Common Household Items That Have Hundreds Of Uses

Natural Cleaner. Vinegar, Baking Soda, Salt, Lemon

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In today’s economy, everyone is looking for ways to save money, as well as avoid those expensive, toxic chemicals that permeate our homes. The items listed below have dozens of uses other than their original purposes. Take a look at the top ways you can save money by finding new ways to use everyday items that can be found in most American kitchens.

1. Castor Oil

Discourages rodents from hanging around your home
Strengthens eyelashes and encourages them to grow
Terrific for dry, itchy skin
Relieves dry, cracked heels
Natural laxative
Relieves menstrual cramps
Softens fingernail cuticles
Induces labor
Lubricates scissors and other kitchen items
Restores the health of ailing house plants

Ripe lemon hangs on tree branch in sunshine.

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2. Lemons and their Juice

Sanitizes your chopping block or cutting board
Fades stains on clothing. Mix 1 part water with 1 part lemon juice
Stops browning of cut fruit. Sprinkle lemon juice over the fruit to stop browning
Removes food stains on plastic
Shine copper by rubbing them with lemon juice and salt
Whiten clothes naturally by adding ½ cup lemon juice to your wash cycle
Whiten fingernails and toe nails by soaking them in lemon juice and water
Adds highlights to hair naturally
Perfect for detoxing the body
Shrinks enlarged skin pores. Read more about lemons benefits for skin care.

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3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Natural deodorizer for laundry or other smelly items such as shoes or pet beds
Soothes painful sunburns
Treats acne
Cures yeast infections
Repels fleas
Super microwave cleaner
Perfect aftershave
Helps control high blood pressure
Helps prevent colds
Great for daily detox

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4. Dryer Sheets

Remove static from almost anything, including hair, clothes, computer monitors, and TV screens
Prevent musty smells from books or clothes that are in storage
Keep dresser drawers smelling fresh by leaving a few sheets in the drawer
Keep your gym bag or gym locker smelling nice by putting a few sheets inside
Rub a dryer sheet over the chair or sofa to remove pet hair easily
Remove really caked on food by soaking the pan in water with a dryer sheet on the bottom of the pan overnight
Dust blinds
Freshen stinky shoes by putting a dryer sheet in each shoe and leave overnight
Freshen up your car by placing a few sheets under each seat
Prevent sewing thread from becoming tangled by running a threaded needle through a dryer sheet before you start sewing

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5. Coconut Oil

Best hair conditioner ever
Polish wood furniture and leave a nice smell behind
Natural lip gloss
Reduces migraines when consumed
Easily removes stubborn shower scum from the tub and shower
Anyplace you would use WD-40, you can use coconut oil instead
Makes a terrific natural deodorant
Improves thyroid function
Prevents wrinkles and dry skin
Mixed with baking soda and peppermint oil, it’s the perfect way to brush and whiten teeth at the same time. Find out 101 uses for coconut oil.

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6. Coffee Filters

Perfect for protecting little ones hands from sticky popsicle drippings
When you heat up food in the microwave, cover it with a coffee filter to avoid splatters and mess
Prevent scratches or scuffs on your fine china. Put coffee filters between each dish
Use to serve pita sandwiches. Those circular sized filters are the perfect size to wrap around a pita sandwich and stop drips when you are eating on the run
Place a coffee filter in the bottom of a pot when you replant. This will stop dirt from falling out the drain hole
Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters leave behind no lint or other residue
Use coffee filters to strain wine from bottles with broken corks
Diffuse a camera flash by covering the flash with a coffee filter
Use them as miniature serving dishes for popcorn, nuts, or other finger foods
Use coffee filters instead of cotton balls to remove nail polish. Coffee filters will not stick to your nails

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7. Baking Soda

Put out small kitchen fires
Natural deodorant
Mixed with coconut oil, it’s a terrific natural toothpaste
Relieves diaper rash
Treats indigestion and heartburn
Use baking soda instead of cleansers to scrub tubs, sinks, and toilets
Terrific face and body scrub
Soften your skin naturally by adding one cup to your bath
Stops sunburn pain or the pain from insect bites
Stop canker sore pain by swishing a mixture of half a teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of water

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8. Newspapers

Perfect for hard to clean or streaky glass. Use white vinegar and newspapers for sparkling glass
Dry wet shoes by rolling up newspapers and stuffing them inside. Leave overnight
Wrap gifts. Ditch the expensive gift wrap and use newspapers
Stop weeds by covering the dirt with newspaper
Stop smells and soak up liquids by lining the veggie drawer of your fridge with newspapers
Pack items when moving
Deodorize smelly food containers. Wash the items, then stuff a piece of newspaper inside and allow to sit overnight
Put newspaper just inside the front door on snowy or rainy days to help absorb the moisture and avoid puddles on the floor
Ripen tomatoes quickly by wrapping each one in some newspaper and let sit out at room temperature until they reach the desired ripeness
Protect car seats or car floors from mud or water by placing old newspapers on them

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9. Olive Oil

Shine stainless steel
Remove eye makeup
Stop hairballs by adding a ¼ of a teaspoon to your cats food
Treat dry skin
Unstick a zipper by applying just one drop to lubricate the zipper teeth. Avoid clothing as it might stain. Cotton swabs do the job perfectly
Dust wood furniture by applying just a few drops to a clean cloth, then wipe
Lubricate those squeaky door hinges by putting a few drops on each hinge
Prevent candle wax from sticking to a holder with a drop of olive oil
Try olive oil for the closer shave. You will never use shaving cream again
Stop hangnails by keeping your cuticles moisture. Rub in a few drops of olive oil into your nails every few days

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10. White Vinegar

Clean windows without streaking
Add some baking soda to white vinegar to clean drains
Neutralize odors in just about anything
Boil better eggs by adding a few drops to the boiling water
Terrific way to condition your hair and stop product build up
Calm an upset stomach
Keep veggies fresh by soaking them in a mixture of vinegar and water before you put them in the refrigerator
Eliminate soap residue in your washer by adding one cup of vinegar to your final rinse. (Don’t use vinegar if you previously added bleach)
Remove decals and stickers by saturating a cloth in hot vinegar and squeezing it over the decal. Let sit for one minute, then peel off
Remove those stubborn lime deposits on faucets by covering then with vinegar soaked paper towels. Leave on for one hour, then wipe clean.

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One Comment

Teresa Hall

Jan 25, 2015 at 10:49 pm

All of these are great ideas! One more for olive oil: put a small dab on top and bottom lashes. Helps them grow and keeps them from breaking off when mascara is removed. Be careful, will burn eyes if it gets in. Small amount should be smoother onto lashes, carefully, so there is no.residue to get into your eyes.