A kitchen staple found in almost every household, served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, has been dubbed an "effective" method to clean your home. It sounds unusual to  clean your home with food, but lemon and white vinegar are popular natural solutions that will leave your home spotless. 

But even the most advanced cleaners may be surprised to hear that this everyday food is just as good: Bread.  From picking up broken glass to removing smudges, this humble pantry staple offers a gentle, non-abrasive solution for some of life’s unexpected messes. Below, we have detailed three surprising ways bread can be used around the house to keep it spotless. 

How does it work?

Cleaning expert Karina Toner at Spekless explained to Home and Gardens how bread is a great cleaner and said: "White bread is surprisingly effective as a gentle, non-abrasive cleaner for delicate surfaces."

"The soft, porous texture is great at picking up fine particles and light moisture without the risk of damage. I’ve personally tried this for picture frames and light wall marks – it’s low-effort and oddly satisfying."

1. Removing marks 

A slice of bread can be handy for removing sticky and greasy marks around your house. The expert said: "Dab at scuff marks or fingerprints with the soft side of the bread.

"It works a bit like an eraser and is perfect for matte paint where traditional cleaners may leave streaks." Experts at First For Women also agreed that bread acts as a "natural eraser" and stated the best way to use bread is to remove the crusts and then roll it into a ball. 

Gently dab at the stain and watch it disappear. "This trick even works on leather stains," said the cleaning expert. 

2. Picking up shattered glass

Bread can be used to pick up glass off the floor. For the bigger pieces, use a dustpan and brush, then place a slice of bread over the little bits of glass, which will stick to the bread, and throw it away.

Due to its spongy, porous texture, bread is great for picking up and trapping small fibres such as broken glass. For this reason, another great way to use bread is to dust paintings. 

3. Cleaning glass surfaces

Cleaning your shower door or bathroom mirror can be a headache due to the streaks left behind. However, bread could be the resolution to your problems. 

Karina, the cleaning expert, went on to say: "Press a slice of white bread gently against smudges on mirrors or framed pictures.It removes dust and light grime without scratching.

"I've also tried cleaning my mirror with shaving foam and genuinely had great results, so sometimes, it really is the method you least suspect to be successful that makes a surprising difference."