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Perhaps you have an entire bag of cotton balls under the bathroom sink that could probably last you until the end of time. Cotton balls are inexpensive in bulk and surprisingly versatile, serving many purposes aside from removing nail polish. Here are some ways that cotton balls can make your life easier.
1) Room freshener:
Soak a cotton ball in your favorite scent — lilac, vanilla, gardenia, take your pick — and place the cotton ball in your vacuum cleaner. As you vacuum, the scent will slowly release into the room making the room smell fresh and not like vacuum dust.
2) Refrigerator potpourri:
Soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract and place it at the back of your fridge. This will help eliminate the lingering scent of food, whether it’s just a strong smell or maybe it’s been hidden at the back of the top shelf for too long.
3) Prevent blisters:
When you are trying desperately to break in that new pair of shoes, it’s hard to avoid blisters. Use a bandage to hold a cotton ball in place over those painful spots on your feet while you get through the new shoe stage.
4) Deter critters from your garden:
Soak a few cotton balls in distilled white vinegar, place them in a plastic container and poke two holes in the lid. Rabbits will steer clear of your garden without experiencing harm.
5) Purse perfume:
Spritz a cotton ball with your favorite perfume and drop it in your purse. Replace it every two weeks to keep your purse smelling nice and fresh.
6) Fight mildew:
Unfortunately mildew collects in the most hard-to-reach spots in the bathroom and kitchen. Soak a cotton ball in bleach and let it sit on those seemingly inaccessible spots for a couple hours then use warm water to wipe the area.
7) Grow beans:
Image Credit: theimaginationtree.com
This is a great way to teach your kids how plants grow because you can see the whole plant so easily. Plus, they grow quickly, so your kids will be fascinated with the growth. Find more detail here.
8) Remove permanent marker:
Image credit: Brian Timmermeister
For those times when the little tykes get creative with permanent markers on their skin, dip a cotton ball in milk and apply to the skin to help remove the evidence.
9) Protect your rubber gloves:
For those of you ladies with long, beautiful nails, put cotton balls at the ends of the fingers of your rubber gloves to protect them from holes and other damage your nails might cause. This will save you money when you don’t have to buy new gloves after every use.
10) Protect little fingers from slamming drawers:
Secure a cotton ball or two to the ends of your cabinet drawers to protect your kids’ little fingers from harm when someone gets careless and slams them.
11) Keep away mice and ants:
Soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil to act as pest repellent. Put the cotton balls in those trouble areas and mice and ants will stay away.
12) Start a fire:
Image Credit: akiko yanagawa
Apply Vaseline to a cotton ball to help you start a fire. Read more here.
