We’ve all heard the phrase, food is medicine, but what about food for cleaning, refreshing and being good in the garden?
Here are five foods that can be given a second use.
Mayonnaise
Good on a chicken sandwich, also good for your piano. Yes, that’s right, dab a bit onto the yellowing keys, leave for 10 minutes and wipe off and you shall have white keys again.
That’s not particularly handy unless you are in the small percentage of people who have a piano, but there’s more.
Remove water stains on your wooden furniture by dipping a microfibre cloth in a bit of mayonnaise, dab onto the stain and continuously wipe until the stain has lifted. Finish with a natural wood cleaner.
It can also be used to remove a ring that’s too tight, dab it on a hinge to stop a door squeaking and remove that goo left over from stickers. For the last one, leave it on for 15 minutes to half an hour before wiping it off.
It’s also good for putting the shine back on tapware and stainless steel kitchen appliances. Rinse well and wipe afterwards with a microfibre cloth.
Lemons
Lemons have a double dip because not only do they smell great, but they are also very acidic.
Return the bling to your metals with a good going over with a cut lemon, dipped in salt. Rub it all over until the tarnish has gone. Good for brass, copper, chrome, aluminium, bronze, pewter and stainless steel. Awesome for metal benchtops. A big no-no for gold and silver as it will damage the plating.
Spray weeds with leftover lemon juice, the acid level will make them curl up and die.
Remove spills and smells from a wooden chopping block by running a cut lemon half over the block. Leave overnight for best results, then rinse clean and apply a food-grade oil to seal.
Sugar
Sugar can also be a low-cost alternative to many household products.
Keep your cut flowers flowering for longer by stirring three teaspoons of sugar and one tablespoon of vinegar, then add the flowers. The sugar feeds the flowers, and the vinegar stops bacteria from forming.
Want to eat a delicious, toasted sandwich but burn your tongue in your impatience? Suck on a pinch of sugar to relieve the sting. It also gives you time to reflect on your poor eating habits.
Make your own sugar scrub for exfoliation. Mix two cups of brown sugar with one cup of coconut oil. There, you’re done. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil for the hell of it.
Only for the brave. Sugar draws water from the atmosphere, that’s why it goes hard and chunky.
It’s been scientifically shown that putting sugar on open wounds draws out the liquids and the bacteria that like to feed on it, thus cleaning the wound. I’m going to stick to modern science, thank you very much, but who knows, maybe when the apocalypse transpires, I’ll need these tips.
Tea bags
Put wet tea bags on your eyes to reduce puffiness. I’ll vouch for this one as it works when I’m looking like a frog due to a hay fever reaction. Leave them on for 15-20, and voila, normal-looking eyes again.
Apparently, the tannins help reduce puffiness and the caffeine helps to eliminate the dark circles.
Tea is also an extraordinarily good odour absorber. Some good ways to exploit this capability are to sprinkle it onto cat litter, leave an open container of loose-leaf tea in your fridge (or clean it out like a normal person) or just leave a particularly perfumed blend in a bowl in your kitchen.
Kind of on the food track, but not really, if you are a home smoker, throwing a handful of a fragrant tea variety on the coals or smoking substrate can elevate the flavour.
Bananas
Bananas really are an odd food. They couldn’t exist without human husbandry, they emit a gas that causes ripening in other foods and Australians eat about five million a day.
But they are more than just a delicious snack, you can also use them around your house.
Blend banana peels with some water until it makes a thick paste, and use it to clean your metal surfaces, including silver.
Polish your shoes with the inside of a banana peel. First remove those annoying stringy bits then just rub over your shoes until it looks about done. Buff with a microfibre cloth or paper towel. You can use this method on leather furniture, but test a small section first.
Polish your plants by rubbing the leaves with the inside of a banana peel. Leaves them nice and shiny and it removes any dusty gunk.
Can you add to this list? We’d love to hear about your tips in the comments section below.
Also read: Baby it’s cold outside, so let’s make the best porridge ever
