Sandpaper is a very usual item but it can do some unusual things. After knowing about these sandpaper uses, you’ll be surprised!
1. Make your suede shoes new as before
Suede shoes look better but one problem with them is that they start to look to worn out quickly. But by applying sandpaper gently you can avoid this. For this, gently rub fine-grit sandpaper to remove scuff marks and ink stains. The eHow has an article on it, check out!
2. Polish foggy headlights
Prolonged exposure to environmental elements can lead to clouded and yellow headlamps. The sandpaper can make your headlamps shine and look new within a very short time. Here’s a good step by step article on it.
3. Sharpen the scissors
Dull scissors cause a lot of nuisance, but you don’t have to buy a new pair. In this case, Sandpaper offers the most effective and reliable way to sharpen the scissors. How do you sharpen your scissors using sandpaper? Just use your scissor to make cuts through a fine-grain sandpaper. This will remove sticky residue on the scissor hence sharpening the dull blades. See the tutorial on Huffington Post!
4. Revive old sweater and remove pills
Want to throw away that old sweater? Why? Wait a minute! Sandpaper will make your sweater and other clothing look new again. Use a fine-grit sandpaper and lightly scrub your worn out sweater in one direction. This will remove fuzzy balls and unwanted pills from your winter sweater. However, you should test the sandpaper in hidden spots when dealing with delicate fabrics. Apartment Therapy has an article on it!
5. Remove rust from the knives
Rust is a common problem that affects most kitchen tools and equipments including knives. Therefore, sandpaper can be used to restore the luster and sharpness of rusty knives. Use a coarse-grain sandpaper if you want to remove the rust faster. Be careful while doing this.
6. Improve your shoe’s soles
You don’t want slippery shoes. There are limited options for improving the traction of the shoe. Therefore, many people prefer replacing their old shoes with the new one. But why will you replace your shoes when there is a sure way to improve the traction of the shoe. Just scuff the bottom with heavy-grit sandpaper. This will prevent you from sliding especially on slippery surfaces.
7. Make seeds sprout faster
Want your seeds to germinate quickly? Sandpaper may help and expedite the process! Some seeds have hard covers and can stay dormant unless the outer shell is broken. Use a fine-grit sandpaper to rough up the outer cover of the hard-coated seeds such as cilantro and peas. This will speed up the water absorption and germination of your seeds. Here’s a cool article to check out!
8. Keep cats away
This may sound strange, but sandpaper can keep cats at bay. Most cats enjoy scratching the furniture, which can cause a lot of nuisance and shorten the life of your furniture. How do you use sandpaper to discourage cats? Attach pieces of sandpaper to the furniture where the cats like scratching. The cats hate the feeling of the sandpaper on their paws.
9. Open stuck jars
Have you experienced difficulties while opening jars? Due to some reasons, the jar lids can get stuck and deny you from accessing your favorite foods. Grab a piece of a sandpaper and wrap in on the stuck jar lid. The rough surface should come in contact with the lid. This will improve the grip and eventually open the stuck jar lid.
10. Remove stubborn grout stains
Usually, there are stains in the bathroom that are hard to remove by the abrasive cleaner. Use fine-grain sandpaper to remove tough stains. Fold the sandpaper and sand the grout seam. However, care should be taken not to scratch the tile’s finish.
11. Get rid of rough heels
Rough heels can be a serious problem if you want to wear flip-flops or want to go barefoot in public. Here is a simple but effective solution that will remove that dead skin from your heels and make them smooth in no time. Get a fine-grain sandpaper and gently use it on your feet to remove as much of the dry skin as possible. Make sure not to rub it too much. Check out this article to learn more on it.
12. Sharpen sewing needles
Using a blunt sewing needle is the unpleasant experience that you will not like to encounter. Fortunately, you can use sandpaper to sharpen your sewing needles. Poke your sewing needles through the sandpaper a couple of times.
13. Increase the life of the wipers
You don’t have to replace those worn out windshield wipers in haste. Use a fine-grit sandpaper to sand the rubber blades of your wipers lightly. Apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly after wiping the dust from your windshield wipers. This elongates the life of your wipers for another six months.
14. Keep away slugs
The sight of slugs around your home can be disturbing. How you stop slugs from getting into potted plants in your home. Place the sandpaper around the base of your potted plants. This will effectively deter the slugs from climbing at your plants.
15. Maintain wooden cutting boards
The cutting boards can accumulate germs with time. Therefore, it is advisable to sand your cutting board at least once a year. In this case, you should use a fine-grit sanding paper together with some mineral oil to keep the cutting board soft and shiny.