If your cleaning cupboard is bulging at the seams, you’re likely juggling a different bottle for every mess — from grease on clothing and makeup-stained carpets to those frustrating white deodorant marks on black shirts.
But without realizing it, you probably already have a cleaning solution at home, and instead of taking up space in your cupboard, it could be hiding in your bathroom cabinet, ready and waiting to be used.
Plus, using stain-removing products you already have at home lets you declutter your cleaning cupboard and save dollars on unnecessary purchases.
Cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie, at Lynsey Queen of Clean, shares in an Instagram post how the household products you already have can work just as well. In the post, she says, “Some of the best stain-fighters could already be hiding in your cupboards… and a few might really surprise you!”
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At Tom’s Guide, we already cover how to shift stains with items you already have in your pantry, such as how to remove sweat stains from clothing with baking soda and how to deep-clean the grimiest part of your toilet with vinegar.
However, you might already own a few other powerful stain removers you haven’t considered. Beyond baking soda, white vinegar and dish soap, Crombie recommends plenty of other products to lift stains.
Check out your bathroom cabinet
Micellar water
One of the toughest stains to remove from carpet and clothing is makeup. Dense pigments, stubborn waxes and oils all resist water, making them hard to shift. So instead of resorting to off-the-shelf products, Crombie recommends using micellar cleansing water, which I already use as my regular makeup cleanser.
Aside from cleansing your skin, it can remove greasy marks around your home, since it’s designed to lift dirt and oil. Struggling to clear those sticky fingerprints off chrome surfaces? Add some micellar water to a microfiber cloth and wipe the smudges away.
Toothpaste
Another staple in your bathroom cabinet is toothpaste. It contains baking soda, a mild abrasive that breaks down oils but is gentle enough not to scratch. It can be used to clean tarnished silverware (but avoid using a gel or whitening toothpaste) and to remove mineral deposits on an iron’s soleplate. Plus, rubbing a small amount of toothpaste onto your faucets with a cloth can bring back their shine.
Shaving foam
While you’re reaching for your toothpaste, pull out your shaving foam. The grooming essential is the perfect product to stop your mirrors from misting. Wiping over your mirror with shaving foam leaves behind a thin layer of surfactant that causes condensation to spread out evenly into a flat transparent sheet, rather than forming individual droplets. What’s more, shaving foam can also lift stains from carpet. Apply the foam to the flooring, let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then blot with a damp cloth.
Cut the cost of cleaning
By thinking outside the box, you can remove stains already in your cupboards, without spending out on targeted stain removers.
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