The Double Lives of Household Products


Even our household items are multitasking these days, and that's just what we need them to do. So dig around in your pantry, refrigerator, laundry closet, and medicine cabinet for items that will do double duty in other areas of the house.


Eliminate ear mites. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson Corn Oil in your cat's ear...massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Kill fleas instantly. Dawn Dish Washing Liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.

Wet Dog Odor. Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Headaches. Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers." (probably because headache is a symptom of dehydration.)

Burn Relief. Did you know that Colgate Toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?

Stuffy Nose? Try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy Muscles From Flu. Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore Throat. Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria, and the honey coats and soothes.

Urinary Tract Infections. Just dissolve two tablets of Alka-Seltzer in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

Skin Blemishes. Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Could work overnight.

Toenail Fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine Mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Splinter. Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Boils. Cover a boil with Hunt's Tomato Paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothes the pain and brings the boil to a head.

Broken Blisters To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine, a powerful antiseptic.

Bruises Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Arthritis Pain. Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.