60 Cleaning and Beauty Hacks That Cost 99 Cents

It’s no secret, that I am a big fan of saving money any way I can…without compromising quality. That beind said, there are so many products on the market today that it’s hard to know what to trust. Plus, truth be told, there are still some things that just work better with Grandma’s old school remedies, am I right? So what are the absolute best (and cheapest) cleaning and beauty hacks that have stood the test of time? I’ve got a list of over 60 cleaning and beauty hacks for 99 cents! Yeah…most of these things you can get at your local store (or even in your pantry) for right around one dollar.

Cleaning Hacks

Remove ink stains – I cannot tell you how stressed I was when I got pink pen on my brand new, white comforter. Thankfully, a little rubbing with white vinegar got the pen off in just a few minutes!

Carpet stains – Having three kids, life is full of carpet stains. My go-to mix of 1 bottle of peroxide, 1 cup water, 2 Tablespoons baking soda, 2 Tablespoons dish soap has helped me cover up many stains through the years.

Cat pee smell – That same mixture I use for carpet stains is originally a recipe I found for removing cat pee smell from your rugs!

Shoe smell – To get rid of that stinky shoe smell, I just shake a little baking soda and a few drops of essential oils together and then sprinkle into the bottom of the shoe!

Unclog drain – If you have clogged kitchen or bathroom drains, try pouring a little baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar and then boiling water. It might take a few times but it will help clear that drain right up!

Kitchen cleaner – With a few drops of essential oils (preferably lemon or orange) a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar makes an awesome spray cleaner for countertops, stoves and refrigerators. D

Remove caked-on food – If you have food stuck in a pot or pain, boil vinegar in the pan and add baking soda. Let the mixture sit and then easily whipe it clean.

DIY Poo-pouri – Fill a 4 oz spray bottle with 10 drops essential oils, 2 Tablespoons rubbing alcohol and fill the rest with water. Shake. And voila! You’ve got a poo-smell eliminator!

Fresh smelling laundry – If you have stinky mildew smelling clothing, add 1 cup vinegar to your washing machine to get rid of the icky smell.

Stain Remover – Whenever you spill something on your clothes, try tabbing a little peroxide on the stain before putting it in the wash! Be careful with colors as it might eat through the dye!

Stainless steel scrubber – If you have stainless steel appliances that have gotten crazy dirty, use a combi of 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tsp cream of tartar and a little peroxide to create a scrubbing paste that really works!

Smelly sponges – If you have stinky dish sponges, sprinkle them with a little baking soda to help beat the smell!

Microfiber furniture – We have a microfiber couch and it has so many mysterious spots and stains on it. I was going totally crazy. The best solution I found was rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Spraying the alcohol on the spots and then scrubbing wtih a rough cleaning brush really made a huge difference!

Removing permanent marker – Accidentally get permanent marker on something? Try coloring over it with a dry erase marker and then simply wiping it away!

Grease stains on fabric – Grease and oil stains are the worst, this cleaning hack has saved my life so many times. If you get grease stains on your clothing, just dab a little dish soap on it since it is designed to fight nasty, stuck on grease!

Reduce kitty litter smell – The smell of kitty litter can be strong and over-powering. Instead, try mixing baking soda in to help eliminate smells.

Cleaning cuts – To clean those cuts and scrapes, try a little peroxide on the wound before putting on your bandage!S

Bad carpet smell – To clear our bad smelling carpeting, sprinkle some baking soda across your floors, let it sit overnight and then vaccum it up the next day!

Ear wax – This was an old remedy my grammy used to use with me. Whenever I had an earache or wax buildup, she would have me lay on my side with my bad ear facing up. She’d pour a tiny bit of peroxide in it and let it sit for a good 20 minutes. Then drain the ear onto a clean towel. Repeat if needed.

Whiten in between tiles – Those grungy grout marks in between tiles is never a good look. Create a paste mixture with peroxide and baking soda and scrub it in with a toothbrush from the Dollar Store!

Clean mirrors – I watched some show where the lady cleaned houses for a living. Her major trick? She used rubbing alcohol to clean the mirrors! I mean, technically she made a little joke about using vodka…but let’s not get carried away.

Toilet cleaner – When it comes to toilets, my opinion is the more the merrier. Baking soda and vinegar have great stain fighting capabilities and peroxide will add in an extra boost of whitening!

Kill mold – If you find mold growing in your house, spray a little peroxide on it to kill it off!

Cutting board cleaner – Just like mold, peroxide will work wonders on killing off that gross bacteria that is built up on your cutting boards. Just a few sprays is all you need.

Cleaning fruits and veggies – Soaking your fresh fruits and veggies in the sink filled with water, 1 T peroxide and 2 T baking soda will help clean them and remove bacteria and germs. Let soak for an hour

Toy cleaner – Spraying toys with a mixture of 50/50 water and peroxide, water and vinegar or just plain witch hazel will help clean and disinfect those toys!

Jewelry cleaner – To sparkle up your old jewelry try soaking in vinegar and/or witch hazel to help polish it up.

Beauty Hacks

Mouthwash – An easy and affordable mouthwash that most people don’t know about is peroxide. Just a cap-full of peroxide and a few swishes aught to do the trick.

Flawless skin – Using apple cider vinegar on your face every night can help even out skin tone and fight blemishes. I’m telling ya, these old beauty hacks are the absolute best.

