If there’s a problem, you can google a solution for it or log onto the Reddit and crowd-source some answers.
An AskReddit thread posed the following question, and found pretty good lifehacks!
“What are some lesser-known secondary uses for an everyday product?”
You’d be surprised at what you can do with things like salt, dish soap, and other random household items. Let’s take a look.
15. Salt Is a Great Abrasive
“Use salt as an abrasive and absorber when cleaning. I spray my stove top with a general household cleaner then sprinkle salt liberally over the top. It gets grease out easily.
For liquid stains like wine, I pour salt over the stain to soak up excess liquid then come through with hydrogen peroxide. Finally I get absorbent towels and dab clean it.”
14. Dish Soap Defogs Scuba Equipment
“Scuba diver here. Instead of using those expensive defogger gels and sprays on your mask, smear a bunch of dish soap in it, rinse once or twice, and your mask will never fog during the dive.
You can also use this method to keep your windshield from fogging. Smear a bunch of dish soap on a towel, then rub it all over the inside of your windshield. Take another damp towel and rub the soap off until your wind shield is clear.
I did this 3 weeks ago and have not had to defog a single time since.”
13. Use Bleach To Keep Bugs Away
“Bleach to keep away cockroaches. I used to get big ass cockroaches in the summer that came up my drain.
My exterminator told me to pour 1 cup of bleach down my drain each week. You have to pour it down the drain in the room you see them. I started 18 months ago and haven’t seen a cockroach since.”
12. Salt Gets Gasoline Smell Off Your Hands
“Add salt to your hand wash to get gasoline smell off
Love,
Dad.”
11. Shaving Foam Helps You See Clearly
“Shaving foam reduces\stops misting on bathroom mirrors and car windows.”
10. Toilet Seat Covers Are A Beauty Product
“Toilet seat covers are the same as blotting paper for oily skin.”
9. Another Use for Cooking Oil
“Any kind of cooking oil will easily get pine sap off of your hands.
Just use it like soap.”
8. Cooking Oil Hacks: Part Two
“Any cooking oil is a great way to remove the residue from stickers.
Idk if this is recommended but if you get scratches on wood furniture I’ve always taken a matching washable marker, colored over the scratch, and then wiped it with a damp cloth (to effectively stain the wood back to match).”
7. Use a French Press to Froth Milk!
“If you have a French press for coffee, you can also froth milk in it after. Pour in hot milk and raise and lower the plunger until the volume of the milk has about doubled.
Not my channel, but plugging for James Hoffman. If you like coffee, and want to explore the utter depths of the world of coffee, coffee gear, coffee science in a super chill and informative way, check him out!”
6. Corn Starch Can Heal You
“Corn starch is a good blood coagulant if you need to stop bleeding.”
5. Vagisil Prevent Chafing
“Vagisil for chafing. It’s antibacterial, lubricating, and an anesthetic.
I learned that in the Army.”
4. A New Use for Mascara Wands
“Clean mascara wands are used in animal shelters to soothe the animals by brushing, and to remove fly eggs and larva from fur.”
3. Liquid Detergent Glows
“Liquid Laundry detergent glows under blacklights but is clear under normal light.
You can dip a qtip in some detergent and draw/write on your walls and only see it with a blacklight on.
Different brands glow different colors.
Lots of fun in dorm rooms.”
2. Vaseline Helps You Wipe Dye Away
“Put a somewhat thick layer of vaseline on the skin around your hairline and ears and neck when dying your hair.
If you accidentally get dye on your skin, you can easily wipe it off.”
1. Who Knew Nail Polish Remover Does This?
“If you have a highlighter that’s dying, take the “pen” part of it out of the casing and soak it in nail polish remover.
It will revitalize it to working like new.”
Who knew these humble items had all of these uses? Are there any uses that Redditors missed?
Share them with us in the comments. We’re sure there are many readers who would benefit from these small life hacks!
