These items are a staple in cooking and baking, but they’re also a great help around the house. Here are dozens of ways you can use them, I’ve separated them into three groups for easier browsing. Enjoy!

Color Brightener: Add 1/2 cup to a load of laundry (wash cycle).

Color Brightener: Add 1/2 cup to a load of laundry (wash cycle). Color Protector: Pour some in a bucket (as much as you need) then soak new garments in it to protect dyes from running.

Whiter Whites: Add 1 1/2 cups to the rinse cycle to whiten clothes.

Restore Whites: Add 1 cup to a large stock pot filled with water, bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add garments and let soak overnight. Launder as usual.

Preserve Linens: Add 1 cup to rinse cycle, store linens as needed–will help prevent yellowing.

Yellowed Items Reviver: Mix with water (1 part to 12 parts water) to revive old yellowed garments & linens and soak overnight then launder as usual.

Heavy Duty Pre-Soak: Add 1 cup to a bucket of water then soak heavily soiled garments in it. Launder as usual.

Lint Busters: Add 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle to reduce lint.

Fabric Softener: Add 1 cup to the rinse cycle. Also see this page for more ideas.

Ring Around The Collar Remover: Mix with baking soda to make a paste, rub into discolored area and allow to set for 60 minutes, launder as usual.

Stubborn Pots & Pans Scrub: Add enough to a mixture of 50/50 flour and salt to make a paste. Using a sponge, rub into spots then wash with hot soapy water and rinse off.

Oven Rinse: Drizzle some on a sponge then wipe the inside of your oven with it to remove the residue left behind by oven cleaner.

Glassware: To make your glassware sparkle and prevent hard water spots, add 1/2 cup to your rinse water.

Dish Detergent Extender: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons to liquid dish soap to make it last longer. Shake to mix. Also adds extra power to your detergent (don’t use with soaps that have bleach added).

Sink Taps: Soak a cloth in it then rub kitchen taps to bring them to a shine. If you have heavy deposits around the base of the tap, soak paper towels with it and stuff firmly on top of the grime buildup. After a few hours you should be able to remove it all.

Stained Plastic Dishes: Add 1/4 cup to plastic dishes then top up with hot water and dish detergent. Soak overnight.

Kitchen Drains: Combined with baking soda it will clear clogged kitchen drains (see this page for details).

Bring Stainless Steel Appliances To A Shine: Apply directly to a lint-free cloth and wipe down surface, follow up with a dry cloth to bring appliance to a mark-free shine (microfiber cloths work nice but a towel is fine too). See more ways here.

Stove Tops: Make a paste with cream of tartar (50/50) to clean stove tops, element rings and drip pans. More suggestions can be found here.

DIY Softscrub: Mix with baking soda and liquid dish detergent–perfect for grimy spots on appliances. You’ll find the recipe on this page.

Cookware Rust Remover: Mix 50/50 with water to strip buildup and rust from old cast iron cookware, then re-season (see: this page for details).

Laminate Flooring: Mix 1/2 cup with 1 to 2 squirts of liquid dish detergent + Bucketful of warm water (about a gallon). This is a tried and true recipe for washing high gloss laminate that will leave the flooring streak-free. See more tips here.

Using the peels or cut wedges/halves…

Make your own household cleaner from the peels (so easy!), see this page for directions.

Remove light stains from a porcelain sink by rubbing a freshly cut half over the surface.

Remove fish smell from hands and cookware by rubbing with a cut wedge before washing.

Keep the garbage disposal smelling fresh by putting pieces of peel in it.

To absorb cabbage odors while cooking, place a wedge in the pot.

Using the juice…

Mothball odors can be removed from drawers by rinsing with a strong solution of juice and water.

Remove rings inside the toilet bowl by applying a paste of borax and freshly squeezed juice (first flush toilet to make the surface wet). Allow to set for 2 hours then scrub.

A cloth dipped in juice will lift discolorations on aluminum. After application, rinse the utensil in clear water and wipe dry.

Cut through grease buildup on kitchen surfaces by washing with lemon juice.

Remove stains from kitchen counter tops by making a paste with it and cream of tartar. Apply, set for 15 minutes then wash off and dry.

So easy! Make the inside of your microwave sparkle and look new again, see this page for instructions.

Cut in half then squeeze the juice in the water which eggs are to be poached in, will help prevent the whites from separating and floating.

Freeze in ice cube trays, once frozen pop them out and seal them in a freezer bag. Add these cubes as needed when cooking, equals about 2 tablespoons.

Wash hands with it to remove fruit or vegetable stains.

Heartburn Relief: Add 1 teaspoon to half a glass of water and drink.