When money is tight, look at your kitchen cupboards for ideas to stretch your budget. Many standard kitchen tools and ingredients have surprising hidden talents to help save you money. These 18 everyday kitchen items will cut costs on everything from cleaning supplies to beauty products:
Vinegar
Vinegar isn’t just for salad dressing; it’s a natural disinfectant and deodorizer. Dilute one part vinegar in one with water to clean countertops, windows, and floors. If your washing machine smells, you can put the mixture in the drawer and run it through a cycle without clothes to freshen it up.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a gentle yet effective cleaning agent that can tackle tough stains like grease. It can also clean stovetops, dirty sneakers, or moldy shower cubicles. Apply baking powder and water paste to the area you’re cleaning.
Lemons
You can add lemons to your baking soda paste for extra cleaning power when working on areas without citric acid, such as bathroom tiles. Lemons also add a fresh aroma to your home, so don’t toss those citrus peels.
Coffee Grounds
Don’t throw away leftover coffee grounds if you’re trying to embrace a zero-waste lifestyle. Coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth. They also deter pests like snails and slugs if you want to grow your veggies. You can sprinkle a thin layer of coffee grounds directly around the base of acid-loving plants, but avoid overdoing it, as too much can be acidic to plants.
Yogurt
Plain yogurt is a great, budget-friendly beauty product. It can be used as a soothing face mask or hair conditioner for a fraction of the cost of branded beauty products. You can use it alone or add honey, banana, or lemon juice.
Egg Whites
If you’re using egg yolks for baking and don’t want the hassle of making a meringue with the leftover whites, don’t throw them away. Whisked egg whites can clean stainless steel appliances or grimy windows using a microfiber cloth.
Newspapers
Newspapers aren’t just for catching up on the latest happenings; they’re a good alternative. Use crumpled newspaper to clean windows without the need for expensive clothes. You can also use newspapers to dry delicate dishes or mirrors to avoid lint from towels.
Olive Oil
While expensive, olive oil goes long when used as a natural wood polish. Buff wood furniture with a microfiber cloth dampened with olive oil for a beautiful shine.
Sugar
Sugar is a great natural exfoliant when mixed with olive oil and a few drops of essential oil. If you want to keep your skin soft for summer, spa treatments and over-the-counter body scrubs can be expensive, so sugar is a sweet alternative.
Potatoes
Few people know that raw potatoes can absorb minor scratches on furniture. Cut a potato in half and rub gently over the scratch to buff it out, saving yourself the cost of an expensive furniture restorer.
Banana Peel
Banana peels are another common food item that shouldn’t be thrown away. The inside of the peel can be rubbed over tarnished silver to restore its shine. You can also use the skin for dry patches, as its potassium can help hydrate and soothe skin.
Nut Shells
Most nut shells, including pecan, almond, Brazil nut, hazelnut, and even acorn shells, are excellent for composting. They are also great for better drainage in houseplants, underneath the soil, so the pot doesn’t get too soggy and ruin your plants.
Chicken Bones
Chicken bones can first be used to make good stock or bone broth, which has excellent health benefits. Secondly, once you have drained your stock, you can dry the bones by putting them on a meager light in the oven. Once dry and cool, the bones can be ground into a powder that can be used to add nutrients to soil, indoors or outdoors.
Oats
Oats are not only a great source of vitamins and iron but also great for our skin. If you suffer from skin complaints such as eczema or psoriasis, taking a bath of water and oats can help soothe irritations. This hack is commonly used by parents who have a child with chickenpox, as it can relieve the itch.
Mayonnaise
The oil in mayonnaise can help loosen and remove stubborn stickers and adhesive residue from surfaces like wood, metal, or glass. Apply a thin layer, let it sit for 20 minutes, then wipe clean with a damp cloth. The smell may linger, but your surfaces will no longer be sticky.
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