A limescale remover here, an oven cleaner there, and before you know it, you’ve got a kitchen cupboard full of cleaning products gathering dust.
As a nation, we’re so addicted to throwing these chemical-heavy items in our trollies, that we waste almost £868 million a year on unused bottles.
Brits collectively spend £2 billion – an average of £54.20 each – on household cleaning supplies, but according to research by Smol, half of it will go to waste.
This amounts to an average of £22.30 worth of products sitting unused, with just 3.9 cleaning products being used on a regular basis, the study of 2,000 adults found.
Want to clean up your act and save some pennies? Here are eight ways to clean your home using kitchen staples for less.
1. Bust limescale with lemon
To get rid of limescale build-up on bathroom and kitchen taps, look to lemons.
Simply cut a fresh lemon in half and use your thumbs to gently open up the centre of one of the halves. Then press the lemon on to the end of the tap, wrapping a small plastic bag around it with a rubber band to hold it in place. Be sure that the rubber band is cinched tightly and that the lemon is around the end of the tap.
Leave for a few hours to allow the citric acid to work its magic. After you remove the lemon, you may need to use a gentle scrubbing pad to wash off any loosened limescale build-up.
Finally, wipe the tap with a damp cloth to remove any leftover lemon juice, and your taps will be squeaky clean.
2. Clean your oven door with a kitchen staple
All you need for this hack is a bowl of warm water and a dishwasher tablet (or two) – just make sure that whichever brand you use, you buy the pressed powder tablets and not the gel pods.
Simply dip the pod in the warm water and allow it to soak up some water, but don’t leave it for so long that it starts to crumble.
Now remove the tablet from the water and lay it flat against the oven door. Use your palm to move the tablet in a circular motion to scrub away the stains. If the tablet starts to dry out, dip it in the warm water again. This method works on glass and is also effective on the surrounding metal part of the oven door.
When you’re finished, wipe away any residue with a damp cloth.
3. Neaten up your knives
Combining cream of tartar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide makes an excellent – and natural – solution for removing rust on metal surfaces, such as your kitchen knives.
Simply put some cream of tartar in a bowl with equal parts baking soda, then add hydrogen peroxide, a little at a time, until you achieve a paste-like consistency. Rub this mixture over the rusty knife, let it sit for an hour, then wash in the sink.
4. Tackle burned-on food with a dishwasher tab
Burned food stuck to a saucepan can be a pain to remove, and scrubbing it could ruin the pan, so try using a dishwasher tablet to lift the residue.
Simply fill your saucepan with water, pop a dishwasher tablet in, then place it over a medium heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. This will loosen the burned remnants so it’s easy to wipe them off.
Make sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions for your saucepan before you do this, though, particularly if you have a non-stick saucepan, as you don’t want to damage the coating.
5. Shift stains in food containers
Is there anything more annoying than a newly stained plastic container?
All it takes is some leftover Bolognese sauce, and then no matter how hard you scrub, that container seems destined to remain orange-red forever.
But fear not – according to tasteofhome.com, you can banish the stains from your plastic containers, and they will look as good as new in no time. Just add soap and warm water to the tub, toss in a few pieces of torn-up kitchen roll, pop the lid on and give it a good shake for about a minute.
Empty the contents, rinse the inside and hey presto! No more stains.
6. Say goodbye to black scuffs
WD-40 isn’t just for sticky spots – it’s also handy for any tough black scuff marks on your kitchen floor left by those who insist on wearing their shoes indoors.
If you spray the marks with WD-40 before cleaning, you won’t have to scrub nearly as much – and it won’t damage the surface.
7. A splash of vinegar to save the load
White vinegar is a versatile and cost-effective solution for laundry care. Adding a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle can significantly enhance the softness of your clothes while effectively removing stubborn odours.
The acetic acid in vinegar helps to break down detergent residues and mineral deposits, which can make fabrics feel stiff and rough.
Additionally, vinegar’s natural deodorising properties neutralise unpleasant smells, leaving your laundry fresh and clean.
8. Sock it up
Cleaning blinds can be a tedious task, but using a simple vinegar and water solution can make it much easier and more effective – and a sock will save you loads of time.
To start, mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a bowl.
Then, take an old sock or glove and dip it into the solution. This makeshift cleaning tool is perfect for wiping down each slat of the blinds, allowing you to reach all the nooks and crannies.
The vinegar works as a natural disinfectant and degreaser, cutting through dust and grime effortlessly.
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