10 unusual cleaning tools that work wonders

Maybe you’re on a budget. Or maybe you just don’t want to shell out money for the latest and greatest cleaning tools in order to have a spick-and-span house. We get it, and are right there with you.

Thankfully, there are some creative people out there who were in the same boat, and who came up with some pretty genius ways to clean your home using things you likely already have lying around your house.

Here are 10 of them.

1. Line Your Fridge With Plastic Wrap

If you’d like to avoid cleaning the top of your fridge, a sheet of plastic wrap will have you covered. Once you do give the top of your fridge a good scrub down, line it with a sheet of plastic wrap. It’s likely that no one will even notice it and, the next time you remember to look at the top of your fridge, you won’t be stuck scrubbing it. Instead, all you’ll have to do is swap out sheets of plastic wrap. Creative.

2. Use Bananas To Remove Scuffs

Believe it or not, bananas are perfect for removing scuffs on everything from leather shoes to furniture. However, we’d advise for you to test this in an inconspicuous spot before you start rubbing the inside of a banana peel all over your expensive leather boots.

3. Use Shaving Cream On Your Mirrors

Not only can you clean mirrors with shaving cream, but it will also prevent them from fogging up the next time you take a hot shower.  Just make sure you’re using the white, foamy kind, because shaving gels won’t do the trick.

4. Clean Your Shower Doors With Rain-X

Similar to what Rain-X will do for your car windshield, it will also help repel the water on your glass shower door, meaning you’ll spend less time having to clean it or wipe away water stains.

5. Use A Toothbrush For… Just About Anything

Old toothbrushes are such a wonderful and versatile cleaning tool. You can pretty much use them for everything from deep cleaning grout, getting behind that awkward spot behind the sink faucet, polishing silver and getting scuffs off of shoes.

6. Use An Old Terry Cloth Towel As A Rag

I like to use old towels as rags. I also use them for home projects, such as wiping grout away when putting up a new back-splash. But they’re also handy when you’re trying to remove stubborn spots on your countertops. After wetting a terry cloth towel with hot water, wipe down your counters and you’ll be surprised to see how quickly they start to look like new.

Another handy way to clean with terry cloth towels is by wrapping a part of the towel around a screwdriver so it can be used to clean slimy, shower door tracks.

7. Use Old Credit Cards As A Scraping Tool

Credit cards or store loyalty cards are perfect tools for scraping off baked-on spills in your microwave. I’ve personally used one to clean the gap between my counter top and stove, too.

8. Dust Your House With A Cloth Diaper

If you have a non-soiled cloth diaper handy, they make for great dusters, due to how soft and absorbent they are. Plus, they won’t scratch surfaces! Experts say diapers that have an 8-ply thickness in the center and 4-ply thickness on the sides are ideal if you’re using them to clean.

9. Use A Lint Roller To Get Rid Of Errant Pet Hair

Lint rollers aren’t just handy for removing lint and hair from clothing. They’re also quite useful for when you want to remove pet hair from upholstered furniture, or want to remove dust from lampshades. You can also use lint rollers to clean out hard-to-reach crevices in your car, and they can pick up tiny glass shards if you happen to drop and break a wine glass on a hardwood floor.

10. Wear Damp Socks On Your Hands To Wipe Down Dusty Surfaces

Forget costly cleaning cloths and instead take a look in your sock drawer. Or even better, use that one sock you have yet to find a match for! Dampen the sock with water or a liquid cleanser and wear it like a glove to wipe down houseplants or dust in hard-to-reach areas.