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Media Platforms Design Team

Your go-to cleaners might come in a bottle, but when tackling a tricky stain, it's worth cleaning outside the box. Try these fridge and pantry finds to freshen and brighten nearly every area of your home.

1. Lemons

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Citrus can zap grime from your microwave, remove stains from linens, and shine brass.

2. Rice

Swish a scoop of uncooked grains (with warm water and a little dish detergent) around the inside of a vase to scrub hard-to-reach spots.

3. Ketchup

This french fry sidekick can shine copper and get your car gleaming again.

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4. Table salt

The course texture of this cooking staple can erase stains from butcherblock countertop, and helps release stuck-on food from your cast-iron skillet.

5. Walnuts

Got a scuff or a scratch on your wood furniture? Rub it with a walnut (shell removed) to mask the damage.

6. Powdered lemon or orange drink

The citric acid in your favorite drink powder can help banish rust and stains from your dishwasher.

7. Cream of tartar

This common baking ingredient can remove the grayish residue that shows up on aluminum utensils after you run them through the dishwasher.

8. Baking soda

This stuff deserves a star spot in your cleaning cabinet. Mixed with warm water, it's an effective all-purpose cleanser — it can even shine jewelry.

9. Vinegar

Like baking soda, white vinegar is a powerful cleaning tool. It can freshen laundry, lift stains from carpet, brighten windows, and so much more. Just don't use it in these spots — you might do more harm than good.

10. Vodka

Grab the bottle from leftover from your last big party to deodorize clothes and shine chrome and porcelain fixtures.

TELL US: How do you use food to clean your house?

NEXT: How to Make Your Own Cleaning Products »

Photo: Chris Gramy/Getty

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Headshot of Lauren Piro
Lauren Piro
Senior Web Editor
Overseeing all things home for GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com, Lauren swoons over midcentury design and employs tough-love approach to decluttering (just throw it away, ladies). She loves anything neon coral, puts bacon on her veggie burgers, and would follow Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to the end of the earth.