Cleaning the garden doesn’t have to be an expensive job – there are plenty of items you’ll already have in your home that can be used in the garden, including ketchup
Believe it or not, the key to sprucing up your garden furniture might just be lurking in your kitchen. It may raise eyebrows, but ketchup could be the secret to perfect garden furniture, and experts are recommending it ahead of the coming spring.
Sam Stevens, garden design expert at Pergolux UK, shared: “Spring is on its way, and a lot of people will be looking at their gardens and getting them ready for brighter and longer days ahead.
“Cleaning the garden doesn’t have to be an expensive job at all. We all love a cheap and cheerful hack and the good news is that there are plenty of items you’ll already have in your home that can be used in the garden.
“Whether you need to buff away stains, achieve a streak-free finish on glass or get rid of rust, there will be something in your house for everything.”
Household items to clean your garden
Ketchup
When it comes to garden cleaning hacks, ketchup is a surprising ally for removing tarnish and oxidation from brass or copper ornaments. It also works wonders on metal patio furniture, gates, and watering cans.
The expert advised: “Apply a thin layer of ketchup to the affected area and let it sit for around fifteen minutes before gently scrubbing it away and rinsing the area with water.”
Fizzy drinks
And for those pesky rust issues, fizzy drinks come to the rescue, breaking down rust and making it a breeze to remove. These sugary sodas are handy for treating everything from rusty tools and furniture to hinges and barbecue metal parts.
For small tools, let them soak in fizzy drinks overnight. For larger items and furniture, Sam suggests soaking a cloth in the fizzy drink and wrapping it around the rusty area for several hours or overnight if the rust is severe.
Pencil eraser
A pencil eraser can be used to buff plant pots and remove scuffs and marks – if the mark isn’t too stubborn, it should come away easily.
Tea bags
After enjoying your cuppa, keep the tea bags to clean any dirty glass for a streak-free shine. They’re particularly effective on greenhouses, glass patio furniture, and garden mirrors.
Aluminium foil
“Crumple some foil into a ball and gently rub it over metal to give it a shiny finish,” Sam advised. While foil doesn’t necessarily polish, it can remove surface rust and build-up to give tools and furniture a temporary shine.
Pennies
Pennies can help with algae in bird baths, which can occur from debris falling into the water. It’s important to refill them every couple of days, but if you notice persistent algae, clean the bird bath thoroughly. When refilling with fresh water, add a copper coin as this will help slow down the growth of algae.