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Home > Home & Garden > Topics:  Misc.
10 Household Products You Don't Need to Buy

Submitted by: Tip Hero  08/22/2011 1:53 PM
 
Lifehacker thinks that there are some products out there that would be a waste of money to purchase. This is because you most likely already have things around your home that would serve the same purpose. Here are some examples:



Metal Polish

Odds are you have one of the many things that will do the same trick as metal polish. You can clean chrome with baby oil or even some cola. You could make a great brass polish by mixing together some flour, salt and vinegar. You could also simply use a banana peel to shine up your silver after you're done with your morning banana.



Deodorizers

You don't need to buy products like Febreeze if you have baking soda, charcoal, vinegar or newspaper. All of these are great deodorizers that work just as well as Febreeze in a lot of cases. If you're looking to de-stink an entire room, Lifehacker recommends throwing some vanilla in the oven to make your place smell like fresh baked cookies.



LCD Cleaners

Instead of buying a fancy screen cleaner, simply use a bit of water on a cloth or a dry coffee filter instead. If you've got scratches that you need to take care of, try using a pencil eraser to buff them out.



What are some products that most people buy that you think are a waste of money to purchase?



Check out more things that Lifehacker doesn't think you need to buy over at Top 10 Products You Don't Need to Buy (Because You Already Have Them In Your Home).
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Comments:
 
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Hard water removers; I just use full strength white vinegar. Just yesterday I used a rubber band to attach a sandwich bag to my bathroom faucet. I then filled the bag with white vinegar and the screen is just like new. I also spray it in my shower to remove hard water deposits.
 
Posted by Grandma B on August 22, 2011 11:38 PM
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There's one or two of these that would probably cost more per use than buying the purchased product!
 
Posted by Claudia on August 25, 2011 2:04 PM
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My favorite HOLIDAY freshner is one I do myself. I have an old metal Dutch oven I place orange peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves and water in, then put on the stove on simmer for a couple of hours. LOVE the way the whole house smells and only used a couple of pennies for gas.

 
Posted by jlongjt on August 25, 2011 4:53 PM
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You can also polish silver with toothpaste. It doesn't take much. I'm not sure if it's actually cheaper per ounce, but if you only need it occasionally, there's no point buying a whole container of silver polish that will take forever to use.
 
Posted by haverwench on August 28, 2011 11:55 AM
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I use 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water and several drops of essential oil in a sprayer bottle to clean mirrors, glass, countertops and appliances. You could also use hydrogen peroxide to clean melamine countertops or cutting boards. Rubbing alcohol will clean mirrors beautifully!
 
Posted by earringdesigner on October 19, 2011 11:55 AM
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If you have some scratches in wood, try rubbing them with a broken piece of English walnut. Don't use it on light colored wood, but it works very well on medium and dark wood. If you are unsure, try it on an unobtrusive spot.
 
Posted by Isabelle Jolly on December 18, 2011 8:11 PM
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