Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Ten Uses (Other Than the Obvious) For Hair Conditioner

Hair conditioner has only been around for about 60 years; in the 1950's Swiss scientists developed the compound that improved hair health. Life without the married set of shampoo and conditioner in my shower would be quite a bit frumpier, but aside from the obvious use as a hair softener, there are many uses for this delightful Swiss creation.

1. Clean "Dry-Clean Only" Garments.
             Sometimes, we feel obligated to spend extra money on the upkeep of expensive things, but dropping 20 bucks at the Dry-Cleaners for our silk shirts and trousers every week can really add up. Remove this extra cost by filling up a sink with water (warm for whites and cold for colors) adding a tablespoon of hair conditioner, putting the item in the water for a few minutes, pulling it out, rinsing it, and hanging it up to dry.

2. Make That Stainless Steel Gleam.
             Avoid expensive chemicals and a trip to the store by putting conditioner onto your kitchen utensils, bathroom appliances, sports equipment, and anything else that is looking lackluster, simply rub it off with a cloth and you'll be blinded by the shine.

3. Shine Up Your House Plants.
             So your leafy little sun-sucker is looking a bit dusty? No fear! Hair conditioner is here! Put a bit of this magical substance onto a soft cloth and apply a thin layer to the leaves of your oxygen-blowing, CO2-consuming, water drinking friend.

4. Stop Your Zipper From Getting Stuck.
             It's pretty annoying to work a zipper free from the jammed teeth of it's partner only to have it get stuck the next time you try to zip up your jacket. To avoid this pain, dab conditioner along the teeth, this will act as a lubricant to stop it from getting stuck again. 

5. Keep Rust Off Tools.
             In order to prevent rust spawning on your wrenches and screwdrivers, rub down your tools with hair conditioner.

6. Oil Those Axles.
             Get rid of the annoying squeak of un-oiled skate wheels. Apply a layer of conditioner to the axles and that obnoxious noise will be obliterated.

7. Save the Shoes! 
             Winter can be a tough time in the life of a shoe, having to slosh around in icy messes, walking on salted sidewalks, and kicking through snowbanks. Protect boots and shoes by rubbing a bit of conditioner on them, who knows, you might save their lives. Plus, it also works as an excellent leather conditioner too.

8. Dismiss Razor Burn.
             Aside from the popular use of hair conditioner as shaving cream, it can also be used as a lotion to sooth razor burned legs.

9. Take Off Make-Up. 
             Don't spend 8 bucks on make up remover when you can use something you already have! Hair conditioner can be used to gently and quickly remove make-up and to smooth skin.

10. Take Off a Stuck Ring.
            So maybe trying on mom's wedding ring wasn't the best idea, and now it's stuck... great. No worries though! Simply lubricate the finger in hair conditioner, and that little piece of metal should slide right off, if not, you may have to cut off your finger. :-)

There are so many things you can do with a little bottle of hair conditioner, if you are changing conditioners consider saving the old one it for something else.

Ideas from: Reader's Digest : extraordinary uses for ordinary things