I love finding new uses for items I already have in my house because I hate wasting money something I didn’t have to buy. Here are some unusual uses for tea bags, lemons, your dishwasher, Epsom salts, and dental floss. Plus, check out my unusual uses for vinegar, tin foil and Vicks vapo rub.

Tea Bags

• Put a used tea bag at the bottom of a pot that you are using for a new plant to feed it and plug the hole
• Put tea bags into a tub of warm water; let it cool; soak to relieve sunburn pain
• Place a wet tea bag on a bug bite to relieve itching
• Scatter used tea leaves around your rose bushes to fertilize

Lemons

• Place in litter box to cut the smell
• Mix lemon juice and baking soda to make a scrub for scaly elbows
• Cut lemon rind into smallish pieces and put into garbage disposal to clean and refresh
• Lemon juice and baking soda make a disinfectant for your kitchen counter, sink or cutting board

Dishwasher

• Cook fish and veggies – clean, slice, and season, then wrap (well) in tin foil – place on top rack – use no soap – run hottest wash cycle
• Put your kitchen sponges in to kill germs
• Sanitize plastic kids toys

Dental Floss

• Slide under cookies to unstick from cookie sheet without crumbling
• Slice through delicate pastries
• Use instead of thread to sew

Epsom Salt

• Fertilizer – sprinkle around roses
• Splinter remover – soak in water and epsom salt for easier removal (I’m not sure about this one but I’ll try it)
• Mix with soap and scrub tile to clean
• Add a little bit to your facial soap and use as a skin exfoliater

Thanks to the Secret Tips from the Yumiverse for many of these handy tips.

Do you have an unusual use for a common household item?