Did you know that good old ChapStick can do a heck of a lot more than heal dry lips? Believe it or not, the very product that you are carrying in your purse right now can be used on clothing, shoes, and even household items, too!
Here are 13 completely unexpected things that a trusty tube of lip balm can do.
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Heals hangnails and papercuts
Standardizer via Wikipedia Commons
A simple dab of original lip balm can seriously reduce the healing time of small lesions and abrasions.
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Tames messy brows
Ilya Yakubovich via Flickr
Don’t be caught buying pricey cosmetics when just a simple swipe of ChapStick can make your brows look like a hundred bucks!
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Keeps tools from rusting
Lisa Risager via Flickr
Coating your tools’ sharpest edges with a bit of lip balm before putting them away helps to keep them well-lubricated and rust-free.
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Fixes sticky light sockets
Gisela Giardino via Flickr
Old light fixtures are notorious for having stubborn sockets, making it difficult to screw in a new bulb when an old one burns out. To loosen the area up, just apply a small amount of ChapStick with a cotton ball—once complete, the light bulb should be a breeze to install.
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Releases zippers
Uwe Hermann via Flickr
A stuck or stubborn zipper doesn’t have to mean a pricey replacement. All you need to do is slick on a bit of your favorite lip balm and gently pull until the zipper releases. This might take a few attempts, but be patient—it’s an on-the-go trick that almost always works like a charm.
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Wards off pesky rodents
RobertKrampf
Any gardener will tell you that dabbing some petroleum jelly onto metal birdhouses, mailboxes, and other yard accessories is the easiest way to deter nosy critters, like squirrels. If you don’t have a jar of Vaseline on-hand, ChapStick works just as well!
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Acts as emergency sun protection
alexisnyal via Flickr
Forget to pack along sunscreen on a particularly bright day? If so, grab a tube of lip balm, preferably with an SPF, and add a generous amount to your face and any other vulnerable areas. It’s not meant to replace sunscreen per se, but it will protect you for a short while if you’re in a pinch.
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Hides cash
401kcalculator.org via Flickr
Planning a trip to the beach, but not sure where to store your cash once you head into the water? Simply place the money in a hollowed-out ChapStick bottle and leave it with your other belongings on the sand. You’ll have peace of mind and no thief will be the wiser!
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Removes stuck rings
sigckgc via Flickr
With hot weather comes swelling—and it ain’t pretty. If you find yourself with an uncomfortable, stuck ring, just apply a liberal amount of lip balm to the area until the jewelry gently slides off. Phew!
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Prevents blisters
Lothar Lee via Flickr
There’s nothing worse than splurging on a pair of super cute shoes to only find out AFTER you wear them that the backs dig into your heels. To ease the pain and prevent blisters, add ChapStick to the affected area before sliding the pumps on.
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Soothes itchy bug bites
Mikadago
Because mosquitos are pretty much inevitable during the summer months, always keep some lip balm on-hand to ease the itch. A few dabs of the medicated variety work best!
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Removes scratches from CDs and DVDs
Rogelio Miranda via Flickr
Applying several layers of ChapStick in a circular motion to a scratched CD or DVD will help the disc play like new again.
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Dissolves long-wear lipstick
www.franchiseopportunities.com/ via Flickr
Because most ladies want their lipsticks to stay on as long as possible, it’s easy to forget that the “kiss-proof” variety can be almost impossible to remove. Instead of scrubbing the color off, just apply a few layers of lip balm and allow time for it to settle. After several minutes, the makeup should easily wipe off with a wet towelette.
See, we told you that ChapStick was versatile! What do you think of this list? Have you tried any of these lip balm cures before? Are there any that you would like to add?
