You have pots, pans, appliances, sponges, and all the stuff you’d expect to find. And that’s great, but your kitchen can also be stocked for odd problems with surprising solutions. Here are a few things you might want to have in (or around) your kitchen, just in case. Leave some of them in your junk drawer and thank me later.
Chalk
![Photo: Sinuswelle, Shutterstock](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23/388a50cdf20e761456dc3f8d8979d7b1.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
You can do all sorts of things with chalk, but not all of them have to do with entertaining your kids. Keep a little handy for when you need to soak up an oily stain or shine your silver. Here’s our full list of surprising things this dry little devil can do.
A little squeegee
![Photo: Andriiii, Shutterstock](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23/d37ab73bc657e98d555f51e9f1c4788a.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
In addition to keeping your shower nice and helping you clean windows, a little squeegee can be helpful in the kitchen. Drop and break a glass? Use a squeegee to get up all the pieces. Find that and more tips here.
A razor blade or box cutter
![Photo: Danilo de oliveira, Shutterstock](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23/ad851e20f8e39a694256af175be6acc9.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
If your tablecloth is pilling or you have crumbs stuck in the corner of your countertop, there is no better tool to reach for than the humble razor blade. Check out the list of stuff it can do here, including get burned-on food off your stovetop with ease.
A little mesh bag
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Next time you pick up a little mesh bag for your laundry, double the order. Having one around for your dishwasher is extremely clutch, whether you’re washing the little bits of a baby bottle or your reusable straws.
Baby powder
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Baby powder isn’t just for powdering babies — there are all kinds of things you can do it with it, but in your kitchen it’s great for banishing ants or getting in and out of rubber gloves more easily.
Pool noodles
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You can’t keep pool noodles in your junk drawer, but you can sure use them around the kitchen anyway — whether to childproof or silence a slamming door or cabinet or quickly fill a bucket with water.
Peanut butter
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You probably already do have peanut butter in your cupboard, so next time you have to polish furniture or remove the sticky label residue from your new flatware, you’re already ahead of the game. Here’s a list of other unexpected uses for this underrated treasure.
Bubble wrap
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We all tend to throw away bubble wrap when we’re done unpacking things, but the next time you get your hands on some, put it in the kitchen where you keep your plastic bags. (Those, too, obviously have many uses.) Here’s the full list of stuff you can do with bubble wrap, but try fixing drafty windows, using it as insulation in your sous vide tub, or keeping groceries warm or cold on your way back from the store.
A cooler
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Most of us associate coolers with beaches and barbecues, but a cooler in the kitchen is an extra space to soak dirty dishes, keep food warm when the oven is in use, and so much more. If you regularly cook for a small army or live in a tiny apartment, consider keeping a cooler under your sink for when you could use it.
Hairspray
![Photo: Zyn Chakrapong, Shutterstock](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23/a5720c12062f4dde898bbd49bc36ab79.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
You understandably keep your hairspray in the bathroom, but it has some great kitchen uses, too. You can spritz it on kids’ drawings before putting them on the fridge to make them last longer, for instance, and spray fabrics for an easy dust barrier.
Denture tablets
![Photo: Yaya Photos, Shutterstock](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23/13d213502b07fb9e383a26f6ab873f11.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Another bathroom item that has some kitchen uses: Denture tablets. Use them to clean your narrow water bottles as well as your coffee pot and tea kettle–especially if you struggle to get your hands inside to give them a good scrub.
A steamer
![Photo: Yushchuk Myroslava, Shutterstock](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23/6ff395334b98fbc2e8704e1231d8193b.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
This tip comes from The Kitchn, which recommends having a handheld steamer on hand in your kitchen. Yes, you can use this to dewrinkle your clothes, but you can also use it to effortlessly loosen up stuck-on grime all over the kitchen, from handles to your stovetop. Just hold the steam near the hardened mess and watch if soften up enough to be claned.
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