Household Tips: 30 Unusual Uses for Baby Powder (WWII Series)

I don’t know what exactly triggered the idea to do a WWII post on Baby Powder, but when I sent out the call to family and friends I was pleasantly surprised at how useful this little bottle can be. We were able to come up with a list of 30 Frugal Living Tips from WWII. Who would have thought that a powder meant to heal little rashed bottoms, or as my grandmother called them, bums, could do so much.

Health

1. Chafing – to avoid, sprinkle
   the area with a little baby powder.

Beauty

1. Deodorant – to sweat, dust
   sweat prone areas with a little baby powder.
2. Diaper Rash – to soothe,
   dust their little bottoms with baby powder before diapering.
3. Eyelashes – to make them
   look longer, dust your eyelashes with a little baby powder before applying
   mascara.
4. Eyelashes – to add volume, dust
   your eyelashes with a little baby powder before applying mascara.
5. Hands – to soften, use baby
   powder instead of hand lotion.
6. Make-up – to set, use baby
   powder instead of expensive finishing powder.
7. Shampoo – to make your own
   dry shampoo, sprinkle a little baby powder in your hands and rub it into your
   hair.
8. Shaving – use baby powder
   instead of after-shave.
9. Shaving – to prevent
   friction when using an electric razor, lightly dust skin with baby powder
   before shaving.
10. Waxing – to ease pain, dust
    the area with a little baby powder before applying the wax.

Cleaning

1. Blood Stains – to remove, make
   a paste using baby powder and water. Apply the paste to the stain and let it
   dry before brushing the stain away.
2. Grease – to remove from clothing,
   sprinkle both sides of the fabric with a little baby powder. Rub it in and then
   brush away the powder. Repeat until the stain is gone.
3. Pet Accidents – to remove
   odors, wet the area, blot dry and then sprinkle with a little baby powder. Let
   it dry and then vacuum.
4. Sheets – to make them cool,
   sprinkle a little baby powder on them before crawling in.
5. Shoes – to eliminate odors,
   dust the inside with a little baby powder and let them sit overnight.
6. Walls – to remove grease,
   sprinkle some baby powder on a soft cloth and rub the spot until it’s gone.

Garden

1. Ants – to repel, sprinkle
   their trail with some baby powder.
2. Flower Bulbs – to keep them
   from being eaten by garden pests, coat the bulbs with baby powder before planning.
3. Flower Bulbs – to keep them
   from rotting, coat the bulbs with baby powder before planting.

Miscellaneous

1. Beach Sand – to remove
   easily, sprinkle some baby powder on your skin and brush off the sand.
2. Books – to remove mildew
   odors, make sure that the book is dry, than sprinkle the pages with some baby
   powder. Let the books sit for several hours before brushing away the baby
   powder.
3. Books – to remove mold, make
   sure that the book is dry, than sprinkle the pages with some baby powder. Let
   the book sit for several hours before brushing away the baby powder.
4. Floorboards – to keep them
   from squeaking, sprinkle the floor with some baby powder and sweep it into the
   cracks.
5. Necklace – to untangle,
   sprinkle it with baby powder and work out the tangles.
6. Pets – to make them smell
   good, rub a couple of handfuls of baby powder into their fur. Let it sit for a
   couple of minutes and give them a good brushing.
7. Pets – to shine their coats,
   rub a couple of handfuls of baby powder into their fur. Let it sit for a couple
   of minutes and give them a good brushing.
8. Playing Cards – to keep them
   from sticking, place the deck of cards in a bag, sprinkle with a little baby
   powder and give the bag a good shake.
9. Rubber Gloves – to easily
   slip on, dust the inside of the glove with a little baby powder before putting
   them on.
10. Shoelaces
    – to easily remove knots, sprinkle the laces with a little baby powder before
    loosening the knots.