# The "I'll be damned, it actually works" helpful tip thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425 "2010-11-30T16:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/61 "2010-12-02T01:32:34Z")
Noxzema, the face wash, works like a charm on sunburns. Growing up we (immediate family) would always coat ourselves with a thick layer of noxzema asap after overexposure to the sun and it seems to suck the sunburn right out of your skin. I can’t explain it, or why it works, but it does. Funny related story. Growing up I had only ever used noxzema as a sunburn remedy. I never really read the container so I figured that was all it was supposed to be used for. I went to my friend’s house and she washed her face with it. I was like, why are you using that stuff as soap?? When I told her what I was brought up to use it for, she asked me why we slathered soap on ourselves to take away sunburns instead of aloe vera gel. heh. cute memory. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bibliophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophile)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/62 "2010-12-02T02:05:10Z")
To get the smell of onions or garlic off your hands, rub a stainless steel knife across your skin while running cold water over your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/63 "2010-12-02T04:02:02Z")
Another sure sunburn remedy: white vinegar. Add a few glugs to a cool bath, soak yourself, and no more sting. You’ll smell a little funky but feel a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/64 "2010-12-02T05:06:47Z")
> [@bibliophile](#): > > To get the smell of onions or garlic off your hands, rub a stainless steel knife across your skin while running cold water over your hands. **stumbles up to bibliophile, eyes glazed, hands cut to ribbons and running with watery blood** … What now, bibliophile? My hands smell fresh and clean, but what do I do now? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/65 "2010-12-02T05:37:06Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > **stumbles up to bibliophile, eyes glazed, hands cut to ribbons and running with watery blood** … > > What now, bibliophile? My hands smell fresh and clean, but what do I do now? Rub a little garlic or onion on your hands; that’ll make them heal faster. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/66 "2010-12-02T05:42:56Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Another sure sunburn remedy: white vinegar. Add a few glugs to a cool bath, soak yourself, and no more sting. You’ll smell a little funky but feel a lot better. My mother used to sponge vinegar on my father after he managed to burn himself again. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/67 "2010-12-02T06:57:16Z")
Vitamin D. I’ve always been very skeptical about “naturopathic” cures for things. But the claims about vitamin D do seem to be true, especially in my case. I’ve got a mean muscle condition called myofascitis, it causes a lot of pain and stiffness. I have some other mild illnesses which cause other pain and problems as well. Vitamin D really does help. Shock! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/68 "2010-12-02T07:08:06Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Noxzema, the face wash, works like a charm on sunburns. Growing up we (immediate family) would always coat ourselves with a thick layer of noxzema asap after overexposure to the sun and it seems to suck the sunburn right out of your skin. I can’t explain it, or why it works, but it does. That’s the only thing we ever used Noxzema for in our family, too. In fact, according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noxzema) and a random trivia book I read over the Thanksgiving weekend, that was its original use. > [@](#): > > Noxzema was originally invented by Dr. Francis J. Townsend, a doctor who lived in Ocean City, Maryland. The formula was called “Townsend R22” and commonly referred to as “no-eczema.” Townsend prescribed it as a remedy to early resort vacationers burned by the sun. In order to help people outside of the resort town Townsend later gave the formula to Dr. George Bunting who for many years denied the transaction. Bunting introduced “Dr. Bunting’s Sunburn Remedy” as the first real alternative to the greasy, tallow-based medicating creams common during the period. For the first three years, Bunting did all the mixing, heating, and pouring of the product himself. