6 Under-appreciated Things About Petroleum Jelly

Every house has a jar of good ol' Petroleum Jelly. Yet this jelly is very under appreciated for all of it's great uses.

Here are a few of the most interesting!

Step 1: Loosening Stuck Drawers

Have a stuck drawer? Use petroleum jelly to prevent it from sticking and make the drawer move smoother.

Step 2: Prevent Light Bulbs From Sticking

A common problem with outdoor light bulbs is having them stick to the fixture. If this happens trying get out the bulb might end up in it breaking. Put some petroleum jelly around the threads before putting the bulb in to allow for easy removal later.

Step 3: Open Your Shower Quicker

Having a hard time rushing out of the shower? Put some petroleum jelly on your curtain rod for your shower to open it lightening fast!

Step 4: Remove Squeak From Door Hinges

A bit of petroleum jelly on a door hinge can take away that annoying squeak. Then you can sneak around your home effectively.

Step 5: Starting a Fire

You can use petroleum jelly to help you start a fire. It works pretty well with stuff that is having a hard time starting.

Step 6: Replacement ChapStick

If you run out of chap stick, Petroleum jelly is a great lip moisturizer. Just apply liberally to the lips and BAM no more chap-ness.

Comments

[marxdarx]

I just use a quick spray of WD40 on my hinges.

[Tracer Fett]

And the longevity of said hinges will diminish... You should never use WD40 for that. It's not actually a 'lubricant'

http://lifehacker.com/5891936/when-should-i-not-use-wd+40

[LegoSurvivor]

WD40 is a solvent.

[Anoni Mouse]

if you have Perioral Dermatitis don't use Vasaline on your face!

It will probably trigger an outbreak.

[gserrano701]

Good to know there are other alternatives to baby oil, cooking oil, wax and WD40 that I can use for the applications you list. I would add lubricating screws and saws to make them run smoothly. Thanks for sharing.
I liked the fire starter, sounds great and quite simple.

[hyperfocused72]

I've used soap to get wood screws to screw in better, but this sounds a lot more effective.

[susan.leibler]

All of these comments are hilarious! I think a little common sense is necessary too, along with the ideas mentioned. I'm going to go light a fire now . . . . .

[keerava]

It can also help with nose bleeds. Just put some on a q-tip and rub inside your nose.

[Takelababy]

A skin specialist recommended liberal use of petroleum jelly on the face and lips as a defence against drying cold winter winds. My horses get it slathered on their nether parts during the biting bug season. It lasts about 3 days and sure helps the horses.

[Orkekum]

Darn, gotta keep that in mind for incoming summer on my horse >_>

[Critter Mel]

For those of you who say "oh, it's carcinogenic" or "it's motor oil or grease" it's actually white petrolatum. Developed in the 1850s and sold as Vaseline starting in the 1870s, it's pretty much proven to be safe to use. Otherwise doctors wouldn't still be prescribing it for diaper rash, not to mention the countless studies that have been done on this. Personally, it's the only thing that will stop my incredibly dry hands from cracking in the winter.

[jennybotha]

Interesting hints and comments. Met an elderly lady in the bus and commented on her very youthful, lovely skin. She confided in me and said she only used vaseline as her regular night cream since she was very young.

[the potato]

this has already been made its called vaseline

[xenograftsoul]

It isn't clear how petroleum jelly will help you light a fire. It isn't easily flammable, a.k.a. will not light with a regular lighter.

[rudedude119]

it will burn you just need to put it on cotton wool also nail varnish remover burns really well on cotton wool

[lalexander]

rub it into cotton ball. as much as it will take. it can be lit with a flint even after dunking in water. squeeze water out, pull it apart so tiny threads are exposed, strike flint and it goes up easy. wind proof. far better than magnesium shavings. burns for at least 5 min and wont blow out. place the cotton ball on top of a tea candle and itll burn for near an hour. it melts the wax and the cotton ball acts like a oversized wick. with no wind, the flame can get 8 inches tall. place the whole thing under wet wood and you can get water soaked wood to burn. vaseline, cotton ball and a teacandle is the best firestarter ive ever found.

[PyromaniacDaniel]

Its like a candle. try to light the wax alone and all that will happen is it melts and drips away but when you add a wick, the wick soaks up the melting wax and holds it in the heat to become a gas and then that gas burns. So to get the petroleum jelly to light you need a wick material like leaves, bark, and small twigs. To see just how flammable petroleum jelly really is in a small metal cup melt then boil and light a small quantity of it. It burns rather nicely. Old socks work fabulously for wicking materials and can be wrapped around a stick for a torch.

[Ekdog]

@Cerafem: There are cases of people smoking into their 90's. Does that mean tobacco is harmless? I don't think so.

[tedgar]

Vaseline.. essential when racing motorcycles across the desert or cross-country for hours at a time.. Also called "crack-wax" .. save yourself terrible chafing by applying liberally between cheeks ( nearer the top ) to prevent a roadrash like condition that will make subsequent days of riding hell on wheels-

[punkhead58]

I second this.