Petroleum jelly is a great topical ointment for skin, but there is much more to it than that. Do you not just love it when you can find household uses for coconut oilor other household items you already have on hand for something else? Petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, is one of those jack-of-all-trades products. So, what are the home uses for Vaseline?
The home uses for petroleum jelly run the gamut from helping with DIY projects to controlling pests. Here are nine helpful ways you can use Vaseline around the house:
- Silence Squeaky Doors
Do you have a squeaky door? Instead of buying a specialty oil to lubricate a hinge, reach for the petroleum jelly. Just a spread a little dab of it along the length of the hinge. Open and close the door a few times to let the oil work into the hinge, and your squeak should be gone.
- Fix Squeaky Faucets
Speaking of squeaks, you can also silent a squeaky faucet with petroleum jelly. Just unscrew the faucet handles. Coat both the handle threads and the stem threads with a bit of petroleum jelly. When you reassemble the faucet, the handles should now be silent when you turn them.
- Open Windows Easily
Do you have a hard-to-open window? Over time, windows can start to stick and become a bear to open. Even if you keep the window edges and their sliding grooves as clean as possible, you can have this problem. Try this: using a small paint brush or foam brush, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to the sliding grooves of your stubborn window. You will find your window will open much more easily.
- Unstick A Lock
Dealing with a sticky lock is usually a problematic DIY projectthat can require a locksmith. But before you make that locksmith call, try using petroleum jelly on your key. Just coat the business end of your key with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. It should then slide into the lock easily.
- Help Your Drawers Glide
You know how frustrating it is when a drawer refuses to budge. Whether it is a refrigerator bin drawer or a cabinet or furniture drawer, one of life’s little annoyances is a drawer going in cockeyed, because it jams up, or worse, refuses to open. Here is how to fix a sticky drawer: simply use a little petroleum jelly. Coat the bottom edges of your drawers with a thin layer of petroleum jelly to ensure that your drawers will always open and close smoothly.
- Prevent Stuck Light Bulbs
Have you ever tried to unscrew a lightbulb only to have the bulb break in your hand because its base is too firmly attached to the lamp or fixture it is in? Not only is this annoying, it can cause injury. To avoid this potential mishap, always coat the threads of a new lightbulb with a bit of petroleum jelly before you screw it in. When you go to remove it later, it will unscrew easily and safely.
- Trap Flies
Are you having a problem with flies? Don’t spray dangerous chemicals or spend the money on fly traps. You can make your own “fly paper” with a little Vaseline. Melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of petroleum jelly and pour it into a little dish or jar lid. Then leave it in the areas where flies are buzzing about. The flies will land in the petroleum jelly and get stuck.
- Help Shower Curtains Glide
Shower curtain hooks have a way of getting bunched up and sometimes hung up on their rod so you cannot move them easily. If you want to avoid this inconvenience, rub a thin coating of Vaseline along the top of your shower curtain rod so your shower curtain hooks skim along the rod the way you want them to.
- Make Painting Easier
The next time you paint, do not bother buying painter’s tape. You can use petroleum jelly instead. With your finger, a small brush, or a narrow foam brush, put a thin coating of petroleum jelly at the edges of where you’re going to paint. You can do this on molding, bare floors, door knobs, or other door hardware, as well as on window glass. Now paint as usual. When you are done painting, use a wet rag to wipe up the paint-smeared petroleum jelly. I like using petroleum jelly better than using painter’s tape because I never seem to be able to pull off painter’s tape in on long strip, and I end up having scrape off little bits of tape at a time.
Vaseline will help with your creative wall paintingas well. Instead of using painter’s tape to tape off stripes or designs before you paint, use a coating of petroleum jelly. The paint will not stick to the jelly. When the new paint is thoroughly dry, just clean off the jelly with a wet rag.
As you can see, petroleum jelly can be a handy household and DIY helper. Have you found any uses for Vaseline around the house? Please share what is working for you in the comments below.
Author: Ande Waggener
