How to Clean Your Home Using Pantry Staples

Its main chemical component is acetic acid, which means vinegar can take down a lot of grime. Vinegar’s acid count can cut through dirt and grease, as well as remove hard water deposits. It acts to kill bacteria and viruses, like E. coli and salmonella, as well as other germs that can find their way onto countertops, dishes and bathroom surfaces. Just about any vinegar (distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, any specialties) can be used to clean because they all possess the masterful trait of high acidity.

You can buy white vinegar by the gallon and store it in your pantry for a long time. Studies suggest white vinegar has an almost indefinite shelf life.  

Just mix equal parts vinegar and water and you can use the solution to wipe down nearly any surface. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the vinegar solution to leave behind a fresh scent on the surface. Steer clear of marble and other porous stone surfaces. The same goes for wood. And if you aim to use this hack regularly, you can fill a spray bottle with the solution to spritz with ease. 

The solution is also your best friend when you are dealing with a dirty or clogged shower head. Simply wipe away as much debris from the shower head as you are able and then submerge in the one-to-one vinegar and water solution. You will need to leave the shower head submerged for 15 to 20 minutes. This can be achieved either by holding a cup or jar below the shower head, but your best bet is either to remove the shower head and place it into a standing mixture or pour your mixture into a bag and tie the bag around the shower faucet. 

Other great vinegar uses: 

• It cuts through tacky substances like glue and sticker adhesive, so it will help you remove stuck-on price tags on glass and plastic.
• For crumbs in hard-to-reach places, wrap a wooden skewer with a vinegar-soaked cloth and slowly drag through the space to clear it out.
• Vinegar is also a natural fabric softener and can be used to deodorize fabric.

Baking soda is vinegar’s equal when it comes to cleaning. It can be used almost as widely and partners up well with the acidic helper. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is chemically akin to salt. This means it is a neutral compound with a slightly high pH level. In short, it will absorb anything that is acidic, rather than cutting through or masking.

Many odors are in fact, acidic, which is why baking soda is so great at neutralizing them. This acid-base reaction is also why baking soda and vinegar partner up so well. 

Remember your science fair volcano? That combustive chemical reaction makes baking soda effective for your toughest cleaning jobs.

• Pour several tablespoons of baking soda into a kitchen or bathroom drain followed by a small amount of undiluted vinegar to cut through clogs.
• Spread a dusting of baking soda across your oven, leave it sitting for a few hours (or overnight, if you can) and then splash vinegar on top and you’ll be able to remove the grease buildup.
• A paste of baking soda and vinegar can also remove stains from fabrics and act as a gentle surface cleaner.

Tip: Baking soda becomes less reactive over time, so switch out your box every two years.

If you act quickly, club soda is helpful at removing stains from fabrics and carpets. The efficacy of club soda as a cleaning agent is debated because the stain must not be set. As long as this is the case, club soda will help you out. The crux of this cleaning solution is club soda’s combination of carbonation and ever-magnetic salt. 

Pour a bit of the liquid onto the stain and dab, working to a gentle rubbing motion. This method of stain removal is best achieved on non-porous fabrics because they are slower to absorb and set a stain. You can also use club soda to remove stains from porous marble sinks and similar surfaces.

Try this trick when it comes time to clean the interior of your refrigerator: For a quick cleaning, swipe a cloth soaked in club soda and salt across all surfaces, being mindful to give corners extra attention.

These pantry staples do more than add flavor to meals or serve as a side dish:

• Salt can be used to scrub and absorb stains on wooden cutting boards. If you drop an egg, spill a hot liquid or a dish boils over in the oven, covering the spill with salt while it is still wet will make the mess easier to clear. Making a paste of salt and vegetable oil, you can rub away the rings left by glasses that didn’t make it onto your wooden table’s coasters. Given how abrasive it is, salt is also very helpful in scrubbing away stubborn bits of food from your cast iron pan while avoiding removing any seasoning.
• Lemon’s mild acidity means it, too, will help you cut through grime. And what’s more, it will leave you with a pleasant, clean-as-can-be scent after you’re done. Mixing a bit of lemon juice with water will help you remove oil from your stove and appliances. It can be used to clean brass, and you can take dishwashing to the next level by adding a little lemon juice to a sink filled with hot, soapy water. When paired with kosher salt and a bit of mineral oil, lemon can remove stains from your most-used, wooden cutting board.
• A useful cleaning agent because it is both absorptive and abrasive is rice. Take on seemingly impossible to clean vases and thin-necked bottles by partially filling the vase or bottle with warm water and a handful of rice, then shake vigorously with your hand or a napkin atop. Add a handful of uncooked rice to your coffee or spice grinder to whir away oily residue. A word of caution, though: If you have a burr grinder, skip this method, and in all cases, uncooked instant rice will be your gentler option.

Ketchup and black tea to clean? Yes. Take a look at how these everyday items can help around the house. 

• Olive oil’s qualities make it a world-class polishing tool. Just as it adds moisture to baked goods, vegetables and everything in between, it can moisturize your wood products. Mixed with a bit of lemon juice (two parts olive oil, one part fresh lemon juice), olive oil works as a polish for any and all of your wooden furniture. This solution can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks but should be set out to return to room temperature before use.
• Make yourself a watered-down pot of black tea and you have an excellent mirror cleaner. Black tea is acidic and tannic, qualities that make it an ideal cleaner to dissolve dirt and grease. This brew can also be used to polish wood (including furniture, cabinets and hardwood floors). Its tannins add a nice warm stain to any wood that’s displaying inconsistent markings from wear. Tea can even remove rust from aging metals.
• Try ketchup as a cleaner. No, you won’t stain your kitchenware using ketchup to clean. That is, as long as you reserve it for your set of copper cookware or silver utensils. Using a cloth and some of the beloved condiment, you can clean tarnished copper, be it a vintage piece, a well-loved recent purchase or a copper-bottomed saucepan. Vintage silver cutlery seen better days? No problem. The acetic acid in ketchup attacks the copper oxide, that brownish black layer of tarnish created during cooking, so with a dab on a cloth, you are moments from a restored item. Rub the surface to bring back the original shine and follow with a rinse of water.