When faced with a difficult problem, we human beings devise the most ingenious solutions. During World War II, American soldiers—provided with packs of Wrigley’s spearmint gum in their ration kits—used the chewed-up gum to patch Jeep tires, gas tanks, life rafts, and parts of airplanes. During the Gulf War, American soldiers saturated Pampers disposable diapers with water to give themselves showers, treat heat exhaustion, and avoid dehydration in the blistering hot deserts of Saudi Arabia. On April 30, 1998, a tanker truck flipped over on Interstate 74 in Cincinnati, Ohio, spilling four tons of inedible industrial animal fat. After workers tried unsuccessfully to clean up the spill with several industrial solvents, Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble donated a tanker truck filled with Dawn dishwashing liquid to be sprayed over the oil slick and scrubbed with road sweeper brushes—the largest demonstration of how well Dawn cuts through grease! Ingenuity is everywhere. Nine out of ten Americans have a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda sitting in their refrigerator at this very moment. Baking soda was not made to deodorize refrigerators. Baking soda was made for baking, thus explaining why the product was named “baking soda” in the first place. Most people know that Arm & Hammer Baking Soda can also be used to soothe insect bites, relieve poison ivy, and brush your teeth. It just goes to show that we all use brand-name products in unusual ways. In fact, most Americans drink Coca-Cola to refresh their thirst, unaware that Coke was originally invented by an Atlanta pharmacist as an elixir to soothe upset stomachs. It got me wondering: How many ways are there to use brand-name products we’ve already got around the kitchen, bathroom, and garage to cure everyday aches and pains? To find out, I locked myself in the public library and dug through reference books and collections of home remedies. I obtained secret files from manufacturers. And I sifted through hundreds of e-mails I receive through my Web site, where devotees of offbeat uses for brand-name products share their discoveries with me. Along the way, I unearthed some remarkable remedies and clever cures. Elmer’s Glue-All, for example, removes blackheads and exfoliates the skin. Eating York Peppermint Patties soothes nausea. Soaking your feet in Jell-O deodorizes smelly feet. Vicks VapoRub foils toenail fungus. Lay’s Potato Chips relieve the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia doubles as hair gel. Colgate Toothpaste soothes burns. More from Prevention: 10 Back-to-Basics Kitchen Solutions [header = Even More Kitchen Cures] But I had to know more. Who invented Vicks VapoRub? Exactly who were the Smith Brothers? How did Pepto-Bismol get its name? What does the “Q” in Q-Tips stand for? And most importantly, aren’t you glad you use Dial? My book, Joey Green’s Amazing Kitchen Cures, is the result of my obsessive quest to figure out how to avoid running to the drugstore in the middle of the night during a blizzard. So now, if you’re confronted with a sore throat, a splinter, a toothache, or a loved one telling you “Not tonight, I have a headache,” you can take comfort knowing that an unusual yet useful solution lies right here at your fingertips. How do people come up with these unconventional kitchen cures? Perhaps novelist Christopher Morley explained American ingenuity best when he wrote, “High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead.” Give my ideas on blisters a try! To heal: Listerine To disinfect a broken blister, dab on Listerine, a powerful antiseptic. Preparation H Applying this hemorrhoid ointment to a blister soothes the inflammation and lubricates the skin, preventing further rubbing. Smirnoff Vodka If a blister bursts open, pour Smirnoff over the raw skin as a local anesthetic that also disinfects the exposed dermis. Stayfree Ultra Thin Maxi Pads Using a pair of scissors, cut a Stayfree Ultra Thin Maxi Pad into a doughnut shape and place over the blister, leaving the hole over the blister and letting the adhesive strip adhere to the skin. The maxi pad will protect the blister while it heals. To prevent: Kingsford’s Corn Starch Powder your feet with Kingsford’s Corn Starch before putting on your socks so they glide better over your feet, preventing blisters. Lipton Tea Bags Apply wet Lipton Tea Bags to blister-prone areas on your feet twice a day. The tannic acid in tea toughens the skin. Stayfree Ultra Thin Maxi Pads Use a pair of scissors to cut a pair of Stayfree Ultra Thin Maxi Pads to make shoe insert pads. They will prevent your ankle and heel from rubbing against the top edge of your shoes. These pads are the perfect thickness and also contain deodorants to prevent smelly feet. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Apply Vaseline Petroleum Jelly liberally on your feet wherever you feel friction from your shoes. More from Prevention: 10 Household Products To Never Buy
