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Usually products are designed and created with a specific purpose in mind. They are perfected to deal with a particular issue or they are just commonly used for one thing. If you need your windows cleaned, there’s a specific product for that. You use salt to season your food and usually use bleach to take out stains from white clothing.
But all these products can be used for different intentions. A person whose nickname is secondhandsisters probably had that thought and went to Reddit to ask people “What are some lesser-known secondary uses for an everyday product?” And that created a big and very useful thread with people sharing so many products that don’t have to be used just for what they were initially intended to.
Do you have any advice that really works on how to use everyday items or products? Tell us about it in the comments and then upvote the answers that you will try out yourself!
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Condensed milk for those with chronic vomiting. Not only is it great for cooking, but I had a pharmacist tell me about adding some water till it is the consistency of thick soup. Get the person to sip small amounts of it slowly. It helps line the oesophagus to reduce vomiting, and allowing medication time to hit the stomach and work. Also provides much needed sugar. I’ve used it on kids and adults and it’s worked a treat every time
RELATED:
#2
add salt to your hand wash to get gasoline smell off
Love,
Dad
#3
I carry a garlic press in my purse so that when I'm out at a restaurant I can make a small amount of baby food out of any steamed vegetable.
#4
As a mechanic, a flat-head screwdriver is a pry-bar, package opener, square-head (Robertson) screwdriver, hose-pick, a punch, test-lead, electrical bridge, scraper, chisel, and least importantly, a flat-head screwdriver.
#5
Corn starch is a good blood coagulant if you need to stop bleeding
#6
Clean mascara wands are used in animal shelters to soothe the animals by brushing, and to remove fly eggs and larva from fur.
#7
If you have a landline telephone, the dial tone is a concert F.
By holding the phone to your ear and your finger on the first fret of the first string of your guitar (for example) you can use the dial tone as a reference pitch and accurately tune up without a tuner
#8
Coffee grounds are quite versatile. Among other things, you can use them for:
A soil additive to improve the pH balance for plants
Place them in a refrigerator to neutralize odors
Scour pots and pans
De-icing your steps and driveway
An ant repellent
An exfoliating scrub for your skin
#10
Any kind of cooking oil will easily get pine sap off of your hands. Just use it like soap.
#11
I wrap those thick rubber bands (you know the ones that come around broccoli crowns) around tight jar lids to make them grippy and easy to undo.
#12
Blue Dawn dish soap works really well on clothing stains.
Warloew Brinn 3 years ago
I spent years in the Marina Industry and it works really well for zipping people down water slides as well.
#13
Vagisil for chafing. It's antibacterial, lubricating, and an anesthetic. I learned that in the army
#14
Vinegar is amazing. It can be used as a cheap household cleaner, refresh the coffee maker, and it can cure foot fungus and jock itch.
H Edwards 3 years ago
Please note that this refers to white vinegar (white wine or cider vinegar can work too) and definitely NOT balsamic like the picture. I use diluted vinegar with a few drops of essential oil as a spray for the garbage bin, and you can put it in the washing machine to get rid of musty smells in clothes. I always have a massive jug of white vinegar in the house, it's very useful. Oh, and for cleaning glass.
#15
Your library card can do a lot more than let you borrow books.
It allows you to take free courses on Lynda, or learn a language, and even stream movies. A lot of libraries also have video game rentals, which a lot of people don't know about.
#16
Bottom shelf cheap VODKA.... Put it in a spray bottle and squirt in on your bathroom walls to kill mold, squirt it on clothes to remove any odors, use it to clean mirrors, glass, windows.
Skull in Sky 3 years ago
If you do put vodka on clothes, you will smell like vodka. Is that a win?
#17
Peroxide gets blood stains out
Karina Henschel 3 years ago
baking powder does the job as well. had some bad blood stains on my favourite pants due to bleeding while pregnant. when I came home after an emergency c-section I restored said pants the their former glory. but you have to put it in cold water beforehand.
#18
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.
#19
Scissors make for an excellent pizza cutter
Burs 3 years ago
I actually prefer to use them. You have more grip and control, with the pizza cutter I always make a mess
Karen Grace 3 years ago
Agreed. I never want to go back to a pizza cutter. Scissors works so much better.
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Graham Baker 3 years ago
if you’re using scissors as dirty as the ones in the pictures, that sounds kind of unsanitary. if you have dedicated scissors for cutting pizza and you wash them after use then yeah, go ahead!
Memere 3 years ago
I have a pair of dedicated kitchen scissors & use them on all kinds of foods, not just pizza. They're washed up every single time I use them. They live in my utensil drawer & never leave the kitchen. And they are easily sanitized in the dishwasher.
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mcborge1 3 years ago
I got a cutter and board a few weeks back from Aldi's, works a treat. :) pizza-boar...112b61.jpg 
Mz Phit 3 years ago
But if you use anyone's fabric scissors, be prepared to pay the consequences of such a dastardly deed!!!
Anapv 3 years ago (edited)
Never use fabric scissors, get big cheap scissors only for the kitchen and don't forget to clean them after use
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Monday 3 years ago
You can use scissors on hotdog buns as well, cut a slit open at the top of the bun and fill it with all the delicious sauces you want for a fraction of the mess.
Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
I miss Wiener Wagons! So much less messy and less likely to fall apart.
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John Hopkins 3 years ago
Rocking pizza cutter is by far the best and fastest. I'm also a pizza chef :).
