Introduction: 8 Life Hacks With Steel Wool

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8 Life Hacks with Steel Wool

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Steel wool has been around for over 100 years and is commonly thought of as a polishing or sanding tool. But we have found several more uses for steel wool.

We have tested these ideas with success. I hope you can benefit from some of these awesome life hacks.

All of the following hacks are used with the Ultra Fine #0000 grade of steel wool.

Hacks Included:

1. Catch Animal Hair

2. Fix a Loose Screw

3. Wash your Windshield

4. Remove Black Heel Marks

5. Mice Barrier

6. Start a Fire

7. Clean old Tires

8. Clean Sneakers

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Lifehacks are great techniques, tricks, shortcuts, or novelty ways to reuse, repurpose, recycle, and upcycle certain products in uncommon ways to make life easier.

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Step 1: Catch Animal Hair

Catch Animal Hair

If you have a dog or cat, there is a good chance a bunch of hair will go down the drain the next time you wash them.

This is an easy fix if you have some steel wool.

If you unroll a piece of wool and roll it back up long ways, you can now wrap it around your drain.

The fine mesh of fibers will allow the water to pass by, but it will catch the animal hair.

This will help to keep your drain free flowing.

When you are done, just gather the steel wool and hair and toss in the trash.

Step 2: Fix a Loose Screw

Fix a Loose Screw

If you have loose screw in a hole, there is an easy way to tighten the bond.

First remove the screw. Then take a thin layer of steel wool and wrap it around the screw.

Then reinstall the screw.

The screw should now have tighter tolerances and hold better.

Step 3: Wash Your Windshield

Wash your Windshield

Do you have bunch of water marks and imbedded dirt on your windshield?

Have you ever tried steel wool?

Make sure you are using Ultra Fine #0000 grade for this hack.

If you wet your windshield and wet the steel wool, you can gently use the wool to clean your windshield.

I did this on my own car and it worked great.

Step 4: Remove Black Heel Marks

Remove Black Heel Marks

Have you ever walked across a nice floor only to realize that you left a black heel mark?

Here is a simple way to fix it.

Use a wet piece of steel wool and gently rub the flooring and the black heel mark should disappear.

Step 5: Mice Barrier

Mice Barrier

If you have pipes entering your house, then that is a great place for mice to get in.

To help prevent that from happening, just take some steel wool and place it in all of the gaps between the pipe and the wall.

Mice do not like the taste of it in their mouths.

Step 6: Start a Fire

Start a Fire

Have you ever needed to start a fire and did not have any dry matches?

Then it is a good to carry some #0000 steel wool and a 9-volt battery.

If you gently rub the connections of the battery on the steel, it will burn the wool.

This will even work if the wool is damp.

Then place some dry paper, dryer lint, dried leaves, etc on the sparks to create a fire.

Step 7: Clean Old Tires

Clean Old Tires

If you have some old tires that have lost their luster, you can use some steel wool and WD-40 to return that shine.

Just spray the WD-40 on to the steel wool and give the tire a good rub.

Then thoroughly wash the tire to remove any residue.

The original shine of the tire should be returning.

Step 8: Clean Sneakers

Clean Sneakers

Do you have a good pair of sneakers, but they are just too dirty to wear in public?

Here is a great way to clean them.

Using some steel wool and some plain (non-gel) toothpaste, gently rub the white bottoms of your sneakers.

The dirt and grime should come off relatively easy.

Make sure to wash all of the residue off before wearing.