Baby powder isn’t just for soothing baby’s butts. There are a number of beauty applications and home uses for baby powder. These are some reasons your house should be stocked with baby powder whether you have a baby or not.
Here are 35 super nifty and clever ways to use baby powder packs around the home.
You’ll definitely want to start buying in bulk from now on.
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1) Freshen Your Shoes
No one likes moist and stinky sneakers or shoes. Take the dampness and stinky-ness out of your shoes by pouring some baby powder inside of them.
2) Dry Shampoo
Mix together 1/4 cup of baby powder and the same amount of baking soda and massage it into your hair. Let it soak a few minutes before brushing it through. This will prevent your hair from becoming greasy in between shampoos.
3) Fix a Squeaky Floor
Squeaky wood floors can be super annoying! Get rid of the squeaks with a little bit of baby powder. Sprinkle baby powder in between floorboards to prevent them from squeaking
4) Protect Flowers From Rot
Sprinkling baby powder over your bulbs and roots before you plant them will prevent them from rotting and will deter pests. Who knew that baby powder could help you grow the garden of your dreams?
5) Help slip on rubber gloves
Brand new rubber or latex gloves can be a bit difficult to get on. Dust your hands with some baby powder before putting on rubber gloves. This will help them slip on easier.
6) Freshen Your Deck of Cards
Card decks can get pretty dingy. Rub some baby powder on the deck, give it a couple of shuffles, and you’re all freshened up! You’ll make that deck of cards last forever!
7) Soothe Before You Wax
Rub some baby powder above your upper lip before you wax it to reduce pain and irritation. No more embarrassing redness or yucky bumps.
8) Remove Grease Stains
Baby powder will also suck out the grease from your clothing when you get a stain from cooking oils, butter, or oily makeup. Here‘s how to properly use baby powder to remove a grease stain.
9) Ant Repellant
Pour baby powder into places where you want to prevent ants. They won’t be able to cross the barrier and your home will officially be insect-free!
10) Untangle Jewelry
It’s so annoying to take a bracelet or necklace out from the jewelry box only to find that it’s become impossibly tangled. Baby powder will lubricate jewelry and make it easier to untangle. So handy!
11) Remove sand
After a trip to the beach, make sure to have baby powder handy before you go back inside or get in the car. Use baby powder to loosen sand from your body then just lightly dust it off.
12) Freshen Your Sheets
Sprinkle some baby powder in between your sheets to prevent them from getting soaked in sweat in the summer. Plus, they’ll make your sheets smell so nice and fresh!
13) Soothe dry skin
Baby powder and talcum powder at excellent for soothing particularly dry skin. Keep a small bottle on hand throughout the dry summer months and chilly winter months to keep your skin moisturized.
14) Treat eczema
Consultant Dermatologist Dr Justine Hextall says: “If you find that eczema prone areas of skin get hot and sweaty throughout the day and are making the irritation worse, use a mild medicated talcum powder to calm the affected skin, particularly concentrating on skin folds and the groin area to prevent a sore flare up. The zinc and allantoin in the Mildly Medicated product will help to soothe the symptoms and therefore prevent scratching.”
15) Thicken your eyelashes
Did you know baby powder can help thicken up those lashes of yours? It can! Dust your lashes with talcum powder before applying mascara. It will act as a primer and give you longer and fuller-looking lashes.
16) Set your makeup
On the opposite side of an eyelash primer, baby powder can also set makeup after it is done. Since it absorbs oils just dust a bit over your face when your makeup is done to prevent any shininess.
17) Prevent chafing
If you’re prone to chafing during hot weather or exercise, baby powder can come to the rescue. Just dust some over your trouble-zones and your skin will stay smooth and pain-free all day.
18) Dehumidify a closet
Are your clothes and closet starting to smell a little musty? Put some baby powder in a bowl or a jar without a lid and set it in the closet. It will absorb any moisture in the air and release a lovely scent.
19) Use as a pet shampoo
We mentioned earlier that you can use baby powder as a dry shampoo for humans, but it also works for pets too! Between baths, freshen up your pet with a light dusting of baby powder. Just massage it in so it can get to the skin to absorb oils. Plus, they’ll smell great!
