8 Surprising Uses for Vaseline

Wooden floors are great to look at – and, admittedly, they’re a lot easier to keep clean compared to carpets. When you’ve just moved into a new place, however – or if you’re changing things up in your existing property – moving furniture around can be hard to do without scuffing or scratching the floor in some way. Thankfully, there’s a quick, cheap, and simple solution – you guessed it, Vaseline. All you have to do is coat the scuff or scratch in it and leave for a whole 24 hours to work its magic. When you wipe the Vaseline off, the marks should be a lot less obvious than they were before. This also works on scratched furniture.

If you’re a naturally clumsy person, you’re probably used to getting the odd minor cut or scrape every now and then – or maybe you have a young child that’s always falling over or bumping into things. Alternatively, you could be a chef that’s accustomed to minor burns as a professional hazard. Well, whenever you need it and whatever the reason, Vaseline can be used to treat and heal minor burns and cuts – without the need for a full first aid kit. Of course, the affected area should be cleaned and sterilized first, but applying a generous coat of Vaseline before covering with a bandage or plaster will help to speed up the healing process.

It’s not unusual for one or more of the doors in your home to get squeaky hinges – especially if they’re fairly old. While it’s not a huge problem in relative terms, it can get extremely annoying to hear the high pitched sound whenever someone opens or closes a door. Most people would think of oiling the hinges, but not everyone has oil lying around – plus, it can stain. You’ll be pleased to know, therefore, that there’s a much simpler solution – Vaseline. And even better, it’s something that a lot of people will already have in their cupboard. Just rub the jelly onto the hinges, and it should have an immediate effect. Open and close the door a few times so that the Vaseline can get right into the nooks and crannies.

One of the worst substances that you can get stuck on something is chewing gum – and when it’s a gum that’s dried onto the surface of something, it can be near on impossible to get rid of. Whether it’s on railings, stuck to the floor, or underneath tables; it’s one of the hardest things to remove. Forget getting on your hands and knees to scrape for hours on end – there’s a much simpler solution. Just apply a generous amount of Vaseline to the gum and affected area, then leave it for a while – the bigger and more stubborn the gum, the longer you should leave it. Wait until it’s softened, and you should be able to wipe it away without much difficultly.

Line your nails with Vaseline before you paint them. The jelly will keep polish from spreading outside your nail.

We’ve all got at least one item of clothing that features a zipper fastening, whether it’s a coat, jacket, or pair of pants. While zippers work most of the time brilliantly, they can sometimes get stuck – and the majority of us have been in this situation at least once in our lives. It’s never easy to get a zipper unstuck, but we’ve got a simple yet effective solution for you. Yes, you guessed it: Vaseline. Put some on the end of a q-tip and then swab the zipper. You may need to wiggle it around for a while to loosen it, but it will soon come loose and leave you ready to continue with your day.

If the soles of your feet are dry, hard, and/or cracked, you’re not alone – it’s a common problem for people of all ages. Not only that, but it’s also pretty hard to get rid of with the usual moisturizers that you buy from drug stores – and the worse it gets, the harder it is it to treat and, consequently, get rid of. Spread Vaseline on your feet before you go to bed, and cover with fuzzy socks. You'll wake up with soft skin that will look and feel like you got a pedicure.