10 Low-Cost Household Hacks That Make Luxury Feel Stupid (5 of 6)

8. Vegetable Oil for Pans, Steel, and Wood

Olive, sunflower, and other plant-based oils are great gentle cleaners.

Start with your cast-iron pans. Mix vegetable oil with coarse salt to make a scrub. Use it to remove cooked-on bits, then rinse with hot water. It’s that easy.

Stainless steel? Not a problem! Put a dab of olive oil on a cloth and buff your fridge or sink for that “brand-new appliance” shine.

And let’s not forget about wood furniture. Mix 2 cups of olive or vegetable oil with the juice of 1 lemon. Rub into wooden surfaces to hydrate dull, dry wood and soften light scratches.

9. Cornstarch for Greasy Carpet Stains

Unless you have a bag of cornstarch in your pantry, removing grease from carpet can be a daunting task. Just sprinkle it generously over the greasy spot, let it sit for 15–30 minutes to absorb the oil, then vacuum. If there’s still grease left, repeat the process. While it may not seem complex, it involves the principles of physics and chemistry.