Don't just throw away old potatoes: The tubers are a great cleaning agent

Potatoes shrivel up quickly or they sprout and then end up in the trash.

They can still be used in many ways in the household.

• Potatoes

  are often forgotten in the cellar or in the pantry.

• If the germs are already too big, the

  tubers are

  no longer edible.

• Consumers can use a

  few

  tips

  to

  convert

  potatoes into

  cleaning agents

  - for example against

  lime

  .

Offenbach - For many,

one of those foods that always have to be in stock.

This is certainly also due to the fact that the small

can be prepared in many ways: whether in a gratin, as a salad, seared or simply cooked as a side dish.

However, since dark places are best for storing potatoes, they are often forgotten in the basement or in the far corner of the pantry.

Then it can happen that the

shrivel up or begin to germinate.

If the germs are already very pronounced, i.e. over half a centimeter in size, the potatoes are usually no longer edible and end up in the garbage.

Instead of throwing them away, however, you can make clever use of them.

Potatoes as a cleaning agent: Removal of stubborn rust and water stains

Potatoes

are great as a

.

They contain a lot of vitamin C and starch: Both substances, in combination with water, are able to bind fats.

The oxalic acid contained in potatoes, which is also contained in cleaning products for bleaching or for removing rust stains, makes the tuber the perfect ecological

.

As the Schweizer Illustrierte reports,

to remove

, you simply have to cut a

half and put some baking powder on the smooth surface.

Then rub over rusty areas and finally remove the baking powder residues with a damp cloth.

The

tuber is also ideal

for removing unsightly

on stainless steel pots and fittings and can thus replace chemical cleaning agents.

Potato cleaning products: freshening up plastic garden furniture

Potatoes

can also help make old

plastic

again.

To do this, according to the “Bunte” magazine, you simply have to

rub

the inside of the old

the relevant areas

and then rinse with clear water.

The same applies to kitchen surfaces, windows and mirrors.

With the

peels you can achieve a shiny and streak-free result - without any expensive special products.

Polish with a dry cloth after use.

+

Instead of throwing away sprouting potatoes, they are wonderful cleaning agents.

© Andrea Warnecke / dpa

To

- such as garden furniture - refresh, it is another tip.

Cook the

in salted water for a while.

You can then fill the cooled water into a spray bottle and use it to easily clean plastic surfaces.

According to the Schweizer Illustrierte, the

is also

suitable

as a

.

Potatoes as a cleaning agent: miracle cure for washing clothes

To

do this, cook the

in water for a few minutes - but this time without adding salt.

If you soak the stained clothes in the potato water for a few hours before washing, the stubborn dirt will be much easier to loosen during the wash cycle.

In addition to the potato water also the juice of about three to four may

optimize your laundry.

If you add the juice to your laundry with some water about halfway through the washing time, your clothes will be particularly soft.

The environmentally friendly juice from

can therefore replace chemical fabric softeners.

Potatoes as a cleaning agent in the fight against lime: you have to pay attention to this

In order not to pollute the environment unnecessarily, according to the Bunte, conventional

against limescale can be dispensed with with the

help of potatoes

.

All you have to do is put a couple of raw

with plenty of hot water in the affected device, such as the kettle or a thermos, and let them work overnight.

The next day, rinse properly with water and the devices are almost like new again.

(Teresa Toth)

List of rubric lists: © Uwe Anspach / dpa