8 Genius Cleaning Hacks for a $2 Can of Shaving Cream

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Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town…read more
updated Sep 30, 2022
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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

The cool thing about cleaning hacks is not only that they give us new little inroads to addressing cleaning conundrums we might not have even known we had, but they often let us do it with household objects we already have on hand for something else. Take shaving cream, for example. There are a ton of surprising shaving cream uses, and it can stand in for many household cleaners in a pinch.

Surprising Shaving Cream Uses Around the House

Shaving cream contains active ingredients—surfactants, emulsifiers, and cleansing agents—that are similar to the ones found in other household soaps. Using it for any of these cleaning hacks will make you so glad to have the old stand-by that you might even add it to your grocery list when you run out.

1. Remove Stains on Fabric and Carpet

Spray a bit of shaving cream on carpet or upholstery stains, allow them to dry, and then blot clean or vacuum up when the cream has dried. You can use it on upholstery in the car, too.

2. Prevent Fogging Glass

Get rid of the rush to put your makeup on through a film of fog! To prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging up in the future, apply a thin layer of shaving cream and then wipe it off. You can also use the shaving cream de-fogging trick on shower doors, windshields, or eyeglasses.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

3. Polish Stainless Steel

To polish stainless steel appliances without harsh chemicals, wipe them down with shaving cream on a clean rag.

Make Chrome Shine

Shaving cream can also be used for shining chrome fixtures. Spray some onto a rag or sponge and wipe down the metal. Shaving cream is especially handy at removing tough-to-get-rid-of hard water stains on bathroom fixtures.

Spot Clean Your Oven

For deep cleaning your oven, you’ll need something stronger, but you can use a dab of shaving cream and a scrubby sponge for intermittent spot cleaning.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Make Jewelry Sparkle

Shaving cream is effective but gentle and perfect for cleaning jewelry. Pump a dollop of cream in your hand and rub your jewelry around.

Clean Hands

If you’ve ever found yourself with hands splattered with paint or grease, you know that soap and water don’t easily do the trick. But scrubbing with some shaving cream will help get you squeaky clean in a jiffy. Also, use it to get errant nail polish off your finger skin.

Remove Oil Stains From Suede

To treat unsightly oil stains on suede shoes or handbags, apply a small amount of shaving cream, rub it in, and then wipe it clean. You may need to fluff up the nap after the suede dries.