Get tough on dirt with these common household items

Cleaning products and stain removers will set you back on cash, but sometimes the solution is much closer to home. These items can clean just as well but cost you pennies.

Rub dirty marks on wallpaper gently with a piece of fresh white bread. This also works with Venetian blinds.

Pour talc over a grease stain on cloth, leave overnight, brush the talc off and wash the cloth as normal.

Use salt to absorb red wine spilled on carpet or fabric. Apply immediately after the accident, then brush or rinse away later.

Make stainless steel appliances gleam by gently rubbing them with a cotton ball dipped in a little baby oil.

Clean dirty grouting between wall tiles by rubbing with toothpaste, or try a mild bleach solution.

Use as a kettle descaler: Fill the kettle with cold water, add a couple of denture cleaning tablets, leave overnight, then rinse thoroughly.

Cut up old towels, T-shirts, sheets and dishcloths. And clean, single socks can find new life as hand dusters.

Use dishcloths in the kitchen for everything for which you would use paper towels, and then toss them in with your wash. This saves you money and helps the environment.

Pop smelly kitchen sponges into a mesh laundry bag. Run through the hot cycle in a washing machine and then dry in the sun to kill bacteria.

Many of our common household items can double as powerful cleaning agents. So instead of getting expensive cleaning agents, look for these simple solutions that save you time and money.