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HC Illinois: Unexpected product substitutes for when you’re in a pinch!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.

Sometimes you just don’t have what you need. Your nails are chipped but you realize you’re out of polish remover and have no time for the store. After finding myself in this position recently, I did a little googling and found an alternative that actually worked. Turns out, several items commonly found in a collegiette apartment or dorm can serve as a quick fix when you’re in a pinch!

1. If you don’t have NAIL POLISH REMOVER…use TOP COAT.
Most girls will already have top coat around if they plan to paint their nails anyway and this fix works surprisingly well. Simply apply the top coat over your old polish and rub with a cotton swab or paper towel: your old nail polish actually does come off! Sephora by OPI Top Coat worked like a charm for me.

2. If you don’t have CLEANING SUPPLIES…use VODKA.
 If your apartment is anything like mine, when we run out of cleaning supplies, it may take awhile to replace them. However, vodka is always on hand. Besides providing a good time, vodka can also be used to clean up bathtubs and remove carpet stains. Pour some into a spray bottle and attack the unclean areas of your apartment. That same item that may have caused a mess on your carpet could also help you clean it up!
 

3. If you don’t have TEETH WHITENER…use STRAWBERRIES.
If you have a big event coming up and you don’t have the cash to splurge on costly white strips, health.com suggests combining crushed strawberries and a little baking soda for a quick and easy at-home teeth whitening treatment. According to the website, the malic acid in the strawberries acts as an astringent to remove surface level discoloration. Leave this combination on your smile for five minutes once a week and rinse dry. Don’t forget to floss to remove all of the seeds!
 

4. If you don’t have SHAVING CREAM…use SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER
If halfway through your shower you realize you are out of shaving cream, remain calm! You can still wear that cute dress tonight, since combining equal parts shampoo and conditioner will do the trick. Bonus: the conditioner will leave your gams feeling smoother than ever.

5. If all else fails…use BAKING SODA
 Any collegiette who has ever made chocolate chip cookies has some baking soda in the back of her cabinet that she never touches, but now you can use more than just a teaspoon of the stuff every few months. Baking soda can be used for a variety of substitutes from detergent to toothpaste. It can also help clean your fridge, rinse your hairbrushes, de-stink your shoes, and polish your silverware….because we’re all worried about that, right?

Emily Cleary is a 22-year-old news-editorial journalism major hoping to work in the fashion industry, whether that be in editorial, marketing, PR or event planning is TBD. With internships at Teen Vogue and StyleChicago.com, it's clear that she is a fashion fanatic. When she's not studying (she's the former VP of her sorority, Delta Delta Delta), writing for various publications or attending meetings for clubs like Business Careers in Entertainment Club, Society of Professional Journalists, The Business of Fashion Club, or for her role as the Assistant Editor of the Arts & Entertainment section of her school's magazine, she's doing something else; you will never find her sitting still. She loves: running (you know those crazy cross-country runners...), attending concerts and music festivals, shopping (of course), hanging out with friends, visiting her family at home, traveling (she studied abroad in London when she was able to travel all over Europe), taking pictures, tweeting, reading stacks and stacks of magazines and newspapers while drinking a Starbuck's caramel light frappacino, blogs and the occasional blogging, eating anything chocolate and conjuring up her next big project. Living just 20 minutes outside of Chicago, she's excited to live there after graduation, but would love to spend some time in New York, LA, London or Paris (she speaks French)!