We all love versatility right? Having products and items in your home that do more than one thing frees up time, money and space, so anything that does double or even triple duty can be a big help in these busy times. But there are a lot of products you already have in your home that you might not even know have multiple uses. We’ve compiled a list of several items you probably already have on hand that can be used for more than your ever imagined.
Baby Wipes
Many parents learn as they go that reaching for a baby wipe is the go to solution for many of life’s messes, even those that don’t involve their kids. Long after their children have left diapers behind, many moms and dads continue to keep a pack of wipes in the kitchen, the bathroom, the car and even a purse or backpack.
When kept in the bathroom, baby wipes make great makeup removers, especially for quick touch ups between events, or if you need to fix an errant mascara stroke without removing the rest of your makeup. Add a little bit of baby or coconut oil to the wipe if you have sensitive skin or need to scrub a little to remove waterproof makeup. You can also keep baby wipes nearby when applying self tanner, nail polish and hair dye, so that things can be cleaned up easily with a wipe if you get to them before they dry.
On the go, baby wipes are surprisingly great stain removers if you happen to spill something on your blouse. In fact, retail workers often keep baby wipes near the dressing room so that they can take care of any makeup marks left behind on clothing that has been tried on. And we aren’t just talking about using wipes for your clothing. Keep a package of baby wipes in your car and you’ll be able to quickly clean spills off of your upholstery, a must if you frequently eat on the road. You can also use wipes on your vehicle’s exterior and windows when a bird makes a deposit on your car.
Dryer Sheets
You might be surprised to find out that some people use only liquid fabric softener and/or dryer balls in their laundry room, but still keep dryer sheets on hand for all of their other handy uses. Keep them in your bathroom or closet so that you can quickly remove deodorant marks from clothing. Just rub the dryer sheet on your shirt and the white marks will disappear instantly. Another way you can use dryer sheets in your bathroom is to remove the soap scum that builds up on shower doors and curtains. Dampen a sheet with a little bit of water then start scrubbing – you’ll be amazed at how quickly the soap scum slides away.
Dryer sheets may come in very handy if you have kids and pets too. Quickly remove crayon marks from walls and tables by rubbing lightly with a dryer sheet, and save yourself the time you might otherwise spend painting or refinishing. If pet hair all over furniture and clothing is more your problem, you can use dryer sheets to remove the hair from all sorts of materials, from clothing to pillows and even the corners of your flooring that are hard to reach with a vacuum.
Windex
The go-to glass cleaner for generations, you probably have at least one bottle of this iconic blue solution in your home, for cleaning mirrors and windows. That is by far not the only thing it is good for though. Do you have a stubborn zipper on a pair of pants or jacket that seems to always get stuck in the same place? Try spritzing the zipper with Windex before your next attempt. The glass cleaner will lubricate the zipper, and it will do so without leaving behind a gooey residue that can ruin your clothing. Windex works similarly to help you move heavy appliances around on your kitchen floor, by providing a lubricated surface. This is very helpful if you need to slide your refrigerator in and out for cleaning, or if something you need has fallen to the side. Just make sure your floor is a Windex-safe surface before you spray. Need a quick solution to an ant problem? Mix equal parts vinegar and Windex in a spray bottle and use in any area of your home where ants have been a problem The Windex will kill any ants that are present, while the smell of the vinegar will deter new ants from travelling into your home.
Windex also has other cleaning purposes that you might not have thought of. Do you have a dry erase board with stubborn marks that won’t come off with a dry wipe? Windex will help you remove all of the marker residue and leave your surface gleaming white again. Those bathroom fixtures that seem to be dull and dingy no matter how much you clean them? Spray a clean cloth with Windex after cleaning and use it to shine those faucets and knobs back to looking brand new. You can also use Windex to keep your jewelry looking shiny and new in between visits to the jeweler. Soak each piece in Windex for about a minute. This will loosen any caked on gunk. Then use a soft brush to scrub all the nooks and crannies, and rinse thoroughly. Allow the jewelry to air dry fully before storing or wearing.
WD-40
Almost as versatile as Windex, WD-40 is so much more than just a spray lubricant, and it definitely belongs all over your house, and not just relegated to the toolbox in your garage. In the bathroom, WD-40 can remove tough stains from mineral deposits and limescale. Spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes, then scrape off with a pumice stone. Meanwhile, if you keep some of this miracle spray in your kitchen, you can rely on it to remove coffee and red wine stains from your countertops. Again, spray a thin layer over the stain and let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub the stain away.
Something that annoys many of us are the sticker tags on glass items, and the glue those tags leave behind. Instead of spending time and breaking nails scraping the stickers and glue off, spray with WD-40. Wait a few minutes for the lubricant to work it’s magic, then use a sponge to wipe the glass clean. Another major annoyance that we all occasionally encounter is that messy and sticky wad of gum left on your shoes when you forget to watch your step. Remove that gum easily by spraying it thoroughly with WD-40. After a few minutes the gum will peel right off of your shoe.
WD-40 also acts as a natural water repellant, which makes it useful in several other ways. During the winter months, spray a thin layer onto your car windows in the evening to keep an ice layer from forming overnight. A little goes a long way, but you’ll need to rub the WD-40 in with a clean, dry cloth. Likewise, you can also try this trick on your shower doors. A thin layer of the lubricant will cause water to bead off of your doors, which will help prevent water stain and save you valuable cleaning time in the future. Yet another water repelling use for WD-40 is to give your shoes a waterproof coating. Spray onto a dry cloth first, then use the cloth to buff the outside of your shoes. Other clothes can benefit from this treatment as well, such as raincoats and hats, as the coating of WD-40 can make their already water repelling properties stronger.
Car Wax
Here is another product you may want to bring in out of the garage, because it has so many surprising uses inside your home. Apply a small amount of wax to bathroom mirrors and then buff out with a soft cloth and you will keep them from fogging up during super hot showers. Do the same thing to your shower doors and you can prevent the build up of mildew and soap scum. The best part – car wax works so well at this, you may only need to do this once every few months.
Bring the wax into your kitchen to rid your stainless steel appliances of annoying fingerprints. The wax can both clean the fingerprints that are there and repel new ones from appearing. You can do the same thing with your kitchen and bathroom fixtures to get rid of the fingerprints and make these fixtures look shiny and new. The tops of stoves can also benefit from being cleaned with car wax. A thin layer applied once per month will help prevent burnt on food and make spills much easier to wipe up. Outdoors you can use the wax on metal features like door knockers and outdoor lighting fixtures to both improve their shiny appearance, and protect them from the elements. The metal on these outdoor fixtures tends to corrode over time, but a layer of car wax can prevent this corrosion.