EXTRAORDINARY USES FOR ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Everyday objects like elastics, straws and lemons can save you money and storage space
What if you could keep fewer products in your house by choosing items with multiple uses? I wanted to know which household products have the most uses and most useful alternative uses.
First, I searched for articles and blogs about amazing alternative uses for common household items. Then I searched further to see which of those items was the subject of the most articles or the longest lists.
I decided that every tip I shared should be unisex. And I instituted a “get real” rule: The alternative uses had to be tasteful and not too taxing. No flower bouquets made out of egg cartons — too cheesy! And no photo projectors made out of shoe boxes — too time consuming.
Here, in alphabetical order, are the 14 most useful household products in our homes, according to the internet and me:
BABY POWDER
Sprinkle it on tangled jewelry to get knots out.
Put talc on your hairbrush and brush into your roots as a dry shampoo.
Dust into stale -smelling books to freshen their scent.
Leave around doors or windows to repel ants.
BAKING SODA
We know to stick a box in the fridge, but sprinkling baking soda in a stinky hamper also helps with odours there.
Use it to scrub the grate of your barbecue grill.
A study found a baking soda and water solution was the most effective method of washing pesticides from produce.
CLEAR NAIL POLISH
Women have been using it to stop runs in their stockings, but it also works to keep buttons from unravelling. Just dab a tiny drop onto the loose thread at the centre of the button.
Paint over inexpensive jewelry so it won’t turn your skin green.
Give handwritten labels a coating to make them smudge proof.
COCONUT OIL
Remove price tag residue by rubbing a 50 -50 mixture of coconut oil and baking soda on the problem spot.
Season cast iron pans.
Try it as a cheap, natural moisturizer.
EMERY BOARD
Sharpen utility knife blades, tweezers and sewing machine needles.
Remove stains on suede shoes, clothing and more by very gently buffing.
If your sweaters are pilling, try running an emery board over the little bumps to remove them.
LEMONS
Running a lemon rind through your garbage disposal will freshen the smell; lemons can also deodorize your microwave. Zap a bowl of water and half a lemon for five minutes.
The acid in lemon juice cuts through soap scum on shower doors and other bathroom spots.
Remove coffee and tea stains from mugs by filling them with lemon peel and warm water and letting them soak.
MAYONNAISE
Bob Vila confirms water rings can be removed by dabbing on a little mayonnaise, letting it sit for an hour, then wiping with a soft cloth. Repeat if necessary.
Effective for removing gum from your hair.
Others swear by mayonnaise for healing hangnails. NEWSPAPER
You can shine dark shoes by balling up newspaper and briskly rubbing them
Make newspaper balls, spray them with water and stuff them in your refrigerator to soak up smells.
Wrapping green tomatoes in newspaper helps them ripen faster. Wash before eating!
Dropping a pre- 1996 penny and a pinch of sugar into a vase helps cut flowers last longer because the copper acts as a fungicide.
Check your tire tread depth by sticking The Queen headfirst into the tread. If her entire head is still showing, you need new tires.
Pennies can stabilize tippy tables and other furniture, too. I have a small fountain and stuck a couple of pennies between basin and base to level it.
RUBBER BANDS
If a screw gets stripped as you’re trying to remove it, stick a section of rubber band into the stripped area and it gives you just enough grip.
Stick rubber bands over the ends of hangers for a cheap but effective way of keeping slinky sweaters from slipping off.
Stretch a rubber band from the bottom of a paint can over the open top and use it to wipe your brush to remove paint and prevent drips.
RUBBER GLOVES
Use them to get a better grip on tough -to- open jars. You don’t even need to wear them to be effective.
Wear rubber gloves to pull poison oak or ivy and emerge unscathed. (Dispose of them after.)
Don the gloves, dampen them, and run your hands over furniture to remove pet hair.
STRAWS
String chain necklaces through drinking straws to prevent tangling in storage.
Use straws to support delicate flower stems in a homemade bouquet.
When storing food in a zipper bag, close the bag all but a quarter of an inch and then use a straw to suck the air from the bag before closing it back up, to prevent freezer burn.
TOOTHBRUSHES
Toothbrushes are great for cleaning around faucets or scrubbing grout. They are also the perfect tool to clean mud from shoe treads.
Use an extra toothbrush to clean your cheese grater without grating your fingers.
Try using a toothbrush to remove silk from corn.
VINEGAR
The acetic acid in vinegar can kill weeds, although expert gardeners suggest using it just on those in the cracks of your pavement because it can also kill your plants.
I can vouch for apple cider vinegar as a great clarifier that removes product buildup from your hair.
So many people have wondered whether spraying a vinegar and water solution on your car windows will prevent frost that there’s even a Snopes page verifying that it’s true.
I hoped to get the hiccups while writing this article, so I could test this final offbeat use, but no dice: Some swear a teaspoon (15 mL), of apple cider vinegar will stop the hiccups. Let me know!