturizer for dry winter skin. 87 of 96 Shower Curtain as a Picnic Blanket Liner Monica Buck Do dew diligence and layer a liner underneath a picnic blanket to avoid soggy bottoms and grass or mud stains. 88 of 96 Shoe Polish as a Furniture Polish Mark Lund Spruce up wood furniture by filling in scratches with shoe polish in a similar shade. 89 of 96 Walnut as a Scratch Filler Alexandra Rowley Repair hardwood floors by rubbing shelled nuts into shallow scratches. Their natural oils help hide the flaws. 90 of 96 Socks as a Floor Protector Photos: Erica McCartney; Styling: Linden Elstran Need to protect wood floors? Slide socks onto the legs of chairs and tables, so they don't scratch the floor when you rearrange the room (yet again). 91 of 96 Sugar as a Hand Degreaser James Baigrie Cut grease on hands by rubbing them with a mixture of sugar and water. 92 of 96 Zippered Plastic Bag as a Wax Remover James Baigrie To freeze wax so you can remove it from a tablecloth, fill a plastic bag with ice cubes and cover the wax with it for about 20 minutes. 93 of 96 Lint Roller as a 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. 94 of 96 Pillowcase as a Ceiling Fan Duster Anna Williams Slide an old case over a fan's blade then pull the fabric back, keeping all the dust and dirt contained. 95 of 96 Plastic Bags as Hand Protectors Kana Okada Fact: There are some things you'd just as soon not touch with your bare hands. Use bags as gloves to handle what's messy (say, chicken carcasses) or just plain gross (like the little "presents" the dog leaves in the front yard), then turn them inside out to trap the offending matter within for easy disposal. 96 of 96 Plastic Bag as a Shoe Protector Kana Okada It will never be a fashion trend, but tying bags over your shoes can keep you from tracking mud into the house when you come in, or protect slippers from dirt, snow, or rain when you run out to fetch the paper from the front lawn. (Be careful when walking on smooth surfaces, as the plastic won't give you any traction.) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit