Are you enjoying this series as much as I am? Week after week I’m more and more amazed at what these common household products can do. There are just so many uses that I never imaged, it makes me miss my grandma’s household tips journal that much more.
Why wasn’t I ever taught all of these valuable tips? I think over the years, as our mother’s and grandmother’s joined the work force, they didn’t have time or just overlooked some of these home remedies and tricks. I think it’s our responsibility to pass these tips and tricks on to our children. Many of the unusual uses that I list every week are ones that have been handed down in our family. However, I have added some additional uses to help make the list as complete as possible. If you have any tips and tricks that aren’t mentioned please leave me a comment and I will add it to the post.
This weeks WWII post for Rubbing Alcohol contains 35 uses. I rarely use the stuff, but I always have it in the medicine cabinet just in case. After creating this list I’m sure that it will become a regular purchase.
35 Unusual Uses for Rubbing Alcohol
1. Sterilizer – use it to sterilize items such as thermometers
2. Nail Fungus – soak feet in equal parts water and alcohol.
3. Muscles – rub on sore muscles to relieve pain.
4. Joints – rub on sore joints to relieve pain.
5. Ear Wax Removal – dab equal parts alcohol and vinegar into ear, repeat every other week.
6. Swimmers Ear – pour a little into the ear, the alcohol helps to evaporate the water and prevent an infection.
7. Athlete’s Feet – rub on feet daily to avoid.
8. Hand Sanitizer – mix together 3 parts rubbing alcohol and 1 part aloe vera gel.
9. Ticks – to remove, dab with rubbing alcohol, then grab with a pair of tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Wipe the area with alcohol to disinfect.
10. Mosquito Bites – to relieve itching and aid in healing, dab rubbing alcohol on the bites.
11. Cold Sores – to heal, dab alcohol on the sore.
12. Window Cleaner – to make your own, mix 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 2 tablespoons ammonia, 3 1/2 cups water and a drop of dish soap.
13. Hairspray – to remove from mirrors and countertops, spray the area with alcohol and wipe to a sparkle.
14. Windshield – to remove frost, fill a spray bottle with alcohol and spray on windshield.
15. Paint, Ink & Marker Stains – to remove, soak the spot for a few minutes before washing.
16. Permanent Marker – to remove from hard surfaces, saturate the area and wipe away.
17. Makeup Brushes – to sanitize, soak brushes in alcohol for 30 minutes and allow them to air dry. Repeat every couple of weeks.
18. Ring Around the Collar – to prevent, wipe some rubbing alcohol on your neck before dressing.
19. Stainless Steel Cleaner – rubbing alcohol will remove fingerprints and smudges. It will also leave a nice shine.
20. Degreaser – rubbing alcohol can be used to remove grease on appliances, countertops, cabinets.
21. Carpet – to remove grease, apply rubbing alcohol to a rag and lightly rub the stain.
22. Electronics – to clean, wipe with a rag dampened with rubbing alcohol.
23. Eyeglasses – to clean, lightly spray glasses with rubbing alcohol and wipe away with a soft cloth.
24. Jewelry – to clean, soak jewelry in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes, remove and polish with a soft, clean cloth.
25. Fruit Flies – to kill, spray the flies with a fine mist of rubbing alcohol.
26. Dust Mites/Bed Bugs – to kill, spray a light mist of rubbing alcohol on bed, allow to dry and vacuum.
27. Air Freshener – to make your own, mix 1 cup rubbing alcohol with 10-15 drops of essential oil.
28. Sticky Residue – to remove, soak the area for a few minutes in rubbing alcohol before wiping it away.
29. Ice Pack – to make your own, pour 1 part rubbing alcohol with 3 parts water in a freezer bag and freeze.
30. Nail Polish – to remove, try using a little rubbing alcohol when you’re in a pinch.
31. Candles – to clean, use a damp rag to wipe away dust and grime.
32. Dry Erase Board – to clean, wipe with a rag that has been dampened with rubbing alcohol.
33. Shoes – to stretch, apply a thin coat of rubbing alcohol to the interior and exterior of the shoes, then place on your feet or a shoe stretcher.
34. Hands – to remove odors, rinse hands with rubbing alcohol.
35. Shoes – to remove odors, spray shoes with rubbing alcohol and place in a sunny spot to dry.
Rubbing Alcohol image adapted from Wikihow.com image per a Google Labeled for Reuse Search.
** If, by some small miracle, you worked at Amway in Ada, MI and were the person my mother loaned the notebook to, please contact me. The notebook is a small (approx 6×9), black, 3-ring binder, and contains hand drawn patterns (teddy bear), recipes, tips and tricks. It would mean so much to my family to have it back.
These are great. When I was in college I worked in a pharmacy, and we would wipe down our counters with alcohol. Since it was so cheap, and effective, I started doing it in my dorm room! I would wipe down the dresser and mini fridge…all my friends thought I was nuts!
I wipe my bathrooms down with alcohol; To Kim of Mo Betta it looks like to me you should have taken your learnings home with you too. I works.
It works
These are great tips! I really love this series, thanks so much!
Super duper wow! Loved reading these factoids! Thanks for sharing! Just be careful with it when using around kitchen and any open flame. It's very flammable. 🙂
xoxo laurie
I love this stuff!! great list
Loving these ti0ps! There were several I did not know. Can;t wait to see what you come up with next.
Yay for the doing things the old fashioned way! I already knew a few of these uses, but learned some new ones. Hope you can stop by the enchanted oven.
xo,
Lisa
Thanks so much for linking up to Project Inspire{d} ~ I just love great household tips from the past!
Have a wonderful week.
Hugs, Mary Beth
The things you learn on the internet! I knew a few of these, but your list is great. Sadly, rubbing alcohol is quite expensive here.
Where do you live? We can get it for 1.00 here.
Blog hopping and you know I love how you remind me of what I can use instead of spending $ for other products. I love the old skool remedies, especially apple cider vinegar, baking soda and peroxide.
Thanks for linking up to 'Saturday Sparks'. Love your list of 'alcohol uses. I use alcohol to clean my windows by spraying it on and wiping it down with newspaper. It leaves them sparkly clean with no streaks. I will have to try some of the other uses listed.
Thanks for sharing,
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes
Great tips!
I'm loving these WWII post! I didn't know about a lot of these uses. Thanks for linking up at Transformed Tuesday
Hugs,
Peggy
Another great post! I knew quite a few of these, but also learned some new uses. In fact when I was a teen my mom did the alcohol trick to remove a tick from my neck. I didn't know it dried out cold sore (which I had alot growing up), but I did dab it on my zits to dry them out in high school. lol! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
This is a great list! Didn't know some of these. Thanks for sharing this at Crafty Thursday Obsessions. Have a great week <3
very interesting list, I think I learned some new things today, thanks!
I love the idea for hand sanitize r & never knew there were so many ideas. Thanks for linking up & sharing. I hope to drop into your party soon! We have had a bit of the flu running through our house… Glad to catch up with you today! Visiting from DearCreatives.com hope to see you again soon! Theresa
I look so forward to your awesome tips each week!!! Thank you so much for sharing at A Bouquet of Talent!! Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs
Kathy
Dirty microfiber sofa?? Rubbing alcohol removes dirt n stains (most). Just wet n rub w white cloth or soft brush
Great list but do you think it would work as a degreaser for engine parts? I.e. heads pushrods, rocker arms?
In my experience, yes. Just let out shit on the area for a couple minutes and then wash or wipe away.
Oh lol.and hair dye. It will get hair dye of walls, sinks, your skin, everything.
My friends think I am nuts, I keep s, spray bottle of running alcohol in my purse at all times. It is also great for lice. I know some think it would be toi abrasive for the scalp, but the live shampoos are so much harsher on the skin. Just saturate hair root to tip, put in mint based conditionrr (suave makes a great rosemary mint shampoo and conditioner dvds its only two dollars a bottle) leave in give minutes, then comb out dead lice. The rubbing alcohol kills them on contact
Its great for lice as well. Using either 70 or 91%, saturate entire head root to tips, put in a mint based conditioner ( suave makes one for two dollars a bottle) leave in five minutes, then comb out dead bugs snd dried nits with lice comb. I keep,it in spray bottles and the kids give theirs heads a quick spray before school, especially the girls. My friends think I'm nuts, but I promise it works.
