Everybody knows of aspirin as a pain reliever, and it certainly relieves pain. However, aspirin is also a pretty handy item to keep around the house, as it has lots of other uses that don’t relate to getting rid of that headache. Here are 10 out-of-the-bottle uses for aspirin tablets.
1. Patch a Hole in the Wall
No kidding! If you have a little hole in the wall and don’t have sparkle handy (or don’t wan to buy a batch of it for a little nail hole), head to your medicine cabinet. Take a couple of aspirin and crush them up, then add a couple drops of water to form a paste. You can cover the hole with this paste, and it forms a pretty strong patch as it dries.
2. Solve the Itch
Been bitten by a mosquito or have an otherwise annoying itch on your skin? You can soothe it with an aspirin and water paste. Just grab a tablet and crush it with a tiny bit of water, then rub it on and cover with a band-aid.
3. Banish Sweat Stains
Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which goes straight in after the compounds in sweat. Its ability to break down those compounds means that aspirin can get rid of sweat stains on your clothes. Put the affected area in a dish of warm water and stir in 3 crushed aspirin pills. Let it soak for an hour, then wash it with your regular laundry load.
4. Keep Flowers Alive
Your flowers can last days longer if you use a little aspirin. Trim the stems like you normally do, then add a crushed aspirin tablet into the vase of water (make it room temperature). The salicylic acid will keep the water from getting cloudy and germy, helping your flowers stay fresher, longer.
5. Boost a Car Battery
Car got a dead battery? Hopefully you’ve got some aspirin in your purse! Drop two aspirin into the battery cell and let it react with the sulfuric acid there. It can create a jump-starting effect on your battery, which could at least help you get the car started.
6. Soften & Remove Calluses
Got ugly calluses on your feet? Who doesn’t, right? Make a paste with 6 aspirin, a little lemon juice, and water. Apply the paste to your calluses and then wrap a warm towel over your foot, followed by covering with a plastic bag. Wait 15 minutes, then unwrap your foot and use a pumice stone. The calluses will be much easier to remove.
7. Treat Pimples and Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairs can really hurt! And who wants that ugly pimple to stick around any longer than it has to? Aspirin applied to the area can help reduce the pain and swelling. Make a paste with a crushed aspirin or two and a little water. Apply the paste to the area and enjoy the results.
8. Get Rid of Rust
If your bathtub has rust spots, grab the aspirin from your medicine cabinet. Crush up a few tablets and wet the rust spots a bit. Then sprinkle on the aspirin dust and leave it on about 10 minutes to work. You’ll be able to wipe the rust away with a damp cloth.
9. Soothe a Sunburn
Aspirin is a great anti-inflammatory that can help heal your sunburn and make it feel better. Taking is beneficial, but so is making a paste and applying it right to the area.
10. Help Gardens Grow
Aspirin can help fight off different types of garden fungus, and also stimulate growth in plants and flowers. Dissolve one aspirin tablet in a liter of warm water, and sprinkle it conservatively over the soil. It’s a great fertilizer! Just keep the watering can moving so you don’t get too much on one place; the aspirin can burn in higher concentrations.
