Things you didn't think would work...but do!

[kittenblue]

As I was brushing my teeth this morning, I remembered that my six-month dentist appointment is this Thursday, and that I'd better find time to floss this week. And then I look, and I have no tartar build-up. At all. I have always been good about brushing, and regular in my cleaning appointments, and my whole life I've had to endure all that scraping and tugging and chipping away during my cleanings. But a year and a half ago, my dentist told me to switch to tartar-control toothpaste, and I did, even though I always had believed that the stuff really doesn't make any difference if you're a regular brusher. I didn't change my flossing habits one bit...just the toothpaste. And at my first cleaning after switching...no scraping, no tartar. Since then...no tartar, no scraping, no nothing! And my dentist is a big, tough, ex-military dentist....when he cleans your teeth it's brutal to begin with, so anything that reduces the time he spends in my mouth, the better.

So tartar control toothpaste works. And works really well, to my complete amazement. Because I never believe the marketing claims on products...if it says faster, stronger, more whitening, improved, repels stains, reduces hair growth, eliminates odor, firms and tightens....I don't believe it.

So what other things have you used that really work...that live up to their claims?

[Alias]

I hate to pimp for anyone, but Paul Mitchell super skinny serum works great. If I comb it through my hair when it's still wet, it decreases the time it takes for it to dry. Also, my hair isn't frizzy or unruly at all. Great stuff.

[bouv]

I bought a tube if whitening toothpaste, and I actually noticed my teeth slightly whiter.

[Speaker for the Dead]

Three- and four-bladed razors. One-bladed razors don't seem to exist anymore, so I've only used multiple-bladed ones. I began with a Gilette Mach 3, and when my brother lost it, I switched to an old Schick that only had two blades. I began shaving with just water, then, so I didn't notice the sharp decrease in performance until I borrowed my other brother's Mach 3 and was amazed at how quickly it shaved. Definitely and improvement; I may have to buy myself one.

[BoBettie]

Zout brand stain remover for laundry. Gets out automotive grease, chicken wing sauce and grease, ink- you name it. GREAT stuff!

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Thermacare heat patches. I had a sharp pain in my shoulder from resting the phone receiver between my ear and shoulder (I've long since switched to a headset).

I tried the Thermacare heat patch overnight and the next day the pain was almost completely gone. I've usedthem for various pains since then and they've never let me down.

[Harmonix]

Got sticky stuff left from a tag? No Goo gone™? Take a piece of tape amd dab at it. It works!

[RealityChuck]

Old fashioned shaving soap and mug. Before I stopped shaving, I used it for a year or two. Far fewer nicks and cuts than even the gels.

A while ago, I got a bunch of strawberries onto a white shirt. Somewhere I read that you can remove it by pouring boiling water over the stain from a height. I didn't believe it, but gave it a try. Took the stain right out.

[Zsofia]

Canker sore toothpaste. If you get them often, give in and pay the 7 bucks a pop for the canker sore toothpaste and I promise you you'll get less. And even one less would totally be worth it.

[Dinaroozie]

I only hope that my fellow Australian board-goers can forgive me for saying so, but...

Big Kev's goo-remover. I used it to get some stickers off a game cartridge that I bought second hand from a video shop. It... really works.

~ Isaac

[AskNott]

A few years ago, I had a 1956 Buick. In hot weather it would vapor lock when I'd make a short trip, shut it off to go in a store, and try to restart it. No start until it cooled down. A former owner of the car told me to put 3 or 4 spring-loaded wooden clothespins on the metal fuel line between the fuel pump and carburetor.

There's no earthly reason why that would work, but it did. The car never again vapor locked.

[Silentgoldfish]

I only hope that my fellow Australian board-goers can forgive me for saying so, but...

Big Kev's goo-remover. I used it to get some stickers off a game cartridge that I bought second hand from a video shop. It... really works.

~ Isaac

How exciting.

[Scissorjack]

Curing hiccups by drinking from the wrong side of the glass.

[Harmonix]

Curing hiccups by drinking from the wrong side of the glass.

Elaborate?
thanks.

[Zsofia]

Also, running the flat of a knife blade over your hands under water to get the onion off them. It's the silliest fuzzy-thinking folk thing in the world, but it really does work IMHO.

[zweisamkeit]

To cure hiccups:

get a big glass of water, hold your nose, and drink the entire glass all in one breath. Do not stop to breathe and do not let go of your pinched-shut nose. This has always worked for me.

