13 ways to use cotton balls (besides removing nail polish)

When you’re breaking in a new pair of shoes, stick a cotton ball inside wherever it’s rubbing against your skin to add some cushioning and keep your feet pain-free. If a blister has already cropped up, just use a cotton ball as a barrier between the wound and your footwear.

Over time, taps can get caked with mineral deposits from the unfiltered tap water. To dissolve those white marks, soak a few cotton balls in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water, and place them on the area for several minutes. Rinse the tap and dry with a soft cloth.

If your refrigerator has lingering odours from rotting food, dampen a cotton ball with vanilla extract and place it in the back of your fridge. It will act as a natural deodoriser leaving your fridge smelling fresh.

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Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and use it to clean smaller objects around the house that can be difficult to get to with a cloth. Try it on light switches, remote controls and knobs on cabinets. The cotton ball and rubbing alcohol will remove the grime and disinfect at the same time.

Mould tends to pop up in areas or on items that get too much moisture, like in the bathroom. To fight the mildew, leave a few bleach-soaked cotton balls where the mould likes to grow (make sure you’re wearing rubber gloves before handling bleach). Give them a couple of hours to work their magic, then clean the area with warm water.

Dribble a few drops of vanilla extract or essential oils on a bunch of cotton balls. Leave the cotton balls in a pretty bowl and place them on a shelf in your bathroom, or over your fridge or rubbish bin. The scent is mild but will keep things smelling fresh.

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Save your kid’s fingers from slamming in drawers by placing a cotton ball on the inside of the drawer. This will prevent it from closing all of the way and slamming your little one’s fingers when they close it.

Fill a glass jar with cotton balls and place your seeds on either side of the jar, add water to the jar (just enough to dampen the cotton balls), and watch your seeds become sprouts over the next few days. After about five days your seeds will be ready to be transferred to soil.

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Cotton balls are a great way to block out sound. They’re soft and can easily mould to your ear shape too.

You may use cotton balls to remove your old nail polish, but they really come in handy as you start your pedicure too. Stick them between your toes to separate your piggies for a smudge-free paint job.