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 3 years ago
Uh... why not? They work really well, actually. I mean, sure - if you want to spare your pizza-board from harm, I guess using scissors is a good choice, but what's wrong with a knife?
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Anita Pickle 3 years ago
Not those in the picture, those are safety scissors and they look nasty
Tom Spade 3 years ago
And for cutting open Capri Sun pouches, so that several can be squeezed out into a mason jar, for proper consumption, lol. I hate those tiny straws...
Memere 3 years ago
And you can see if there's anything growing in it before you start drinking it, lol
Load More Replies... Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
I like to use my clever, just pressing down to cut. Its height keeps fingers away from napalm - I mean hot cheese.
Marcellus II 3 years ago
Ahrg god no, there's a pizzeria chain in germany that serves you cloth scissors for that purpose. Hint: If a country of 60million that eats pizza multiple times per week doesn't ever do it, it's probably not the best solution. A pizza wheel is easier to clean, works better, and is cheaper.
Kaliesin 3 years ago
Mate. If you find a pizza cutter better that is enough of a reason - you don't need the illusory back up of 60 mil people to make your opinion more valid! You can live outside of the box of what other people do
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H Edwards 3 years ago
Why ew? I use scissors for all sorts of things in the kitchen, I keep them clean so what's the issue?
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#20
WD 40 removes old adhesives from any thing with out damage or staining or discoloration
#21
Use vet wrap instead of sports tape. It's basically the same thing but much less expensive.
#22
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.
Skull in Sky 3 years ago
If you happened to buy the toy for frothing milk Ikea sells, you will do much better if you take quarter cup of milk, heat it for 10s on 800W in microwave and then froth it. (the milk does froth at about 40°C because the proteins start changing their shape and actually allow longer strands that are necessary to make the structure last.
#23
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.
Nugua Nugua 3 years ago (edited)
My hairdresser always does this, for people who get perms too.
#24
Keep a bag of cat litter in the trunk of the car, in case you need extra traction if you get stuck in ice or snow.
#25
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.
(Don't do this if you have a septic tank)
#26
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
Skull in Sky 3 years ago
this will work only when the highlighter has dried out and the pigments are still in it. If you do use it out and do try this, it will eventually stop highlighting.
#27
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).
Andy Acceber 3 years ago
I use sharpies on wood scratches. They come in lots of colors, and if you're quick, you can still wipe away excess to get a nice blend. They're permanent, so there's no need to worry about it coming off on people's hands or washing away.
#28
Makeup remover wipes are really good at getting bike chain grease off your hands.
#29
A jeweler's loupe can double as a macro lens for your cell phone.
#30
Shaving foam reducesstops misting on bathroom mirrors and car windows.
What do you think ?
Adam Löfgren 3 years ago
I feel like I got scammed here, never thought you would do this to me Bored Panda 🥺
NsG 3 years ago (edited)
Slightly amusingly, because of how the screen refreshes, I reckon I've probably seen at least four of these hacks just from the main page. Unfortunately, I don't have the patience to keep refreshing until I get to all 37.
NsG 3 years ago
So far I've seen "cooking oil gets pine sap off your hands", "makeup remover wipes also remove bike chain grease off your hands", "adding salt to handwash removes the smell of gasoline", and "toilet seat covers are like blotting paper for oily skin" (unused, I hope, but without the full article we may never know...)
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Viv Justviv 3 years ago
What do I think about this recipe? Disappointed - I thought I was going to learn some life hacks from this "recipe" & instead the page wouldn't display anything but "Did you make this recipe?, etc."
Human #1,232,867 3 years ago
My best finding is that a cheap Amzn.to/3Forcl3 works super good on removing tree resin after using my hedge trimmer. Nothing can beat that.
Aroace tiger (any pronouns) 3 years ago (edited)
What happened?? Bp is broken edit: it's fixed lol
Agnes Jekyll 3 years ago
My favourite is baby powder to remove grease stains on your clothing. Just jump it on the grease before you wash and it takes it right out.
That_One_Harry_Potter_Nerd 3 years ago
I found a really great video that has a few of these tips and more in it. I’ve used a bunch of them. https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Adam Löfgren 3 years ago
I feel like I got scammed here, never thought you would do this to me Bored Panda 🥺
NsG 3 years ago (edited)
Slightly amusingly, because of how the screen refreshes, I reckon I've probably seen at least four of these hacks just from the main page. Unfortunately, I don't have the patience to keep refreshing until I get to all 37.
NsG 3 years ago
So far I've seen "cooking oil gets pine sap off your hands", "makeup remover wipes also remove bike chain grease off your hands", "adding salt to handwash removes the smell of gasoline", and "toilet seat covers are like blotting paper for oily skin" (unused, I hope, but without the full article we may never know...)
Load More Replies... Viv Justviv 3 years ago
What do I think about this recipe? Disappointed - I thought I was going to learn some life hacks from this "recipe" & instead the page wouldn't display anything but "Did you make this recipe?, etc."
Human #1,232,867 3 years ago
My best finding is that a cheap Amzn.to/3Forcl3 works super good on removing tree resin after using my hedge trimmer. Nothing can beat that.
Aroace tiger (any pronouns) 3 years ago (edited)
What happened?? Bp is broken edit: it's fixed lol
Agnes Jekyll 3 years ago
My favourite is baby powder to remove grease stains on your clothing. Just jump it on the grease before you wash and it takes it right out.
That_One_Harry_Potter_Nerd 3 years ago
I found a really great video that has a few of these tips and more in it. I’ve used a bunch of them. https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Related on Bored Panda
