Photo by Andrey Metelev on Unsplash

A tuber that we love in the kitchen, it is also used to scrub the house. Degreaser, cleaner and bad odor absorber, it is to adopt in your household routine as of now.

In gratins, sautéed or in the oven: we love potatoes. But did you know that it has properties that also make it a natural householder? It has properties that can clean, whiten or even shine a lot of things in the house. Stop throwing out your sprouted potatoes. We tell you how to use them otherwise.

Using the potato to wash the floors

The starch contained in the potato is an effective cleaner for tiles. It gives it back shine and destroys fat. To benefit from these benefits, you will need to boil your potatoes. It is with the cooking water that you will clean the floor afterwards. Keep it until it cools down to avoid scalding yourself. Pour it on the floor and scrub with a brush broom. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing off with a clean mop. No need to mix with a commercial cleaning product. The water for your midday meal is the economical and ecological alternative.

Use the potato to bleach textiles

For textiles, it will suffice to put them directly in the washing machine, with a few tablespoons of potato starch. This process is particularly applicable to white linen and household linen (sheets, curtains). Starch (which is the same as starch, sold commercially) acts as a whitening agent and revives the shine. If you have a lightly encrusted stain on a thicker fabric like jeans, rub it with a potato cut in half. Let dry before washing the garment.

Use the potato to shine

In cooking, the potato goes on the plate, but can also be used to clean it. Also thanks to the starch it contains, it is very effective in making silverware shine and restoring shine to dishes. Reuse the cooking water to wash your glasses, or rub your stainless steel saucepans with half a potato before shining them with a soft cloth. Use this same trick to clean your mirrors or windows. This process helps prevent streaks and delays the appearance of fog on your windows when they are closed.

Use the potato to remove wear spots

Fingerprints on a door? Or feet on a wall? A slightly cracked switch? Nothing that a potato cannot overcome. Cut it in half and rub the surface blackened by everyday wear and tear in small circular motions. Rinse immediately after. Otherwise use a sponge or a dry cloth to find the walls as new.

Use the potato against bad odors

By storing all kinds of food in the refrigerator, it doesn't always smell very good. Besides the well-known trick of baking soda in a cup to neutralize odors, there is also that of the potato. Place one or more raw rings in a container at the back of the refrigerator. It will absorb all the bad smells. It also works in rooms that are damp or that smell musty and sweaty. A slice of potato placed in a corner of a room can overcome it. Consider changing it regularly or coating it with a few drops of lemon to prevent it from oxidizing.