Part 2 - The Bathroom - 101 New Uses for Everyday Items

A soak in the tub can wash away your cares, but there's more magic to be found in the medicine cabinet.

The Bathroom

Baby Oil

Remove latex paint from skin. Pour a generous amount of baby oil on a cotton ball and scrub.

Untangle a necklace chain. Massage a dab of oil onto the tangled area, then use a straight pin to carefully pull apart the knot.

Peel off bandages. Avoid involuntary hair removal — and extra agony — by rubbing baby oil over and around the sticky parts of an adhesive bandage before pulling it off.

Slip off a stuck ring. Massage oil onto your finger and rotate the ring until you can slide it off. (This trick works to get body parts out of a number of sticky situations.)

Dental Floss

Unstick a photograph. Slide a length of dental floss under the corner of a photo that’s stuck to an album page or another snapshot. Work the floss between the two surfaces to separate them without damaging the picture.

Save a necklace. Rescue a busted strand by threading the beads onto dental floss for a quick, sturdy fix.

Hang a painting. To hang lightweight artwork that’s not in a heavy frame with glass, use dental floss in place of picture wire.

String a popcorn garland during the holidays. Just thread the floss through a needle as you would ordinary sewing thread.

Tie your hair back before you wash your face if you don’t have an elastic.

Cut a cheesecake. Use unwaxed, unflavored floss to slice any soft cheeses, layer cakes, or homemade cinnamon buns from a roll.

Antacid Tablets

Clean a toilet. Toss in two dissolving antacid tablets, such as Alka-Seltzer, wait 20 minutes, then brush.

Remove a stain from a vase’s bottom. Drop a tablet in a little water and let it sit for several minutes. Wipe and rinse.

Soothe a sting. Dissolve two tablets in a glass of water, then dab on bug bites.

Impress a kid with a fun science experiment. Pour water into a plastic 35-millimeter-film canister until it is one-third full, drop in a tablet, replace the lid, and quickly place the canister upside down on the ground. Stand back. In 5 to 10 seconds, the gas pressure will make the canister pop its lid and shoot several feet into the air.

Cotton Swabs

Touch up paint on cabinets or walls, or use a swab to apply wood stain to elaborate carvings on furniture or scratches on furniture and floors.

Keep your phone charged. Use a swab dipped in alcohol to clean the battery contacts of a cordless phone, cell phone, or laptop. This will help maintain good battery connections and sustain the charge for a longer time.

Make a face. Apply Halloween greasepaint with a swab and save your makeup brushes for the good stuff.

Tote touch-up makeup in a tiny evening bag by rubbing cotton swabs in concealer and eye shadow, sealing them in a plastic bag, and tucking the bag into your clutch.

Take a shine to your silver. Use a swab to apply polish to crevices in flatware or tea services.