Pet theory as to why it works: if you're drinking, your body can't hiccup without basically drowning you. Your body's survival instinct is more powerful and important than whatever is causing you to hiccup. Since you take a relatively long time to drink a big glass of water, it gives your body time to 'reset' itself and basically forget that it was hiccuping. By the time the threat of drowning is over, the hiccup switch is off again.

[Scissorjack]

Elaborate?
thanks.

You need to lean over a sink for this one: fill a large glass to the brim, and then gulp down as much water as you can without taking a breath from the opposite side of the glass: you'll end up bent practically double, and you''ll only get through about half the glass {and spill a lot, hence the sink}, but it is guaranteed to work.

Oh, and if you feel a sneeze coming on, press hard on the vertical ridge on your upper lip.

[Cornelius Tuggerson]

Three- and four-bladed razors. One-bladed razors don't seem to exist anymore, so I've only used multiple-bladed ones. I began with a Gilette Mach 3, and when my brother lost it, I switched to an old Schick that only had two blades. I began shaving with just water, then, so I didn't notice the sharp decrease in performance until I borrowed my other brother's Mach 3 and was amazed at how quickly it shaved. Definitely and improvement; I may have to buy myself one.
Technically it is not the number of blades, but how sharp (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_183.html) they are that truly makes a difference.

[ouryL]

Preparation H

:rolleyes:

[Audrey Levins]

[QUOTE=Case Sensitive]You need to lean over a sink for this one: fill a large glass to the brim, and then gulp down as much water as you can without taking a breath from the opposite side of the glass: you'll end up bent practically double, and you''ll only get through about half the glass {and spill a lot, hence the sink}, but it is guaranteed to work.[QUOTE]


One of my girlfriends gets hiccups a lot, and this is the only thing that makes them go away. She might have to do it twice, but it'll work. Makes her look all kinds of weird in bars, but she emerges hiccup-free and happy.

As for the OP....I gotta vote for the spit-on-your-own-blood laundry theory. Wherein you bleed on your clothing (however that happens, it does) and you douse the stain with your saliva before you throw it in the wash.

It's never failed, even on white clothing. Have no clue why, but it works.

[Wallenstein]

Putting trainers (sneakers) through the wash... they come up lovely and clean (and not smelly!).

Works with fabric running shoes, not sure about all-leather ones though.

[Staggerlee]

I own snakes, but they were starting to get really flaky and creaky round the joints - that is before I tried 'Lee Stagger's Serpent Lubrication' - it really works!

And a snip at only $9.99! Just forward your credit card details, and I'll do the rest!

[Booker57]

A few years ago, I had a 1956 Buick. In hot weather it would vapor lock when I'd make a short trip, shut it off to go in a store, and try to restart it. No start until it cooled down. A former owner of the car told me to put 3 or 4 spring-loaded wooden clothespins on the metal fuel line between the fuel pump and carburetor.

There's no earthly reason why that would work, but it did. The car never again vapor locked.

You made a "heat sink" with the clips that kept the fuel line from getting to the point that would turn the liquid to a vapor and prevent flow. Insulating the line, using woven asbestos cloth is another way to combat this.

[AskNott]

You made a "heat sink" with the clips that kept the fuel line from getting to the point that would turn the liquid to a vapor and prevent flow. Insulating the line, using woven asbestos cloth is another way to combat this.
I considered that, Booker57. However, heat sinks work by absorbing and spreading out heat from its source. The clothespins are made of wood, which is an excellent insulator. That's why I said it doesn't make sense for this to work. :confused:

[PunditLisa]

Canker sore toothpaste. If you get them often, give in and pay the 7 bucks a pop for the canker sore toothpaste and I promise you you'll get less. And even one less would totally be worth it.

When I used to get canker sores, a friend's mother advised me to take folic acid. I started taking fortified vitamins and voila! no more canker sores.

I must say I was skeptical about the Crest Whitestrips before I used them. But they did, indeed, whiten my teeth several shades.

Oh, and Oxyclean doesn't do squat for me.

[JThunder]

Oh, and if you feel a sneeze coming on, press hard on the vertical ridge on your upper lip.
You mean the filtrum?

[MrsMonkey]

My cure for hiccups: Altoids.

Sometimes I have to have 2, but always gets rid of 'em.

