The humble ice cube has a surprising power.

1. Got a scratched DVD? Rub a banana peel (flesh side down) over the DVD — it’ll fill the scratches. No bananas? You can also use a small amount of furniture polish or metal polish.

2. Get rid of rings on wood (from glasses and mugs) with olive oil and salt. The salt pulls out the moisture, while the oil replenishes the wood. Mix a paste of oil and salt and let it sit for an hour. Buff gently. If the rings remain, try it again, this time for longer. Then, buy coasters.

3. Keep dust out of your air vents with car wax. After cleaning your vents well, buff them (both sides) with car wax. The wax will make it difficult for dust to settle on them, making the job easier next time.

4. Freeze your jeans. Yep. To clean jeans without washing them (to preserve the colour and fit), pop them in a Ziploc bag and freeze overnight. Thaw in the shade. The cool air will kill any bacteria. This also works for stinky shoes (like runners).

5. Scrunched-up newspaper makes a great scourer for caked-on grease. To get at that first layer of leftover food in your pots and pans, ball up some newspaper and scrub away. Rinse and then use an actual scourer for any remaining grease.

6. It sounds counterintuitive, but baby oil removes marks from stainless steel appliances. Rub a little on and watch those grubby fingerprints disappear.

Try using baby oil to clean your stainless steel.Source:Supplied

7. Use rice in hard-to-clean bottles and jars. Add a handful of uncooked rice, warm water and some washing-up liquid, and shake well. The rice will agitate any hard-to-reach dirt. Be sure to rinse well!

8. Use vodka to clean your mattress. Mix 30mL of vodka with a cup of water and a few drops of an essential oil in a spray bottle. Spray your mattress and allow to air dry. The alcohol will kill any bacteria that leads to odours.

9. Foaming shaving cream will get rid of red wine stains — especially on carpets.

10. To get old candles out of their jars, freeze them. The wax will shrink and pop right out.

11. For annoying indents in your carpet or rugs (from furniture, say), place a row of ice cubes in the grooves. The water will slowly evaporate, plumping out the carpet again.

The article originally appeared on homelife.com.au and is reproduced with permission.