Ways To Clean Your House Using Just Food And Drink

You've heard of spring cleaning, but how about autumn cleaning? Okay, so it's not as catchy, but seeing as we may be spending a lot of time at home in the upcoming weeks/months/years (oh gawd), why not use the next little while to get your house looking as good as new and as clean as a whistle?

Did you know that you can use some food and drink as cleaning products? They are the world's most natural cleaning products, if you will. Lemon is a natural limescale remover, coffee grounds are great at getting caked on food off your pots and pans, and you can use tea leaves to freshen up musty carpets and rugs. Cool huh?

So, here are six natural cleaning products that will leave your house looking spick and span.

Bicarbonate of soda works well to remove grime as well as odours.

It cleans sinks like a dream. Simply make a paste with bicarb and a little water, then rub it over your sink with a paper towel, and rinse off to reveal a sparkling sink.

If you've got sponges or dish cloths that aren't smelling so fresh anymore, soak them in a litre of warm water mixed with 4 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda. Then pop them in the wash, and they'll come out good as new.

You can also give your silverware a good polish with baking soda. Make a paste with 3 parts bicarbonate of soda to 1 part water. Rub the paste onto your silverware with a clean cloth, then rinse and dry.

If you've got pots and pans with caked on food, coffee grounds will save you a hell of a lot of elbow grease. Sprinkle your old coffee grounds onto the hardened food, then give it a little scrub and rinse.

Also, coffee grounds are great at getting rid of the smell of garlic or onion on your hands. Simply use them as a scrub on your fingers, then wash your hands with soap as usual.

Lemon is a natural limescale remover, thanks to it acidic properties. So using it to clean your bathroom and kitchen taps and fittings is a great shout. Simply cut the lemon in half, rub it over limescale-y areas, then rinse with warm water.

Lemon is a also a great way to clean chopping boards; removing any strong smells in the process. Rub half a lemon over the board, then rinse with warm water.

Salt works in a number of magical ways to keep your kitchen clean.

You can simply pour it down your kitchen sink to neutralise any nasty smells, and keep grease from building up.

Plus, it's great for cleaning your fridge. Salt mixed with soda water can be used to wipe down and deodorise the inside of your refrigerator. This saves having chemical-y cleaners near your food.

Watered down vinegar works wonders when used to clean and deodorise kitchen surfaces.

It also cleans windows like a charm. Simply mix equal parts of white vinegar and water, then apply to windows with a sponge. Wipe clean using a squeegee.

Another great use for vinegar is as a microwave cleaner. Boil a solution of ¼ cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave until steam forms on the window. Then wipe away any food residue.

If you've got a narrow-necked vase that you can't easily get your hand in to give it a good scrub, rice is your best friend.

All you have to do, is fill the vase halfway with warm water and a squirt of washing up liquid. Then, pour in 1/2 cup uncooked white rice and swirl it around so the mixture scrubs the inside of the vase. Let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve any sediment, then repeat. Empty the vase, and rinse with warm water.

This may sound crazy, but hear us out: tomato ketchup is great for cleaning copper pans.

If you've got tarnished copper pots and pans, simply massage ketchup into them and watch it dissolve the tarnish marks away. In case you were wondering, it's all thanks to the acid that all those tarnish marks disappear.

If you're looking for a natural way to clean wooden furniture and wooden floors, look no further than your morning cuppa. All you have to do is boil a couple of tea bags in a litre of water and let it cool. Then, dip a soft cloth in the tea, wring out any excess, and use it to wipe away dirt and grime. Finish by buffing dry with a clean and dry cloth.

You can also use loose green tea leaves to freshen up carpets and rugs. Simply sprinkle used green tea leaves that have dried out on the carpet or rug. Allow them to sit for around 10 minutes, then hoover them up along with any unwanted musty smells.