20 Unusual Uses For Everyday Items

If you’ve ever used a potato to remove a broken light bulb, you’ll know that necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes the best way to get the job done is by thinking outside the box. Here are 20 unusual uses for everyday items. You can thank us later for these amazing life hacks.

1. Use ice cube trays to help with meal prep

You can save to much time and bother by getting a couple of ice cube trays at the dollar store and using them to freeze recipe starters like meat or vegetable stock, lemon juice, butter (especially flavored butter), and so on. A little prep will go a long way!

2. Use baking soda to clean cutting boards

Just dab some baking soda on the board and let it sit overnight. Rinse off in the morning to have a clean (and clean smelling) surface.

3. Use plastic bread fasteners as cord organizers

If you can’t tell which cord goes to what and they’re all tangled up, all you need is a zip tie to loop them together and those little plastic bread fasteners to clip around each one. They come in different colors and they take permanent markers well. Finally know what everything is without having to unplug everything!

4. Use duct tape to remove splinters

No tweezers, needles, or magnifying glass needed. First figure out the direction of the splinter. Then put a small piece of duct tape over the area, and pull the tape off in the opposite direction the splinter entered your skin. You won’t feel anything but relief.

5. Use a bar of soap as a drawer deodorizer

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep your clothes smelling clean even after they’ve been sitting in a drawer for weeks is to use a bar of soap as a drawer deodorizer. Either use a whole bar or those otherwise useless leftover slivers and have just-washed-freshness every morning!

6. Use cooking spray to remove gum from your shoe

If you stepped in gum and need to get it off your sole, depending on what you have in the kitchen, you can use either WD40 or Pam cooking spray to remove it. Pam also works for squeaky doors if you run out of WD40. But do not use WD40 in place of Pam for anything.

7. Use wax paper to fix stuck zippers

This is a handy tip: if your zipper’s stuck, rub some wax paper on the teeth. Crayons work too but wax paper has the benefit of not staining your material. Much better than oil!

8. Use a hair dryer to remove stickers

Whether your kids put them on the wall or there’s a stubborn price sticker on your new item, the easiest way to remove a stickers (without scraping or scrubbing) is to run a hair dryer over it until the adhesive warms up. It’ll come off just like that!

9. Use Alka Seltzer to clean toilets

Need to get some hard water buildup off without a lot of scrubbing? Drop a couple of Alka Seltzer tabs in the toilet and let them sit for 15-20 minutes. Then go about the rest of your day and let the fizzing do the work.

10. Use baby wipes to clean up glitter

Glitter everywhere? The best way to clean that up is baby wipes. They get glitter out of even the tiniest spots, and also clean up glue or any other sticky substance. If you enjoy crafts, you need these.

11. Use olive oil to clean stainless steel

Soap can clean stainless steel, but it won’t make it shine. The easiest way to give your stainless steel items that straight-from-the-manufacturer glow is to put a small amount of olive oil on a paper towel and very lightly brush the metal with it. A little olive oil goes a long way, so be careful!

12. Use rubbing alcohol to clean computer keyboards

Keep your keyboard in good condition with a simple cotton swab and a very small amount of rubbing alcohol. It should also help pick up the stuff between the keys.

13. Use ketchup to clean jewelry

Need to polish up some silver in a jiffy? Use ketchup. No, really. The acid in the tomato makes an excellent polish while not being corrosive. This also makes it ideal if your jewelry has a soft gemstone. Just soak the jewelry for a few minutes in ketchup and rinse right off.

14. Use dryer sheets as shoe deodorizers

Got workout shoes? The best way to keep them fresh and ready is to put dryer sheets in them after you take them off. Leave the dryer sheets in there until you want to put your shoes on again. Your feet will thank you.

15. Use apple cider vinegar to relieve insect bites

Don’t scratch that itch, reach for the apple cider vinegar. Dab a little onto a bug bite for nearly instant relief. Apple cider vinegar also works to soothe sore throats, in small amounts. Keep a bottle handy.

16. Use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from furniture

Tired of the vacuum, or trying to pick up pet hair with sticky tape? The best way to clean fur off furniture is just a simple rubber glove. The static generated will attract whatever your fingers don’t pick up.

17. Use a pillowcase to clean ceiling fans

This is pure genius. Take an old pillowcase, put it over a ceiling fan blade, and then pull it back off… the dust collects on the inside! Just repeat and get ready for a dust-free summer!

18. Use ketchup packets as mini ice packs

This is an easy one: those extra ketchup and soy sauce packs you get in your take out food? Don’t put them in the junk drawer; put them in the freezer. They will work as mini ice packs for small injuries, or use a few of them to keep a can of soda cool in your lunch box.

19. Use butter tubs as storage for small items

If you buy anything that comes with a snap on lid, like coffee, oatmeal, or butter tubs, they can make organizing everything a breeze. For a bonus, use them as craft projects for rainy days, decorating the outsides and sorting things to be stored on the insides.

20. Use a coffee filter to clean eyeglasses

When plain water won’t work, simply use a dry coffee filter. It’s just rough enough to clean the glass but not to damage it. Your outlook will literally become brighter!