[The Weird One]

Peanut butter to disolve gum in hair, clothes, etc.

Tomato juice to get rid of skunk smell.

And last weekend, The Cute One was helping me move. At the end of the day, I found out that he swears by Gold Bond for refreshing certain . . . sensitive parts . . . that got chaffed by all the lifting and moving.

[alice_in_wonderland]

Vichy Lipodose anti-cellulite product. I only used it because I got it as a free gift for attending a Vichy school. I was actually flabbergasted that it worked - the SO confirmed - my ass is smoother than before I used it.

Go figure.

[Scissorjack]

You mean the filtrum?

I learnt something today: who says this Board is no longer about "fighting ignorance"? Filtrum, filtrum, filtrum.

[AskNott]

My cure for hiccups: Altoids.

Sometimes I have to have 2, but always gets rid of 'em.
One of the most reliable hiccup remedies is letting a spoonful of sugar dissolve in your mouth. Altoids are mostly sugar, so it's not surprising.

[sleeepy2]

Also, running the flat of a knife blade over your hands under water to get the onion off them. It's the silliest fuzzy-thinking folk thing in the world, but it really does work IMHO.

There's actually some science behind this one. Alton Brown explained, I forgot it, but it had to do with ions binding with something. They actually sell stainless steel lumps just for this purpose, but any stainless flatware will do.

[The Scrivener]

Actually, it's philtrum (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/9012.htm).

Or, if you prefer the JLo version: JLo's philtrum (http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/pc/jlopez.html).

[SmackFu]

I got wood stain on my hands, and I didn't have any kind of solvent to remove it, and all my soaps were useless. So I figured it was an oil-based stain, and maybe actual oil would dissolve the stain and help. Certainly couldn't hurt. I scrubbed up with some vegetable oil and my hands came clean right away.

I couldn't believe it actually worked.

[scr4]

I considered that, Booker57. However, heat sinks work by absorbing and spreading out heat from its source. The clothespins are made of wood, which is an excellent insulator. That's why I said it doesn't make sense for this to work. :confused:
Is the fuel line section exposed to outside air? Perhaps the clothespins are creating turbulence, exposing the fuel line to more cool air.

[Studs Murphy]

Drinking a glass of water upside down i.e. bending forward and putting your lips to the far side of the glass works for hiccups.

Taking a little cod liver oil seems to help with minor joint pain, I find.

[Anastasaeon]

And last weekend, The Cute One was helping me move. At the end of the day, I found out that he swears by Gold Bond for refreshing certain . . . sensitive parts . . . that got chaffed by all the lifting and moving.

I use baby powder (that vanilla-jasmine scented Johnson's stuff) for these things, anywhere skin touches skin, it's great. Talcum powder also works. I used to buy some more expensive powder/cornstarch mix from Fantasia called Honey Dust, which does the same thing.... but it's also edible and delicious. ;)

[The Scrivener]

Cinnamon-flavored toothpaste. I was feeling adventurous and decided to give it a try. Well, it's very refreshing!

[Kalhoun]

Vichy Lipodose anti-cellulite product. I only used it because I got it as a free gift for attending a Vichy school. I was actually flabbergasted that it worked - the SO confirmed - my ass is smoother than before I used it.

Go figure.
He just said that so he could cop a coupla squeezes...;)

[aerodave]

Somewhere I read that you can remove it by pouring boiling water over the stain from a height. I didn't believe it, but gave it a try. Took the stain right out.


Just remember to take the shirt off first! :p

[Robot Arm]

There were some musicians performing on the street in Prague, on the little plaza in front of the castle. It was a quartet; accordion, bassoon, violin and stand-up bass, IIRC. They finished one song, and then the accordion player got out a little cymbal on a stand and put it on the ground in front of him. And with just a single drumstick he started tapping out an instantly recognizable rhythm, and I thought there was just no way they were going to play what it sounded like, because there was just no way to make it work on those instruments. But they did. The guy played the Pink Panther theme on the bassoon, and it kicked ass.

Similarly, I heard street musicians in Stuttgart play Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and Winter from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, on two accordions, and it was fantastic.

[gigi]

There's actually some science behind this one. Alton Brown explained, I forgot it, but it had to do with ions binding with something. They actually sell stainless steel lumps just for this purpose, but any stainless flatware will do.
There's some sort of metal sheet you can lay in a sink of water, then add salt, then dip your tarnished silver in for a few minutes. If this removes the tarnish, would that be some sort of ionic thingamajig?

