Looking for a way to save time cleaning the house or a way to cut back on harsh chemicals? Instead of hitting the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, you might just want to stick with the grocery aisle. This is because you can actually clean your home using foods you already purchase. 

It doesn’t take bleach or toxic chemicals in order for you to remove harmful bacteria from the surface of your house. In fact, some of the chemicals that you find in the cleaning aisle can actually do more harm to your home than good. So today we’re discussing ways to clean your house using some of the foods you may already have in your pantry. 

Here are 8 different foods that can be used to clean your house. 

1. Baking soda

Baking soda can be used for many different tasks throughout your house including removing odor from the refrigerator and cleaning carpets. But aside from that, it can also be used to polish and whiten surfaces by creating a light paste and allowing it to sit for 30 minutes before wiping off. This paste works in places such as the bathtub, toilet, and sinks.

Baking soda also works well for removing odor-causing bacteria in shoes. Simply sprinkle some inside the soles of your shoes and let it absorb the bacteria before vacuuming it out.

2. Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds work as an excellent exfoliate for hard stuck-on food. The grainy texture of the coffee grounds removes gunk and debris from utensils, pots, and pans. Just take a handful of ground and scrub them into the surface before rinsing away to a clean surface.

3. Lemon slices

Lemons are a natural disinfectant. Fresh lemon slices can be added to a homemade cleaning solution of 1 part vinegar 1 part water to create a fresh scent and help you get a better clean. They can also be used to remove odor in the garbage disposal and stuck on food in the microwave.

When cleaning the garbage disposal, cut up a few slices of lemon and place them inside to help kill any odor-causing bacteria that may be coming from it. Let them sit a while before turning it on and letting them run through.

When cleaning the microwave, take a microwave safe bowl and fill it up with water. Add a few lemon slices and microwave on high 3 to five minutes before easily wiping away and stuck-on food using a microfiber cloth.

4. Rice

Struggling to clean the bottom of your favorite vase for the next set of flowers to go in? Here’s a great cleaning hack, clean it with a scoop of rice. Add a drop of soap, some warm water, and a scoop of uncooked grains into the bottom of it and swish it around. The edges of the uncooked rice will help scrub away the dirt and grime so your vase comes out clean every time.

5. Table salt

You may know that table salt can be used to soak up red wine stains, but did you know it can also be used to clean brass? Just by combining white cleaning vinegar, a slice of lemon, and a teaspoon of table salt you can have your very own brass cleaner. This solution works well for cleaning non-lacquered brass knobs and handles without damaging them.

6. Olive oil

Olive oil is a great thing to keep in the kitchen. Not only is it great cook with but it’s also great for helping you polish your stainless steel appliances. Just take a little bit of olive oil and dab it on a microfiber cloth and rub it into the stainless steel wiping with the grain. Using olive oil will help you get a nice clean finish on your stainless steel appliances while helping to prevent future watermarks.

7. Vinegar

Vinegar is one of the multiple purpose food sources that everyone should have in their pantry. It can be used for a variety of things throughout the house including but not limited to cleaning the counters, floors, bathrooms, and helping to kill unwanted odors.

Many people use vinegar as the basis of their own DIY surface cleaner. Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with one part water and one part vinegar. If you want to enhance the scent of your cleaner you can add a few drops of lemon, orange, or lavender essential oil which have their own antibacterial properties and will help you get a better clean.

8. Vodka

Similar to vinegar, vodka can also use as a natural deodorizer to help kill order causing bacteria. But instead of using it around the house, use it to kill order directly on your clothing. Just take an empty spray bottle and add a little bit of vodka to it, then spray down the items you want to clean and hang them in a well-ventilated area. This hack works really well to remove body odor that may be trapped in a garment.