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/69 "2010-12-02T07:14:44Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Another sure sunburn remedy: white vinegar. Add a few glugs to a cool bath, soak yourself, and no more sting. You’ll smell a little funky but feel a lot better. That reminds me of something my mom swears by that can (but doesn’t always) work. If you’ve got a killer headache that just won’t quit, fill a pail full of hot water, as hot as you can possibly stand it. throw in either a couple ounces of white vinegar or rubbing alcohol. Strip off your socks and shoes and put your feet into the pail, and keep them there as long as you can stand it. If you have really fair skin, don’t be alarmed that your feet and shins turn so red they looked sunburned - the color will fade 15-20 minutes after you pull your feet out. About 1/2 the time the headache disappears completely. [The Old Farmer’s Almanac](http://www.farmersalmanac.com/health/2006/10/20/natural-headache-remedies/), probably where she heard of this in the first place, says it works because the heat pulls the blood away from your head and towards your feet. But I bet everyone knows that cider vinegar helps rid your hair of excess shampoo, right? The best part is that it doesn’t smell at all if you do it between shampooing and conditioning. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Salami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@King\_Salami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Salami)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/70 "2010-12-02T14:06:22Z")
> [@](#): > > To get the smell of onions or garlic off your hands, rub a stainless steel knife across your skin while running cold water over your hands. \ Most kitchen sink faucets are made of stainless steel. Turn on sink, rinse hands, fondle faucet. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/71 "2010-12-02T14:21:04Z")
> [@King\_Salami](#): > > \ Most kitchen sink faucets are made of stainless steel. Turn on sink, rinse hands, fondle faucet. Or hand-wash some silverware. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/72 "2010-12-02T14:26:53Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > In the States, I believe its called “Bag Balm”… And it works miracles. Living in humid Florida, a day walking around in the amusement parks would (usually after a couple of goes on the water rides) almost always lead to what my family affectionately calls “monkey butt.” Bag Balm is our go to remedy for this affliction. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/73 "2010-12-02T14:31:08Z")
Similar to the Udder cream recommendation but for women with weak nails - Hooflex. It’s a conditioner for horses hooves, dirt cheap and during my showing years I had the BEST nails of my life. Years later my nails still grow hard and strong and long. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/74 "2010-12-02T15:42:23Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#): > > Living in humid Florida, a day walking around in the amusement parks would (usually after a couple of goes on the water rides) almost always lead to what my family affectionately calls “monkey butt.” Bag Balm is our go to remedy for this affliction. Many nursing mothers know about bag balm for treating plugged ducts or, worse, the dreaded mastitis or breast infection — the most painful affliction known to womankind. :eek:Seriously, if you’re nursing a baby and get a breast infection, massage in some bag balm, along with other treatments prescribed by your doctor. And take Vitamin C. It’s available in drug stores. You don’t have to go to Southern States to buy it! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/75 "2010-12-02T16:05:42Z")
40% zinc oxide cream wil completely remove insect bites within about six hours,and stops the itch on contact. The cheapest brand is Desitin Original (not the creamy, which is only about 14% zinc oxide) and can be found in the baby butt care aisle. Target has a store brand version which is even cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/76 "2010-12-02T18:08:31Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Noxzema, the face wash, works like a charm on sunburns. Growing up we (immediate family) would always coat ourselves with a thick layer of noxzema asap after overexposure to the sun and it seems to suck the sunburn right out of your skin. I can’t explain it, or why it works, but it does. > > Funny related story. Growing up I had only ever used noxzema as a sunburn remedy. I never really read the container so I figured that was all it was supposed to be used for. I went to my friend’s house and she washed her face with it. I was like, why are you using that stuff as soap?? When I told her what I was brought up to use it for, she asked me why we slathered soap on ourselves to take away sunburns instead of aloe vera gel. > > heh. cute memory. I had a similar experience - my mom always used it as a sunburn remedy. Then, this one time, at band camp (yes… really!) my roommate washed her face with it. I was all, “Why are you rinsing it off?” and she was all, “Why WOULDN’T you?!?” We stared at each other for a while, each silently thinking the other was totally nuts. (Now I wash my face with it most mornings! AND I rinse it off! Take _that_, mom!) My contributions: **Lemon juice + salt** really does get rid of rust stains. Cite: at our former rental house, we had a slight leak from the washing machine. Being a GENIUS, I slid a … wait for it … metal baking pan under the washer. (Hey! It fit!) After a year or two, move-out day comes, and of course :smack: there’s a big rectangle-shaped rust stain on the linoleum tiles. Out of sheer desperation mostly, I squeezed the juice of a lemon over the rust and sprinkled on enough salt to make a paste. Let sit while other moving-related chaos ensues. Came back, scrubbed a bit, wiped it up … and 99.9% of the stain was gone, enough so the landlord didn’t notice at all. I’ve been taking \*\*biotin supplements \*\*after reading someone recommending them here, and they really do make my hair and nails grow faster & stronger. (Downside: I used to skip a day shaving with impunity. No more.) I swear it’s even made my skin clearer! ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/77 "2010-12-02T22:03:14Z")
Tricks I’ve learned from working at fast food restaurants: - cleaning glass coffee carafes: lemon juice, salt, and a handful of ice. Swirl around, let sit, swirl around again, and then scrub out. - cutting up a head of lettuce: turn the head stem down. Bang it on the counter until the stem breaks and pull it out. Then, quarter the head, and slice each quarter into pieces. SO. MUCH. FASTER. Other things: - insect bites: if no topical treatment is around, put the bite under the hottest water you can stand for five minutes. The heat exhausts the body’s ability to make histamine, which is what causes the itch. It lasts at least a few hours, by which time, you can get something to put on it. - migraines and sinus problems: get a Neti pot. Cannot recommend it enough. For general sinus problems, just mix the salt/sodium bicarbonate with body temperature water and clean out your nasal passages. It also provides relief if your nose hurts from very low humidity. For migraines, choose whichever your headaches respond to - heat or cold - and mix it with that temp water. It’s unpleasant (a cold nasal lavage feels like being waterboarded) but it gives nearly instant relief. - cat without an appetite. When my last kitty, Raven, was going downhill, she stopped eating very much. Her coat was dull, and she had no energy. So I mixed peanut butter and full fat yogurt at a 1:1 ratio and got it down her throat with a pet syringe. Five cc’s twice a day was all it took to bring her back from the brink. I got another three months with her. - Christmas tree lights: wrap them around the cardboard tubes leftover from the wrapping paper. - wet carpet: crystal kitty litter spread over the wet spot. If you don’t want to have vacuum it up, get a pair of pantyhose, fill the legs and tie them off, then put it on top of the wet spot. - hair-clogged drain: there’s a $2 white plastic tool at Home Depot called a Zip-It. It’s about 18 inches long, with barbed teeth. Push it down the drain, twist it around, and pull it out. I swear, I caught a 2-pound hairball that way. Left it in a ziploc for my mom to see. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/78 "2010-12-02T23:30:20Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > - migraines and sinus problems: get a Neti pot. Cannot recommend it enough. For general sinus problems, just mix the salt/sodium bicarbonate with body temperature water and clean out your nasal passages. It also provides relief if your nose hurts from very low humidity. For migraines, choose whichever your headaches respond to - heat or cold - and mix it with that temp water. It’s unpleasant (a cold nasal lavage feels like being waterboarded) but it gives nearly instant relief. > > - Christmas tree lights: wrap them around the cardboard tubes leftover from the wrapping paper. > > - hair-clogged drain: there’s a $2 white plastic tool at Home Depot called a Zip-It. It’s about 18 inches long, with barbed teeth. Push it down the drain, twist it around, and pull it out. I swear, I caught a 2-pound hairball that way. Left it in a ziploc for my mom to see. Also for migraines: Excedrin, or store-brand equivalent. The caffeine constricts blood vessels, and can help prevent a full-blown migraine! And along the same lines as the Christmas lights trick, I put my necklaces through drinking straws and fasten them before putting them in my jewelry box. No more tangled chains! And now, off to Home Depot for a Zip-It! ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/79 "2010-12-03T00:05:24Z")
This probably isn’t news to most people, but instead of paper towels, use a wadded up newspaper when cleaning windows, mirrors, or other glass surfaces. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/80 "2010-12-03T00:47:30Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Duct tape on warts. You have to keep it on for several weeks. I just covered mine with a Band-Aid and replaced it after showers. Eventually they went away, and they’d been stubborn through dermatologist freezings for years. Well, okay…but why in the world would ever even think of it??? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425.md?page=5)