Photo: Sky Cloud Pics (Shutterstock)
There are certain things in this world that are just mind-bogglingly useful. Bobby pins? Extremely useful. Cooking spray? You’re definitely not getting the most out of it. Cling wrap? How can’t you use it? Pool noodles? You could be solving so, so many problems using them.
Add to the pantheon of incredibly useful stuff you thought had just one simple application that humble bottle of rubbing alcohol you’ve got stashed under your sink. Isopropyl alcohol was first synthesized back in 1920, and in the ensuing century-plus most of us use it as a quick antiseptic or solvent. And while that alone makes rubbing alcohol pretty useful, there’s a long list of other applications you could—and, honestly, should be using this stuff for.
A few quick cautions, though, because some folks see the word “alcohol” and think this stuff is perfectly safe—it’s not. If you use it with a tiny bit of common sense you’re fine. It doesn’t need to be said that you can not drink rubbing alcohol—this stuff will absolutely kill you. It’s also dangerous to get too much of it on your skin—a small amount as an astringent, antiseptic, or cleanser is fine, but if your skin absorbs too much of it, it can be pretty toxic. It’s also flammable, so keep it away from open flames. Oh, and it will produce poison gas if mixed with bleach, so don’t do that.
With the safety lecture out of the way, here are all the ways you can use rubbing alcohol to make your life better.
