How to Get the Most from Your Petroleum Jelly with These Practical Uses for Vaseline
Whatever you call it–petroleum jelly or Vaseline–chances are you are not getting your full money’s worth from the product. This greasy standard found in the medicine cabinets of bathrooms all across the country can be pressed in service for a number of different uses that you may never have thought of before. If you are not using petroleum jelly (or Vaseline or whatever you want to call it) for at least some of the following, you really are wasting money.
Prevent Rust
Did you know that your little bottle of Vaseline can be used to protect your belongings from rust? Any metal parts of the things you own that are subject to rusting can be afforded a level of security through the simple application of petroleum jelly. Generous lubrication of metal that is exposed to the elements that stimulate the process of rusting can at least slow the process and at best completely prevent it.
Let There Be Light
A jar of petroleum jelly should be kept as part of your emergency kit for when the electricity goes out along with a candle that is just long enough to be stuck down into the jar so that only the very tip remains visible. Burying a candle in a jar of Vaseline in this way will prove to come in very handy in any situation in which you are dealing with the dark. For one thing, the vaseline will help extend the life of the flame. Even better is that petroleum jelly will actually make the flame burn brighter and wider.
Leather Softener
Rubbing some petroleum jelly into leather hide will help keep it softer. This principle can be applied equally well to the rawhide of a baseball mitt and the supple quality of driving gloves. Keep your leather boots pliable with the occasional tendering of Vaseline to the exterior. You may even be able to work your way into those tight leather pants more easily if you treat them with petroleum jelly first.
Chronic Nosebleeds
If you suffer from regular when exposed to dry climates, try a little dab of petroleum jelly just inside the nostril on those occasions when you think you are most at risk. The problem may well be that your nose just gets too dry and a tiny bit of Vaseline can help keep it just moist enough to keep it from bleeding.
Where Tape Won’t Work
Ever been painting in delicate areas where there is simply no room to apply tape to keep the paint away? In these situations, you can still protect surfaces you don’t want the paint to get on by first rubbing those areas with petroleum jelly. This won’t keep the paint from crossing over to where you don’t want it to be, but the greasy quality of the layer of Vaseline will allow you to easily wipe away the paint.
Water Damage
When water spills onto the surface of a piece of furniture, you can use petroleum jelly to restore the damaged area overnight. Cover the area where the water spilled with a coating of Vaseline and then just leave it alone for a day. When you come back, use a clean cloth to completely wipe away the petroleum jelly and the damage done by the water stain should disappear with the Vaseline.
