1. All-purpose stain remover
Combine one part rubbing alcohol with two parts water in a spray bottle. Spray on any offending spot or spill on the garment of your choice, and then put it in the laundry as you would normally.
2. Bathroom cleaner
To make your bathroom fixtures sparkle, all you need is wet a cloth or paper towel with some rubbing alcohol. With this rub your fixtures down firmly until any unwanted marks, such as a water marks, are gone.
3. Window cleaner
Dirty windows can make an otherwise-spotless home look neglected, so try combining one pint rubbing alcohol with two tablespoons of ammonia and two tablespoons of liquid dish soap. Using a nylon-covered sponge, apply to your dirty windows, then rinse off the solution and buff the windows dry. The solution also works for screen stains, hard water spots and bird stains.
4. Shoe polisher
If you’re heading out for a big evening and plan on wearing leather shoes that need cleaning, try rubbing them with a little undiluted rubbing alcohol prior to applying polish. Doing so will ensure that any polish you apply will go on to the shoes much more easily.
5. Grass stain remover
Have you just been to the park in your brand-new, white-as-paper sneakers and managed to cover them in grass marks? Don’t worry – all you need to do return them to tip-top condition is apply rubbing alcohol to the marked areas, working it into the stains as you go. Leave your sneakers to sit for 10 minutes and launder them as you normally would.
6. Appliance cleaner
Left-over streak marks on kitchen appliances after a morning spent scrubbing them can be quite an annoyance, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Try mixing two parts rubbing alcohol and one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture directly onto your appliances, then buff them clean. This is particularly handy if all your appliances have stainless steel surfaces.
7. Sneaker deodorizer
Funky-smelling sneakers are an embarrassment that many of us have to deal with. A quick and easy way of getting rid their offensive odor so they’re ready for wearing the next day is to put some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the inside of your shoes and leave to dry overnight.
8. Tick remover
Ticks are horrible little things that love to use our pets as their unwitting hosts. Stun any tick you spot on them by putting rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, and then gently rub the area where the tick is present. This should loosen its hold on your pet’s skin, making it easier for you take it off using tweezers.
9. Remove garlic smell from hands
If you’ve just been chopping up cloves of garlic – and smell like you have been – try pouring rubbing alcohol onto your hands, rubbing the solution into them really well. Once you’re done, wash off with soap and water.
10. Nail polish remover
Don’t worry if you’re run out of nail polish remover – try putting some rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and rubbing over the polish. It may take some effort, but it’ll come off eventually.
11. Windshield washer fluid
Cold climates can make the washer fluid in cars freeze, rendering it completely useless. If you happen to live in the cold (or even if you don’t), try mixing one quart rubbing alcohol with one cup water and two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap. Pour the solution into your car’s washer fluid reservoir and never have freezing problems again.
12. Venetian blind cleaner
The slats between Venetian blinds can make them quite difficult to clean, so try this handy trick to make your life easier. Wrap a flat tool, such as a spatula or a small drywall knife, in cloth. Secure the cloth with a rubber band, and begin working.
13. Prevent rings around your shirt collars
Throughout the long working day, it’s inevitable that we sweat at least a little. To prevent staining your shirt collars, wipe your neck with rubbing alcohol before putting them on. This will dissipate any sweat and prevent it from leaving unsightly marks.
14. Phone cleaner
A dirty phone covered in finger marks and grime can be taken care of by wiping it down with rubbing alcohol. Doing so will also disinfect it, meaning that it’s safe to handle once again, not to mention make the device look like new again.
15. Permanent marker eraser
Should your young child have taken the liberty of doing some interior decorating with a thick, black permanent marker, you can undo the unwanted revamp by covering it in rubbing alcohol. This will dissolve the marks, allowing you to wipe them right off.
16. Fruit fly killer
Use rubbing alcohol to kill any fruit flies you see hovering about in your kitchen. Place some in a fine-misting spray bottle and spray at the pests. While this might not be as effective as spraying them with insecticide, at least the rubbing alcohol isn’t poisonous.
17. Shapeable ice pack maker
Ice packs are great when you need to soothe a painful injury, however they do have one major problem – their shape cannot be molded to the shape of the injury. Try making a slushy, comfortable icepack instead by mixing one part rubbing alcohol with three parts water in a self-closing plastic bag. Put it in the freezer and wrap in a plastic cloth prior to using it.
