Shaving Cream Is The Nostalgic Cleaning Trick We’ll Never Give Up

Here are five things you can clean with this household staple.

Who else feels nostalgic around a bottle of shaving cream? Maybe my 90s-kid is showing, but every time I catch a whiff of Barbasol, I’m brought back to the last day of school when our teacher would bust out the shaving cream to cries of glee. It was something we looked forward to for weeks. Little did we realize it wasn’t just fun and games. The shaving cream would buff off pencil marks, dirt, and grime as we smeared it about our desk tops, doodling hearts and stars into the foam with our fingers. It turns out, shaving cream shares quite a few of the same properties as soap, so it can be a true gem for eliminating odors and stains gently and effectively. And here I thought it was just a fun last-day-of-school activity.

While shaving cream can be effective on its own, it can also be combined with other cleaning ingredients to make even more of an impact. That being said, mixing cleaning solutions is something that requires additional attention and knowledge in order to not only ensure it will work (some chemicals cancel each other out) but also safe. To keep it simple and effective, we’ve gathered the best cleaning jobs for shaving cream—no additional products required.

Related: Old-School Cleaning Tricks That Southerners Stand By

Toilets

Shaving cream is a powerhouse for cleaning the bathroom. Not only will it get your mirrors in top shape (more on that later) but it can also help eliminate smells, stains, and leave your toilet bowl sparkling clean. Apply shaving cream to your toilet brush and give the toilet bowl a good scrub. Before flushing, tackle the next job: the floor.

The area around the toilet bowl can be a chief source of yucky smells as they can get trapped within the grout and even around the base of the toilet. Getting into the nooks and crannies is the only way to completely eliminate them for good—this is where shaving cream comes in. Because it expands, it’s able to get into the corners and tighter spots that other cleaners wouldn’t be able to touch. Apply the shaving cream around the toilet base and on surrounding grout. Give it a good scrub, then use a cloth or mop to wipe it down with clean, warm water.

Mirrors and Glass

For mirrors and glass surfaces, shaving cream can not only get the material clean, but can also help prevent fogging. [If fogging isn’t an issue, you might want to stick with traditional glass cleaner as it is a less messy and quicker fix for smudges and toothpaste splatters.]

1. To give this cleaning trick a go, start by applying a dollop of shaving cream onto a microfiber cloth.

2. Apply it to the glass in a circular motion. You’ll want the entire mirrored surface covered in a thin layer of shaving cream.

3. Grab a clean microfiber cloth and buff away the shaving cream until the mirror is shiny.

The defogging benefits will only last a few days to a week, so be prepared to add this to your weekly cleaning routine if you find the defogging element worth your while.

Shiny Surfaces

Just as with mirrors, shaving cream can help get other shiny and/or smudge-prone surfaces sparkling too. The same method used for cleaning mirrors can be applied here. Simply add a bit of shaving cream to a microfiber cloth and buff onto the surface until it shines. Jewelry, kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures, and more are all fair game. Shaving cream will also handle built-up grime, soap scum, or other messy elements so don’t be afraid to let it tackle your messier jobs.

Shower Doors

Glass shower doors are notorious culprits for giving an otherwise clean bathroom a less-than-sparkling look.

1. To quickly eliminate soap scum, water splatters, and other glass messes, apply shaving cream all over the surface.

2. Let it sit for a few minutes before wiping off the foam with a clean, microfiber cloth.

3. Rinse the glass to remove any leftover residue or grime and you’re good to go.

Related: The Best Cleaning Tips We Learned From Our Grandmothers

Stains

Shaving cream can also be an effective tool for spot-cleaning stains. Whether on a microfiber sofa, suede boots, or a rug, the process is similar. Just make sure to test the shaving cream on a small, inconspicuous area of the material before applying in larger or more prominent areas.

For carpet: Apply shaving cream to the area and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Using a cloth that has been dampened with warm water, remove the remaining shaving cream. With a fresh warm, damp cloth, gently scrub the stain until it is lifted. Blot once more with a dry cloth.

For suede: Oil stains can take your nice suede shoes and vanquish them to a life in the back of the closet, but don’t give up on them before you try this cleaning trick. Apply a small amount of shaving cream to a microfiber cloth and rub it onto the stain. Use a fresh, dry cloth to wipe off the shaving cream. Finish with a suede brush to buff everything back into place.

For microfiber: If your couch care label says it can be cleaned with a water-based cleaner, go ahead and give this cleaning trick a try but, again, be sure to test on an inconspicuous area first. Using a damp microfiber cloth, apply shaving cream to the stained area and scrub. Use a clean, slightly damp cloth to clean the area.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.