12 Out of the Box Uses for Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is one of those things that most people have in their house. You’ve probably got it stored away in a cabinet somewhere, not paying much mind to it. What most people don’t realize is that there’s a ton they can do with it. Check out these out-of-the-box uses for rubbing alcohol.

12 Out of the Box Uses for Rubbing Alcohol

Clean eyeglasses

Mix the rubbing alcohol with water, and you’ll have an excellent eyeglass cleaner. It won’t leave streaks on your glasses, which means you’ll get to see clearly while getting rid of any fingerprints and dust.

Dry erase board build-up

Again, all you need is water and rubbing alcohol together. The solution easily removes build-up from dry erase boards. If you’re a teacher or a parent who uses dry erase boards regularly, this combination is a must-have.

Extend the life of wiper blades 

Are your wiper blades not quite working correctly? Take them off, clean them with vinegar and rubbing alcohol solution, and watch them work like new again. Who says you need to go out and buy new wiper blades? Your old ones might need a good cleaning.

Clean your ears with rubbing alcohol

Did you know that you can use rubbing alcohol to clean your pierced ears? Just dab a little on a cotton ball and clean the front and back of the ear holes. Do this daily to keep your pierced ears clean and free of harmful bacteria that can cause an infection.

Cleaning your flat-screen television

My flat screen never seems to be clean enough. I take a microfiber cloth, dab a little rubbing alcohol on it, and then wipe it over the TV screen to remove fingerprints and dust. Always put the dust on the cloth and not directly on the television to avoid causing damage to the screen.

Clean your candles

If you have old candles that won’t light, give them a light cleaning with a little bit of rubbing alcohol. Don’t throw them out just yet. You’ll notice that rubbing alcohol does the trick, helping to ignite the flame on some of your favorite candles.

Get ink stains out of clothing

I have washed more pens than I’d like to admit. Who doesn’t forget things they’ve left in their pockets from time to time? In order to get the ink stains out, I simply dab and blot away the ink with a little cloth and some rubbing alcohol. It works like magic to remove unwanted stains.

Sticky stuff

Sticky residue is no fun. If you find it on anything you’re using, try some rubbing alcohol to get rid of it. Use the rubbing alcohol to get sticky stuff out of your life for good without stress or frustration.

Related: Amazing 3 Ingredient DIY Goo Be Gone

Make your own gel pack

Mix three parts of water and one part of rubbing alcohol in a freezer bag. Seal and encase it in a second freezer bag. Place it in the freezer. The more alcohol you use, the softer the pack will be. Wrap with a cloth before applying to the skin. You’ll save money and have something available to use when you’re feeling sore and need some cooling relief.

Stop the itch from bug bites

This may be one of the best uses for rubbing alcohol. Apply rubbing alcohol on mosquito bites. It stops the itch! You might even want to add some of it to a spray bottle and carry it around with you when going outside in the warmer months. If you’re anything like me, mosquitos love sucking on your blood, so it helps to have some rubbing alcohol to put a stop to the itch.

Window cleaner

Make your own cleaner at home. It can be made at home for pennies! The alcohol helps it evaporate and gives you streak-free windows and mirrors. It works on chrome faucets, too. This works great even on the grainy doggy’s drool on windows!

Related: DIY Glass Cleaner Recipe – Better Than Windex

Remove latex paint for your clothing

Rubbing alcohol works great for getting annoying latex paint out of your clothing. Suppose you were painting something and got the paint on your favorite t-shirt, pants, or sweatshirt; you could use rubbing alcohol to remove it. You can save your favorite garments instead of tossing them in the trash.

Treat toenail fungus

Have you noticed that you have toenail fungus? If so, you might want to treat it naturally to get rid of it and get your toenails back to being healthy again. Apply a bit of the rubbing alcohol to the affected toenails twice per day, and then put a sock over your foot to keep it protected.

Sanitize your tweezers

If you’re anything like me, you probably use tweezers regularly to pluck unwanted hairs from your face and keep your eyebrows looking sharp. I’d highly recommend using rubbing alcohol as a sanitizer for your tweezers. Keep them clean, and they’ll work just as well as they did when you first bought them.

Use it as a homemade cleanser 

Combine rubbing alcohol with water and a mild detergent to create an all-purpose cleaner. Use the cleanser to clean various surfaces, such as your kitchen table, dining room table, and nightstand.

Related: 10 Homemade Cleaners to Save Money!

Get rid of foul odors in shoes 

Spray some rubbing alcohol into your shoes to get rid of the foul odor. Your shoes might smell a bit funky if you’ve been wearing them with no socks or if you have a mild case of athlete’s foot.

Clean chrome fixtures

Get all the chrome fixtures throughout your home to shine like new again with rubbing alcohol. You can wash these fixtures and then wipe them down with a microfiber cloth and a bit of rubbing alcohol. Don’t be surprised at how beautiful these fixtures will look when you’re done working on them. The shine is out-of-this-world amazing.

There are plenty of good uses for rubbing alcohol that you might not have known about before. Now that you’re aware of all the different things you can do with rubbing alcohol, you might want to purchase a few extra bottles of it. Don’t forget to share with us some ways in which you use rubbing alcohol around your home.