14 Surprising Household Cleaners

01 of 14
Toothpaste

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

From minty fresh breath to shiny silver jewelry, here are all the ways you can use toothpaste around the house:
- Polish bathroom faucets and hardware.
- Get rid of shower door soap scum.
- Prevent mirrors from fogging up.
- Scrub away build-up on curling irons and hair straighteners.
- Make leather and vinyl shoes scuff free.
- Shine silver jewelry.
- Make piano keys sparkle.
- Save a cell phone screen by buffing away light scratches.
02 of 14
Lemon Juice

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Outside of the kitchen, lemon juice goes to work to act as a natural stain remover, furniture polish, and glass cleaner:
- Polish aluminum, chrome, stainless steel, and copper.
- Remove stains from marble countertops.
- Clean coffee makers and tea kettles.
- Remove food stains from plastic containers and dishes.
- Kill bacteria and odors on wooden cutting boards.
- Get rid of yellow underarm stains on clothes.
- Whiten clothes.
- Remove rust and mildew stains on clothes.
- Mix with olive oil to make a great furniture polish.
- Make glass vases, windows, and mirrors sparkle.
03 of 14
Coconut Oil

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

We've all heard about the endless magical properties of coconut oil. See for yourself just how versatile this miracle product really is!
- Quiet a squeaky door hinge.
- Remove labels from glass jars.
- Make wooden furniture gleam.
- Restore leather furniture, handbags, and shoes.
- Polish away streaks on stainless steel appliances.
- Get rid of tree sap, bird droppings, and dead bugs without damaging the paint on your car.
- Mix with baking soda to scrub away soap scum on shower stalls.
04 of 14
Ketchup

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Love it or hate it, ketchup is good for more than just a hot dog.
- Shine silver, copper, and brass cookware and jewelry.
- Neutralize skunk odor on human and animal hair and skin.
- After washing your car, give it a quick shine with ketchup and a good buffing.
Continue to 5 of 14 below.
05 of 14
Coffee Grounds

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Our favorite way to use coffee grounds is in the garden. Learn about all the benefits of this eco-friendly product and never toss your grounds again!
- Sprinkle grounds inside and outside to keep away unwanted pests.
- Deodorize the garbage disposal with just a tablespoon of grounds.
- Boost the growth of acid-loving plants like azaleas, blueberries, and roses.
- Get rid of onion odor on hands and cutting boards.
06 of 14
Tea

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Prefer tea over coffee? Here's what to do:
- Add a shine to hardwood floors with a tea solution.
- Get rid of refrigerator and cooking odors with dry tea bags.
- Freshen and clean the inside of a microwave with wet or dry tea bags.
- Steep away toilet bowl stains.
- Use brewed unsweetened tea to make mirrors and windows sparkle.
- Absorb odors in stinky shoes with dry tea bags.
07 of 14
Hydrogen Peroxide

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

If you're missing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from your medicine cabinet, now's the time to stock up!
- Whiten white clothes with hydrogen peroxide as a less harsh alternative to chlorine bleach.
- Remove blood, berry, dye stains, and mildew odors from clothes.
- Disinfect a clothes washer by adding one cup to an empty washer and run a hot water wash cycle.
08 of 14
Cornstarch

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Do you like to wear rubber gloves when tackling particularly big messes? Grab some corn starch and thank us later.
- Absorb grease stains on clothes, carpet, and upholstery.
- Polish silver with a water and cornstarch paste.
- Freshen and remove stains from stuffed animals.
- Make rubber gloves more comfortable and keep them fresh smelling.
- Remove oil stains from concrete floors and patios.
- Clean glass cooktops with a paste made from one part water and two parts cornstarch.
- Freshen mattresses and pillows.
Continue to 9 of 14 below.
09 of 14
Rubbing Alcohol

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Kill bacteria, remove stains, and boost normal cleaning all with a bottle of rubbing alcohol:
- Remove ink stains from fabrics and leather surfaces.
- Clean washer and dryer door latches so they operate smoothly.
- Kill bacteria and clean cell phones, keyboards, and remote controls.
- Cut through hairspray buildup on mirrors.
- Make bathroom sinks and faucets shine and kill bacteria. No need to rinse, the alcohol simply evaporates.
- Quickly defrost icy windows with a quick spritz.
10 of 14
Olive Oil

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

As all home cooks already know, a bit of olive oil goes a long way.
- Scrub cast iron cookware with a paste of olive oil and salt. Rinse in hot water and dry well.
- Remove paint from hands and even window glass with a bit of oil, followed by soap or window cleaner.
- Lighten scratches on leather furniture with a drop of oil on a cotton swab. Buff with a soft cloth.
- Shine stainless steel appliances with a bit of oil, then buff with a soft cloth.
- Create a great furniture polish with two parts olive oil and one part lemon juice.
- Make patent leather shoes sparkle with a drop of olive oil and a quick cloth shine.
- Unstick a zipper with a drop on a cotton swab rubbed along the zipper teeth.
11 of 14
Baking Soda

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Some people swear by baking soda as an all-purpose cleaning product. Once you try it, you'll never go back to commercial cleaners.
- Sprinkle on a small cooking fire to quickly prevent a more serious disaster.
- Scrub away soap scum on shower stalls that could easily scratch with harsher cleaners.
- Remove tough odors like sweat, mildew, and perfume from laundry.
- Freshen your car's interior.
- Soften fabrics naturally by removing soil and detergent residue by adding one cup baking soda to the rinse cycle.
- Make your iron glide smoothly by removing gunk from the iron's soleplate.
- Mix equal parts baking soda and distilled white vinegar to clean a garbage disposal. You'll love the bubbling action!
12 of 14
Distilled White Vinegar

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Vinegar to the laundry room is like peanut butter to the pantry. Find out all the ways you can clean with this product:
- Brighten white clothes and cut through tough odors by adding a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
- Unclog a showerhead.
- Lighten or erase hem lines after altering clothes by dabbing fabric with vinegar before ironing.
- Cut through grease on countertops, cooktops, and small appliances.
- Spritz on weeds as a natural weed killer.
- Clean away residue from inside an empty dishwasher by adding one cup of vinegar to a bowl and running a wash cycle.
- Safely remove a bumper sticker by soaking it in vinegar.
- Eliminate paint fumes by placing bowls of vinegar in a freshly painted room.
Continue to 13 of 14 below.
13 of 14
Dryer Sheets

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Not everyone uses dryer sheets in their laundry, but you might want to start once you discover all the other ways you can use them.
- Safely scrub non-stick pans to remove stuck-on food and grease.
- Lift away pet hair from clothes and furniture by rubbing briskly with a dryer sheet.
- Stop static cling by rubbing legs or arms with a dryer sheet.
- Dust electronic equipment and window screens with used sheets.
14 of 14
Coffee Filters

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Just like coffee grounds, coffee filters are multi-purpose products that will have you skipping the Keurig from now on.
- Use when reheating food plates and bowls to prevent splatters inside the microwave.
- Leave windows and mirrors lint-free by using a filter to clean glass.
- Keep china dishware scratch-free by placing a filter between each plate or cup.
- Save wine drinkers from broken cork by using a coffee filter to strain the wine.
- Make gardening easier by placing a coffee filter in the bottom of a planter to stop soil from escaping the drain holes.

Ketchup

Tea

Rubbing Alcohol

Olive Oil

Coffee Filters