Very interesting article! I really like the window cleaner idea from the WWII! Thanks!
Removing hairspray with alcohol is a fantastic idea. All my mirrors are stained. It is a disaster. Every time I try not to spray the mirror but I can`t manage to do it. I suppose cleaning is my second option. 🙂 Best regards!
Wow, I had no idea! Pinning these fabulous tips to share and refer back to. Thanks!
Glad that you liked it. Try using it to make window cleaner, it works great for that.
I love this kind of stuff! I use rubbing alcohol to clean the holes in my ears (from earrings). Whenever I got an infection, I always used rubbing alcohol. My Mom is the one who told me about it. Thank you!
Come to think of it I used to use rubbing alcohol for my pierced ears too. Another use to add to the list.
I love these kinds of posts that share ideas on how to use every day items for other purposes than their intended. Thanks for sharing at From the Archives Friday link party!
Using common household products for things other than what they were intended is one of my favorite ways to save a little money. The best part is that they work and most of the time better.
I’ve done some of these, but clearly not all. What a great list!
Thank you, I was pretty amazed at how many things it could be used for too!
Great list! I’ve used rubbing alcohol to get paint off my wood floors and it worked like a charm!
I’ll have to try it next time I get paint on the floors. Thanks for the tip.
Instead of Deodorant, or Antiperspirant I use rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Just don’t use it after shaving under your arms. Works greeeat.
I imagine it would hurt pretty bad right after shaving.
When I lived in Arizona in my younger years, I mixed cold water and rubbing alcohol in 2:1 ratio in the bathroom sink. Then I would soak a wash cloth in it and apply it to key points of my body after exposure to the insain heat they have there. The parts I focused on were behind the knees, inside elbow, and behind the neck. It’s the quickest way to bring your body temperature down if you get over heated. Faster then a cool shower and anything else you can think of. I learned this trick from a guy who worked in construction and was out in the heat for a long time. It works!
When my son was very young he ran a really high temperature and had to be rushed to the hospital. One of the things that they did to bring down his temperature was to rub him down with rubbing alcohol. I never thought about doing the same thing for heat exposure. Thanks for the tip!
Well, I never thought of utilizing it for a high fever either! My daughter would occasionally get a really high fever too and I NEVER thought to use alcohol. Duh! 😉 I should have. 😉
It is great for a sponge bath , if your shower is not working ! Just wet a wash cloth . wring it out and saturate it with 91 percent alcohol! Also I use it if my cat spits up a hair ball . I clean it up, then pour 91 percent alcohol. On the spot ! I feel it kills germs. And drays out quicker .
I keep mine in the refrigerator, it feels so good on sore achy muscles!!
Thanks much for the great tips😀
Can I spray my wood steps beforehand to prevent ice build up without damaging them
I’ve never used it on wood or used to prevent build up, so I don’t know if it would damage them or not, sorry!
i use rubbing alc to clear my sinuses…not for softies but it works.
My eye doctor told me not to use alcohol on glasses with coated lenses because the alcohol will remove the coating. 👓♥️
Can’t seem to buy this in any of the chemist
It is really hard to find right now because people are buying it up. It is a really good disinfectant!
If i wanted to reuse a spray bottle and i removed the label, how do i get the sticky glue off the bottle.
I have tried soaking a paper towel with alcohol and wiping it ,to remove the glue, but it did
not work, what else is there to do.
Try this:
https://flusterbuster.com/easily-remove-stickers-or-labels-from-plastic.html
I keep a spray bottle of 91% rubbing alcohol in my garage. After I have been outside walking or gone to the grocery store where hundreds of other people have walked I spray the bottoms of my shoes. I feel this helps kill the germs on my shoes so I don’t bring them into my home.
I killed bedbugs with alcohol. And I sprayed my sheets and mattress as well. Also dotted some on my skin before going to bed. No more bites or bedbugs