As for the OP....I gotta vote for the spit-on-your-own-blood laundry theory. Wherein you bleed on your clothing (however that happens, it does) and you douse the stain with your saliva before you throw it in the wash.This does work; I occasionally stick my finger while quilting and then hurry up and apply my saliva to the blood spot while it is wet. Once I was working on a quilt my Mom had also worked on; unfortunately the trick does not work on someone else's blood.

[AskNott]

Is the fuel line section exposed to outside air? Perhaps the clothespins are creating turbulence, exposing the fuel line to more cool air.
The fuel line on that car runs from the engine-mounted fuel pump, up the front of the engine, and rearward to the carburetor. When the engine is running, its fan keeps the air moving through the radiator and down to the ground. When it is shut off, the still air under the hood gets pretty hot.

Modern cars have the electric fuel pump inside the gas tank. This car had a pump driven by a cam on the end of the crankshaft. The same pump also boosted the vacuum that powered the windshield wipers.

[KidCharlemagne]

One of the most reliable hiccup remedies is letting a spoonful of sugar dissolve in your mouth. Altoids are mostly sugar, so it's not surprising.
While it's not specifically known why a spoonful of sugar works, it's generally not considered to because of the sugar content. The speculation is that the difficulty in swallowing a spoonful of granules and its sticking to the soft palate and uvula stimulates the vagus nerve.

[Madd Maxx]

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I thought it was all advertising hooey, but I tried it out on black Sharpie that my daughter has drawn on the wall. It came off! I can't explain it, but I keep a couple around the house now.

[Hyperelastic]

The remedy of taking a long drink to stop hiccups works because you can't breathe while you're drinking. I discovered by trial and error that I can almost always stop hiccups by waiting for a hiccup, then immediately taking a very deep breath and holding it for as long as possible. You stop hiccuping while you're holding your breath, and if you can hold it long enough, your diaphragm "forgets" to start hiccuping again. At least that's what it feels like to me. Sometimes it takes two, rarely more than two, tries. I used to get hiccups a lot and they'd last forever, like all day, until I hit on the breath-holding.

I think it's amazing that the human body in general works as well as it does. It's so complicated and fragile-seeming.

[racer72]

When it was announced that my employer (http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/photorelease/q1/pr_050127g.html) would start building airplanes on a moving assembly line, no one believed it would work. 6 years and 1200 new 737's later, it has been a smashing success. Now all Boeing aircraft are built on moving assembly lines.

[Tentacle Monster]

Back in the day, a good friend of mine, Terry, who owns a store had weekly Magic: The Gathering tournaments. One of the formats is Booster Draft, wherein everybody buys three packs of cards and sets up a draft to decide who plays with what cards. Some of these packs have foil cards. At the time, Terry was trying to make a full set of foils; so what he would do is open the packs for Booster Draft beforehand, pull out any foils, replace them with the same card in non-foil form, and stuff them back into the pack. He'd then sell them at cost for the tournament.

One day I was hanging out at the store with a couple of other friends when Terry showed off his new digital postal scale. It was really nice, and accurate to a fraction of a gram. I said "Hey, Terry, I wonder if that thing's sensitive enough to tell the difference between a pack with a foil and a regular pack." We decided to find out. He grabbed a few random packs, and weighed them on the scale. Sure enough, every pack that had a foil card in it weighed just a little bit more than a pack without a foil.

So from then on, Terry would just weigh the packs first, and open the heavy ones. He still sold them at cost, though.

[BwanaBob]

Another odd blood-stain remedy that actually works.

If you have a fresh blood stain, rub it with milk. The blood comes right out.
Supposedly it's a protein-removes-protein thing.

[butler1850]

Baby wipes are good for other things than wiping babies.

I keep them in my car for quick cleanups if I'm forced to do repairs on the road.

I use them to do a quick "refreshing wipe" on hot days.

---->>> The most important! I use them to remove stains on nearly EVERYTHING! Spill soda/oil/blood/anything that stains, and wipe it up with a baby wipe! Amazing but true. I didn't believe the person that told me, but I've discovered they really do work! Once in a while, it might not get all the stain on the first go, but it helps with the removal in the laundry, and will get it "less noticible" enough to allow you to continue your day without a huge visible stain on your clothing.

-Butler