Shaving foam, salt and shampoo are among the household items you can use as cleaning products, rather than shelling out for expensive alternatives, a cleaning company has revealed.
The cleaning experts at Online-Bedrooms have outlined nine genius ways to use everyday products as cheap and easy solutions to help remove stubborn stains and scruffs.
Rather than using expensive stain removers and surface sprays, Irish households can cut the cost of buying products by using household items.
Tips include using salt to remove stains from pans, and using condiments to help clean off watermarks on surfaces.
Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms said: “Households across Ireland are still struggling with the increasing prices of cleaning products. With this in mind, we wanted to name some of the most unusual items which can be used as a cheaper cleaning method to spruce up the home.
“We’ve found peculiar ways that everyday products can be used around the home to help with cleaning, from using shaving foam to clean the toilet to using vinegar to give your surfaces a polished look.
“These simple and effective alternatives to cleaning can help to cut back on weekly expenses, while leaving homes with a flawless finish after they’re used to good work.”
Here are nine unusual cleaning products.
Salt
Salt is a quick solution to avoid endless scrubbing if pans have been left burnt after cooking. Soak the pan as normal and boil with hot water, then scrub with salt, particularly over the burnt areas, which can help clean the pan in only a few minutes.
Nail varnish remover
Soak a cotton ball with some nail varnish remover to get rid of any scuff marks on shoes. This will also help to brighten up any white shoes that have become dirty.
White vinegar
Place shower heads that are covered in limescale in a plastic bag filled with white vinegar for around 30 minutes. The product will fade any residue once you run it over with water.
Shaving foam
To get rid of unwanted toilet stains or a urine odour which won’t go away even after using bleach, try spraying some leftover shaving foam into the toilet to help eliminate unwanted bathroom smells.
Mayonnaise
Spread out mayonnaise on any watermarks around your home and leave it to set for around 10 minutes. Then, wipe off the condiment to take off the marks smoothly and quickly.
Baking soda
Instead of using expensive cleaning solvent to disinfect the washing machine, opt for a bag of baking soda. Put one cup of baking soda in the detergent drawer and switch on a quick hot cycle to remove any mouldy smells and stains ahead of the next wash.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a mild abrasive so is great to clean lots of things around your house - including removing shoe scuff and achieving a sparkling shine on your sinks.
Newspaper
Rather than using a microfibre cloth and risk smearing your mirror or windows, scrunch up a newspaper and wipe in small circular motions after spraying the area with white vinegar.
Coconut oil
Create a dust-solving solution by mixing coconut oil with water and white vinegar. Using coconut oil will help prevent a build-up of dust in all areas of the house, from behind the TV to the surface of bedside tables.