Ways to Save Money with Everyday Kitchen Items

There are many items that we have in our kitchen that have many uses. Why spend extra money on cleaning products or special gadgets when we don’t have to. You may be surprised how many common items you already have in your kitchen that have many uses.

 

SALT    

 

Cleaning vegetables – Washing vegetables in salted water removes dirt without harmful chemicals

Cheese Preserver – Soak a napkin in salt water and wrap the cheese before putting it back in the fridge. The salt will keep the cheese fresh longer and prevent mold from forming on the cheese

Clean wine stains – spilled some wine on your tablecloth. Sprinkle salt on the stain and wait for 30 minutes, and then wash as usual

Better tasting coffee – sprinkle a little salt in your coffee pot, it will make it less acidic and will bring out the tasty flavour of coffee

Relieve mosquito bites – Dip a wet cloth into salt and apply to bites, the sting will be a thing of the past

Remove rust – make a paste of 6 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Apply paste to the rusted area with a dry cloth and rub. Rinse with clean water and dry, the rust will be gone

Eliminate cutting board odors – pour a generous amount of salt onto the cutting board and rub with a wet cloth. Wash thoroughly with warm sudsy water and dry

Peeling eggs – eggs boiled in salted water peel a lot easier

Clean stained cups – rub with salt to remove stubborn stains

Tame flames on a barbecue – toss a bit of a salt on the flames from drippings, it will reduce the flames and calm the smoke

Remove onion or garlic smell from your hands – simply rub your hands with some salt, same as if you would be washing them and then rinse

 

 

VINEGAR   

 

Revive wilted vegetables – dip wilted vegetables in a mix of 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of vinegar for 10 minutes, then rinse well

Remove the smell of smoke – if you accidentally burned something on the stove and created smoke, dip a rag in vinegar and flap it around. The vinegar will absorb the smoke particles. Also, leave a bowl of vinegar in the kitchen to absorb any leftover smell

Clean your keyboard – Unplug the keyboard from your computer and dip a microfiber cloth in a solution of an equal amount of water and vinegar wring it out well and wipe down the keyboard. This will remove the grease and dirt from your keys

Kill weeds – pour vinegar on the weeds to kill them without the harmful chemicals

Prevent fabric from fading – soak your fabric in equal amount of water and vinegar for 15 minutes before washing. The vinegar will protect the colour

Clean glass – fill a spray bottle with ¼ cup of vinegar and ¾ cup of water and clean your windows, mirrors or glass tabletops as usual but without the chemicals

Get rid of water rings on furniture – use equal parts of vinegar and olive oil and apply with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Then shine it up with another clean cloth

 

TOOTHPICKS   

 

Find the ends of sticky tape easily – attach a toothpick at the end of a roll before putting it away. Next time you use the tape it will be easy to find the end

Stop boiling water from overflowing – stick a toothpick between the lid and the pot. This allows for the steam to escape, thus prevent overflowing

Clean brushes – poke a toothpick through the bristles and remove the hair

Test soil moisture – push a toothpick into a soil around potted plants. If it comes out clean it means it needs water

Cook potatoes or vegetables faster – when using a microwave or an oven suspend them on little toothpick legs, they will cook even faster

 

COCONUT OIL   

 

Age spot lightener – rub coconut oil on top of the age spots to lighten them

Body scrub – mix with equal amount of sea salt and coconut oil for smoothing body scrub

Hair conditioner – rub melted coconut oil into your hair and cover with a shower cap. Leave on for 60 minutes, and then wash out as usual

Allergies – rub coconut oil inside your nose to alleviate allergy symptoms

Wood polish – using a soft cloth polish your wood furniture with coconut oil without the usual harmful chemicals

Makeup remover – scoop some onto your fingertips and rub it over your skin in a circular motion, rinsing with water afterwards to remove traces of makeup. It works well with eye make-up including waterproof. Use a mild soap to remove all traces of the oil if you wish then pat dry

Massage oil – add some essential oils for extra scents, but the smell of coconut is all you need for heavenly relaxing massage, leaving your skin soft and moisturized

Remove chewing gum from the carpet – rub the coconut oil thoroughly over the chewing gum and leave on for five minutes. Then use a rough cloth to wipe the gum away, following with a mild soap rinse

 

PENCILS   

 

Fix stuck zippers – rub the zipper teeth on both sides with the graphite, it will act as a lubricant and free the zipper

Temporary earring clasp – if you lost the back clasp to your earring, cut a piece of the pencil eraser and use as a temporary clasp

Moth repellent – use pencil shavings instead of moth balls

Clean the soles of your shoes from sticky things like gum – remove it with a pencil with ease

Stop tilted picture frames – glue a few small pieces of an eraser to the bottom corners of the back of the frame and never have a tilted frame again

 

 

 

RUBBER BANDS   

 

Eraser – grab a few rubber bands and make it into a ball, then use as an eraser

Glasses holder – do you find it annoying when your glasses keep falling off. Simply wrap a rubber band around the end of each arm and your glasses will stay on

An egg decorator- just wrap few rubber bands around an egg before dipping them in the dye. This will create an attractive design

A lid gripper – simple wrap a thick rubber band around the lid and twist. No need to buy expensive grips

Candle wax catcher – wrap a large rubber band around a candle and it will stop the wax from dripping on the table