Stop a bloody nose – While I haven’t tried this one, rumor has it that a cut of an onion held under a bloody nose will help stop the drip!

Skin exfoliator – I’m weirdly obsessed with exfoliating and whenever I can make my own at home, it’s even better. Using your used green tea bags mixed with brown sugar and honey and/or used coffee grounds with coconut oil are two ways to have healthy, good smelling scrubs in no time.

Teeth whitening – Just like peroxide can help fight that bacteria in your mouth, it can also help whiten your teeth. Just hold the capful in your mouth a little longer (careful not to swallow.) Do this a few times each day to start whitening your smile!

Detox bath – If you really want to treat yourself on a budget, this beauty hack of vinegar, epsom salt and essential oils in your bath with help detox your body, smooth your skin and have you smelling great.

Hair highlights – In middle school, my friends and I did whatever we could to rebel. Naturally, we turned to peroxide and lemon in our hair to help brighten it up and give it that natural highlight look.

Get beauty sleep – If you have trouble sleeping at night, they say to keep a small bag of chopped onion next to your bedside. Smelling the onion before bed is supposed to help you drift off to dreamland more quickly.

Sinus cure – I have had a sinus headache once in my life and it was terrible. Thankfully, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in hot water did the trick. Just sip this mixture and it should help clear your sinus quickly.

Reduce eye puffiness – When you have used green tea bags, just toss the into the freezer for 20 minutes and then place them over your eyes. It will help to reduce puffiness and give you a reason to relax for a while.

Deodorant – If you are afraid of all the icky chemicals found in most deodorants these days, try just getting a small spray bottle of witch hazel to use instead!

Clear a cold – Tom’s grandma swears by this one. Cut an onion in half (but leave on the peel) and hang it in your bedroom overnight. Throughout the night the onion will help clear your cold!

Eliminate acne – Peroxide and rubbing alcohol are both said to help fight acne. I think a combo of the two might be your best bet since the alcohol will try out the bumps and peroxide helps balance skin tone.

Soft, smooth skin – The best day of my life was when I heard that mixing 1/4 cup yogurt and 1/2-1 tsp turmeric was a perfect face mask to create healthy, smooth skin. Oh, ma gosh, it works so good! Just make sure to wash it off well after 5 minutes or less or you might start to see some leftover yellow from the turmeric.

Reduce age spots – Another amazing beauty hack passed down through the ages is red onion on your skin to help reduce the appearance of age spots!

Kill cold sores – If you feel a cold sore coming on, start cleaning it with vinegar to help fight it before it starts.

Shrink pores – “My pores are huge.” -Ragina Gorge (Mean Girls.) If you have this same problem, try wiping your pores down with witch hazel to help reduce the size.

Cracked heels – When your feet get those dry cracks, try a mixture of coconut oil and turmeric, let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse! This combo helps soften those dry spots quickly.

Sinus infection – Just like peroxide can help clear ear wax, it is said to do the same for your sinuses when you drip a few drops up your nostrils.

Remove your splinters – I just had a nasty splinter and I wish I would have known about this handy trip. Take a small slice of onion, place it over your sliver and secure it with tape. Let it sit overnight and in the morning your splinter should have removed itself!

Dry skin – If you suffer from dry skin or dandruff, massaging with witch hazel will help heal your skin.

Deodorant – If you aren’t feeling the witch hazel spray, try 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup coconut oil mixed and apply this to your pits to help fight odors throughout the day.

Hemorrhoids – Apparently, witch hazel is the main ingredient in most hemorrhoid creams! Create an at home mixture with witch hazel and petroleum jelly to help heal them.

Remove skin tags – Soaking skin tags in vinegar overnight by applying vinegar to a cotton swab and securing with a bandage will help dry out your skin tags. They will dry out and fall off on their own. Kind of gross….but super helpful. Repeat if necessary.

Under eye bags – A quick cure to help with under eye bags is to apply witch hazel to them each night before going to sleep.

Whiten your nails – Covering your nails in a peroxide and baking soda mixture will help clean and whiten your nails to make them look fresh and healthy.

Strengthen your nails – After you have whitened your nails, soak them in vinegar to help strengthen them and keep them strong.

Frizzy hair – If you struggle with frizzy hair, another great beauty hacks is to apply a small amount of witch hazel in your shampoo before you wash your hair.

Clean makeup brushes – Dirty makeup brushes? Try soaking in peroxide for 10 minutes before rinsing clean.

Soothe sunburn – If you are prone to sunburn, make sure you keep some vinegar on hand. Just like it can help with acne and scaring, vinegar can help ease the pain from sunburn and heal your skin quicker.

Toothache – A little witch hazel applied to your gums can help ease toothache pain.

Silky hair – I used to work with an older lady who had long, healthy hair. She said her secret was rinsing her hair with apple cider vinegar every night. I tried this myself and found it eventually began drying out my hair, but rinsing a few times throughout the month can definitely improve the smoothness of your hair!

Makeup remover – The simplest makeup remover in the world is a 50/50 mixture of olive oil and witch hazel or just a little dab of coconut oil!

Bug bites – I’m from Minnesota and the bug bites in summer are a force to be reckoned with. If you have the same problem, apply a little witch hazel to help get rid of the itch.

Did I miss something?

Got any other .99 cent cleaning and beauty hacks I forgot to mention? Share them in the comments!

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