I transformed my rusty drain in minutes with tomato sauce – and the cleaning hack also works on sinks, toilets and brass

A mum has revealed how a $5 pantry staple is the simple secret behind her perpetually sparkling bathroom drains.

The New Zealand woman did not know how to clean a dirty drain, covered with brown rust, so she decided to use an unconventional solution.

The mother covered the bathroom cabinet with tomato sauce and left it for a few hours before wiping it clean.

Drain stains are usually a buildup of mineral deposits that remain because water collects around the area and then evaporates.

The acid from the tomato sauce helps break down the dirt and grime – and can also be used on faucets, sinks and kitchen utensils.

A mum has revealed how a $5 pantry staple is the simple secret behind her perpetually sparkling bathroom drains

Drain stains are a buildup of mineral deposits that remain because water collects around the area and then evaporates. Acid from the tomato sauce helps break down the dirt and buildup

The woman revealed photos of her success on social media to others who shared her struggles.

“Good old tomato sauce,” she captioned the images. ‘Apply, let sit for a few hours and then wipe off.’

Many others have previously used the seasoning on various items in their home, including to clean old, tarnished copper items.

‘Tomato sauce is great for brown water stains!’ said another woman, along with photos of her toilet.

‘Don’t scrub. I hung up a load of laundry, came back and the brown was gone!’ she added. ‘Previously I would have spent hours scrubbing with different chemicals and mitts to achieve the same result.’

Kirrilly, from Western Australia, was tired of spending hours scrubbing away stubborn brown water stains that wouldn’t remove

But others claim the hack didn’t work for them.

“I tried tomato sauce on my tap for two days and it didn’t help,” said one.

“I’ve tried to remove mine numerous times because my drain is very moldy but I can’t get it out,” another wrote.