The most surprising cleaning products in your home

Who needs expensive cleaning products? Discover the everyday items that double-up as surprising cleaning products!

Toothbrushes

Not just for cleaning teeth! Toothbrushes are fantastic for getting into nooks and crannies such as grouting, around the rims of drains or that tiny corner of the shower or bathtub where stubborn grime collects. Soak the toothbrush head in a mixture of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water for half an hour or so, and it will be ready to get at more than just plaque.

Just make sure to keep far away from in-use toothbrushes afterwards!

Toothpaste

Sticking with the minty-fresh theme, toothpaste is a handy way to get rid of felt tip or magic marker stains on walls. Just buff on with a dry cloth and the stain should start to come away – you might need to do it a couple of times for stubborn or older stains.

Socks

Finally, a use for all those orphan socks! Stick a (clean!) sock over your hand to dust awkward or small areas, such as houseplants, blinds or knick knacks. You could also pop a sock over a broom handle to get at high corners and show cobwebs the door.

Socks can also be filled with dried lavender and stuck in drawers to use as an inexpensive alternative to fragrance pouches.

Ketchup

‘Clean’ isn’t normally the first word that springs to mind when we think of ketchup, but strange as it may seem, thanks to its vinegar content, silver cutlery or jewellery can be shined up by soaking in a bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. Just rinse with warm water afterwards and gently buff dry with a cloth.

Newspaper

Whatever you think of the day’s news, a newspaper popped into the drawers of the fridge can soak up any nasty odours.

Teabags

Tea Bags make a great organic fertiliser for houseplants – and don’t forget to give plants a drink from the dregs from the teapot too. Also, eggshells and the water left over from boiling an egg gives your plants a shot of calcium which they will thank you for.

Olive Oil

Run out of shoe polish? No problem! Olive oil makes a great substitute – just rub on with a cloth as you normally would, and buff.

See Full Bio