I'm no domestic goddess but I love incorporating products I already have at home into my cleaning and beauty routines. I especially love it when ingredients I use are inexpensive and free of toxic chemicals. Here's a list of some of my go-to home remedies.
Coconut oil
- Makeup remover: A little dab is enough to take off all your eye makeup. Even waterproof mascara!
- Eyelash conditioner: Side benefit of using coconut oil as an eye makeup remover is that it conditions your eyelashes.
- Moisturizer: I'll use coconut oil in place of lotion. Great for the face, body, lips, even cuticles and nails. Perfect for travel because I only bring one thing! It's a little hard to pack though because it'll melt in warm climates. I just put a clump into a plastic ziplock bag. You can also keep coconut oil inside a small jar and just chip away at it when you need some. Just make sure to get a jar with a tight lid so that it doesn't spill when you're in a warm environment.
- Teeth whitener: I haven't tried it but my mom swears by this and I have to say her teeth do look whiter to me. After brushing she'll smear a dab all over her teeth and go to sleep. Side benefit - it's okay if you swallow it!
Baking soda
- Clean stainless steel: Remove grease stains from your stainless steel appliances and cookware with just a paper towel, baking soda, and a sprinkle of water. I have a stainless steel tea kettle that I clean by getting the outside wet, sprinkling it with baking soda, and using my fingers to clean. I can feel the grease splatters come off. Your tea kettle will shine like new. Don't be surprised if you start cleaning everything else in your kitchen. It's addicting!
Stainless steel frying pan that went through the dishwasher - still has grease stains
Wet the pan, pour out excess water, sprinkle with
baking soda, and scrub it using a dry paper towel
Voila! All clean! Just like new.
- Remove tea and coffee stains: Cover tea and coffee stains with a paste of baking soda and water, scrub off.
- Remove battery corrosion: I learned this from my friend Cindy. Make a paste with baking soda and a little water to remove battery corrosion and build up on contact points.
- Remove laundry odors: Add 1/2 cup to your wash for added freshness. Also great for getting the musty smell out of towels.
- Clean carpets: Spot clean stains from your carpet with a paste of baking soda and white vinegar. Scrub it in, let it dry, then vacuum it up. Test on a small corner though because you may end up with very clean patches that highlight just how dingy the rest of your carpet is.
- Remove rust stains from metal: Make a paste of baking soda and water, spread on the rust, and scrub it off.
- Shampoo booster: Add a little baking soda to your shampoo to reduce scalp build-up.
- Clean your tub: Scrub off soap scum and unsightly build-up with plain baking soda and a little water. No toxic chemicals!
- Remove hard water stains from glass: Form a paste of baking soda and a little water, spread on water stains, and scrub off using a rag, sponge, or old toothbrush. I've used this on the bottom of my cloudy-looking glass shower doors. It may take a few applications to make everything spot-free.
Sugar
- Face scrub: Make a scrub with brown sugar, honey, and a few drops of olive oil. Sometimes I'll add a squeeze of lemon. Great exfoliant and it can go down the drain without any negative impact to the environment!
Salt
- Clean your cast iron skillet: Scrub out your cast iron skillet with a mixture of coarse sea salt and oil.
- Sore throat gargle: Make a solution of warm water and salt and gargle with it to reduce the inflammation in your throat. Instant relief!
White vinegar
- Fresher laundry: Similar to baking soda, add 1/4 cup to your wash to boost freshness. A little vinegar enhances the smell of laundry detergent. Ahhhh.
- Strawberry stain remover: Soak strawberry stained clothes in a mixture of liquid laundry detergent and white vinegar for about 10 minutes. Stain is gone and ready to go into the wash.
Plain cold water
- Blood stain remover: Did you cut your finger and bleed over your shirt? The best way to get fresh blood out of clothes is to simply rinse and soak it in cold water. After I get out what I can with just plain water I just scrub out the stain with a little soap or laundry detergent.
Honey and cinnamon
- Alleviate gum irritation: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon and dab onto irritated gums. If the irritation is below the gum line, coat dental floss with the honey and cinnamon mixture and floss with it.
- Sore throat soother: I love drinking a mixture of hot water, honey, and lemon whenever I have a sore throat.
Rubbing alcohol
- Remove ink stains from leather and suede: Dab the ink stain with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. The stain will lift off and transfer to the cotton swab.
- Remove sticker residue: Soak and rub the sticky residue with rubbing alcohol. It'll be gone in seconds. Note: I've mostly used it on glass, ceramic, and other smooth surfaces. Not sure what happens with wood or other porous material.
Hair dryer
- Remove wax from your table: Did you drip candle wax on your dining or coffee table? Blast the drops with your hair dryer and wipe them away as they soften under the heated air.
Bar soap
- Unstick a sticky zipper: Rub a bar of dry soap up and down the zipper teeth of a sticky zipper to get it unstuck. You might need to zip/unzip and rub the soap on the zipper a few times.
Pencil eraser
- Remove oil stains from leather and suede: We've done this with our leather couch. "Erase" oil stains by rubbing it with a pencil eraser (white eraser is best). Easy as that!
Uncooked rice
- Hot compress: Create a re-usable hot compress for sore muscles by putting a scoop of uncooked rice into a clean sock. Tie the end of the sock so the rice doesn't spill out. Microwave for 20-30 seconds and you've got a hot compress that lasts 5-7 minutes. Watch out, it's hot! To prevent burning yourself, place a tissue between the sock and your skin. Side benefit - your hot compress smells like fresh cooked rice. Yummm...
- Scrub out bottles: Clean out rancid oil from bottles - fill the bottle with a little warm water, a few drops of dishwashing detergent, and a little bit of uncooked rice. Shake the bottle to get the rice moving - it'll scrub out a bit of caked on oil each time. It may take a few sessions to clean it out thoroughly.
- Dry out electronics: Did you drop your iPhone in the toilet? Dry it out by putting it in a bag of uncooked rice. I've actually never tried this myself but I'll take other people's word for it that it works!
- Ripen mangos: Enjoy mangos sooner by burying them in uncooked rice. This method can shave days off the ripening time.
Do you have any tips you'd like to share? Please post below!