20) Freshen moldy or musty books
Books from the antique store or that have been left in a musty basement too long can have a bit of an unpleasant odor and a damp feeling. Yuck! Get rid of it using baby powder. First, spread out the pages and let dry for a few hours. Then, sprinkle powder in between all the pages and let sit overnight.
21) Use as an aftershave
“Baby powder is a great aftershave for men and women alike. Not only is it a bit cheaper than some aftershaves, but it also works great and of course it smells wonderful. After you shave, face or legs, just sprinkle a bit of baby powder onto your freshly shaven area and rub it in just a bit. Baby powder has a natural cooling property which will eliminate any irritation that shaving may have caused and it leaves your skin silky smooth. It’s also perfect for sensitive skin. If you normally experience razor burn due to sensitive skin, the baby powder will help to clear it up and leave your skin much less irritated,” says DIY n Crafts.
22) Deodorant in a pinch
If you ever find yourself out of deodorant, you can just use baby powder. Actually, you could use this all the time if you’d like. Just sprinkle a little bit in your palm and apply directly to your armpits. It eliminates sweat and smells great.
23) Make high heels more comfortable
After a couple of hours, high heels can become downright painful. Before wearing them, sprinkle in some baby powder. It will keep your feet from swelling and it will help your foot slide properly as you walk, preventing blisters.
24) Make fake snow
Here’s a fun project for the kids. Make some fake snow using a mixture of baby powder and shaving cream. It’s called “snow dough” and the little ones will absolutely love playing with it. Smells so good too!
25) Iron it into clothes
To prevent sweat stains in the armpits of clothing, sprinkle some baby powder on the area before ironing. Perfect for stain-prone collars of shirts too.
26) Make soft playdough
Another fun project for the kids is this baby powder playdough. Great for a rainy day indoors or just a time to play and great creative! Here are the instructions on how to make it.
27) Use as texture paste when crafting
If you run out of modeling paste while doing crafts, just use some baby powder instead. Mixed with a little bit of paint and mod podge, you’ll have the perfect replacement. Here’s how to make it.
28) Freshen up the kitty litter box
Sprinkle some baby powder in your kitty litter box to keep it smelling fresh. Every time you clean it, make sure you incorporate this step into the routine and you’ll never have a stinky box.
29) Make a room freshener
Baby powder smells great on its own but you can also mix it with a few drops of your favorite essential oil to take it to the next level. Place small containers of this mixture around your home, hidden in drawers and cabinets, for an amazing-smelling home.
30) Make lipstick last longer
“Talcum can not only help set your lipstick but also make it stay on for longer. After applying a coat, place a thin sheet of tissue over the lips. Then using a blush brush, lightly dust some talcum powder over your lips through the tissue. Apply another coat of lipstick and voila, enjoy well-set, lasting lip color,” explains Tribune.
31) Slip into tight clothing easier
Love those leggings or jeans but they’re a pain to put on? Putting them on after the shower or taking them out of the dryer? Forget about it! Or? You could use some baby powder! Rub your skin down with baby powder first and you’ll slide right in.
32) Remove bloodstains
“To remove fresh bloodstains from clothing or furniture, make a paste of water and talcum powder and apply it to the spot. When it dries, brush away the stain. Substitute cornstarch or cornmeal if you are out of talcum powder,” says Reader’s Digest.
33) Loosen knots
Just like baby powder helps with detangling knotted jewelry, it’s also amazing for helping loosen knots in shoelaces or string. Just sprinkle it on and start gently pulling apart the knot.
34) Remove odors after a spill
After spilling things like milk or coffee, the smell can linger for quite some time if not cleaned up properly. After the spill is cleaned up and the stain has been lifted, sprinkle the area with baby powder and let it absorb for a few hours before vacuuming the excess.
35) Keep the trackpad on your laptop smooth
Oily hands and sticky fingers can make the trackpad on a laptop difficult to use over time. Sprinkle a little bit of baby powder on it for smooth gliding.
How awesome is baby powder? Even for those without diapers to change in the household, you might want to head to Costco and buy yourself a stockpile.
H/T: Shareably