# Things you didn't think would work...but do! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2005, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198 "2005-05-31T11:57:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/21 "2005-06-03T10:00:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/22 "2005-06-03T12:30:45Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/23 "2005-06-03T13:48:48Z")
> [@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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/24 "2005-06-03T16:40:50Z")
> [@Booker57](#): > > 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. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/25 "2005-06-03T16:59:36Z")
> [@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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/26 "2005-06-03T17:07:33Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Oh, and if you feel a sneeze coming on, press _hard_ on the vertical ridge on your upper lip. You mean the filtrum? ---
**Author:** ![MrsMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@MrsMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsMonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/27 "2005-06-03T17:32:14Z")
My cure for hiccups: Altoids. Sometimes I have to have 2, but always gets rid of 'em. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/28 "2005-06-03T18:56:55Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/29 "2005-06-03T20:03:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/30 "2005-06-03T20:45:26Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > You mean the filtrum? I learnt something today: who says this Board is no longer about “fighting ignorance”? Filtrum, filtrum, filtrum. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/31 "2005-06-03T21:27:16Z")
> [@MrsMonkey](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/32 "2005-06-03T21:59:50Z")
> [@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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/33 "2005-06-03T22:06:15Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/34 "2005-06-13T17:19:40Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/35 "2005-06-13T17:44:59Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > 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. 😕 Is the fuel line section exposed to outside air? Perhaps the clothespins are creating turbulence, exposing the fuel line to more cool air. ---
**Author:** ![Studs\_Murphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Studs\_Murphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studs_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/36 "2005-06-13T17:50:28Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/37 "2005-06-13T17:54:24Z")
> [@The Weird One](#): > > 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. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/38 "2005-06-13T18:11:53Z")
Cinnamon-flavored toothpaste. I was feeling adventurous and decided to give it a try. Well, it’s very refreshing! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/39 "2005-06-13T18:44:41Z")
> [@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. He just said that so he could cop a coupla squeezes…😉 ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198/40 "2005-06-13T19:01:24Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 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! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-think-would-work-but-do/306198.md?page=3)