15 Everyday Foods With Purposes That Go Far Beyond Eating

There are certain foods out there that have so many purposes beyond eating that they almost feel magical. We will show you how to use raw potatoes to add some shine to your old leather shoes, Coca-Cola to remove blood stains, and so much more.

Today, Bright Side will show you a bunch of different life hacks including foods that will help you complete many tasks around the household.

1. Vinegar and baking soda as a surface cleaner

Baking soda is a versatile powder that can be used for so many different things around the house. To get rid of stubborn grimy surfaces, put some baking soda and vinegar on the affected area and leave it there for around 5 minutes. Wipe it clean with a cloth and it will be as bright as ever!

2. Raw potatoes to make leather shine

This might sound strange, but we promise it works! To bring back some shine and help hide small scratches on your leather items, like your shoes, take half a potato and rub it on the affected area. Then apply some shoe polish, and voila!

3. Lemons to eliminate odors from appliances

Due to their refreshing smell, lemons are great at making everyday appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, and coffee makers smell great. Simply dab a little lemon on a cotton ball and put it inside the appliance, like a refrigerator for a few hours, and you’re good to go!

4. Ketchup to polish silver

To bring back that flashy shine to your silver, put a little ketchup on a towel and rub it on the affected area. When you’re done, rinse it with warm water. If you’re dealing with heavily-tarnished silver, leave the ketchup on it for 15 minutes.

5. Orange peels to deodorize refrigerators

To remove nasty odors emanating from your fridge, put a little salt on an orange rind placed in a bowl, and stash it deep inside the refrigerator.

6. Milk to repair cracked china

To repair cracked china, put it in a pan with approximately 2 cups of milk. Once it starts boiling, put the heat on low and simmer for around an hour. Then let the milk cool before removing your china and rinsing it. You will be shocked at how many little cracks will disappear!

7. Coca-Cola to remove blood stains

Blood stains can be extremely difficult to remove off clothes. However, it’s not impossible. To do so, empty a whole can of Coca-Cola into the washing machine along with the affected piece of clothing, use your normal detergent, and allow the machine to run for a full cycle.

8. Peanut butter to remove gum from hair

There is perhaps nothing more annoying than having chewing gum stuck to your hair! If you’re faced with that annoying predicament, instead of heading for the scissors, put some peanut butter on the gum and leave it there for a couple of minutes. Carefully try to remove the gum out of your hair, and finally, rinse and wash it.

9. Mayonnaise to remove water rings on wood

To remove water rings on wood, put a bit of mayonnaise on a towel and scrub the affected area. It only takes a few seconds to make the stain disappear. That is only one of the great things you can do with mayo!

10. Slices of bread to pick up broken glass

When you drop glass, it usually shatters into a million little pieces that go all over the place. It can be difficult to pick up each piece individually, so to make this process easier, put on a pair of gloves, vacuum the area first, and then finish off with a slice of bread to pick up the stubborn glass residue.

11. Beer to polish wood

To add some shine to wood that has seen better days, beer is the solution. Put some brewski on a clean microfiber rag and wipe it on the furniture. When you’re done, let it dry. And finally, to finish off the polishing, wipe it off with a dry cloth.

12. Tea to remove odors from carpets

To remove lingering odors from carpets, put some dry tea leaves onto the carpet and leave them there for around half an hour. Make sure not to use wet tea leaves as these may stain your carpet.

13. Coffee to keep insects away

If you have a home garden and struggle to keep ants and insects off your precious flowers and plants, use leftover coffee grounds to keep them far away. First, put the coffee grounds in a bowl and place it in your garden. Then, burn the coffee grounds, just like incense. The strong smell of coffee, as well as the smoke, will keep insects such as mosquitoes, bees, and wasps at bay.

14. Sugar to extend the life of flower bouquets

Flower bouquets make any room more joyful and pleasant, but they often quickly die. To avoid this and to extend your bouquet’s life, add 1 quart of warm water to your vase followed by 2 tablespoons of sugar.

15. Salt to brighten clothes

Salt is a cheap and environment-friendly tool that can be used to brighten your clothes. If you want to add some shine to a particular piece of clothing, soak it overnight in salt water and in the morning, place it in the washing machine along with a quarter to a half cup of salt.

Do you know effective life hacks including foods? Please share them with us in the comments!