Little known uses for clear lip balm

Don’t you just hate it when you can’t get price sticker off without making a major mess? Remedy? Smear clear lip balm over the stickers and let sit for 10 minutes. The oils in the salve will disintegrate the adhesives. When you have no cuticle cream to treat a hangnail, dampen the affected area with lukewarm water, then apply a layer of clear lip balm. Coat the threads of any new bulb that will go into an outdoor light with lip balm before twisting it into place. The film will act as a sealant to stop water from seeping in and oxidizing the metal and make it easy to unscrew it when it’s time to change it. View the list »
Coat your pet’s paw pads before heading out the door to protect them from the irritation walking/running on ice, snow and salt can cause. The balm will serve as a barrier to safeguard his sensitive feet.

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It is not unusual to see both males and females whipping out lip balm in the midst of winter and apply it to their lips. In 2013 there are more flavors of lip balm than can be listed here; however, there was a time (when I was growing up in the 50s) that lip balm came in one color: clear.

Back then, it was called Chap Stick because its fundamental job was to keep one’s lips from getting chapped. Besides using it while out in the cold, dry, winter wind, occasionally one might see a cute young thing apply it to her lips as her beau was walking her to the door after a date.

In spite of all the new colors and flavors, you might want to consider keeping several tubes of the clear kind around all the time. While one may wonder how some of the ones to be shared were discovered, the January 2013 issue of for women FIRST magazine shared ten innovative ways clear lip balm can be used.

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  • Coat your pet’s paw pads before heading out the door to protect them from the irritation walking/running on ice, snow and salt can cause. The balm will serve as a barrier to safeguard his sensitive feet.
  • Coat the threads of any new bulb that will go into an outdoor light with lip balm before twisting it into place. The film will act as a sealant to stop water from seeping in and oxidizing the metal and make it easy to unscrew it when it’s time to change it. 
  • When you have no cuticle cream to treat a hangnail, dampen the affected area with lukewarm water, then apply a layer of clear lip balm. 
  • Don’t you just hate it when you can’t get price sticker off without making a major mess? Remedy? Smear clear lip balm over the stickers and let sit for 10 minutes. The oils in the salve will disintegrate the adhesives. 
  • When your zipper gets stuck, rub clear lip balm over the zipper’s teeth. The slick wax will lubricate the metal so the hardware can move along without snagging. 
  • When your favorite disc starts skipping, rub clear lip balm over any scratches, then buff with a soft, clean cloth. The waxy balm fills in imperfections while the gentle buffing clears off dirt and oil. 
  • Rub clear lip balm over wood before hammering a nail into it to prevent the wood from splitting. The slick coating helps the nail slide into the wood without creating a problem. 
  • No matter what caused your tears, mascara will create smudges under your eyes. If that happens to you, grab your clear lip balm, rub your finger over the tip and apply it to the smudge. The oils in the balm will gently dissolve and lift away the mascara without affecting the rest of your makeup. 
  • Your hair becomes a  mess of static when you remove your hat and scarf after being outside in the cold. What do you do to tame those flyaway strands? Rub a bit of clear lip balm on your fingertips, and then pinch along the affected strands. The thirsty locks of hair will be hydrated by the moisturizing ingredients in the balm. 
  • The laces of your new shoes keep coming undone during your workout. To prevent this and a possible accident, coat the strings with clear lip balm where you knot the loop. The wax will create a bit of sticky friction between the laces, making them less likely to come untied. 
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, Suffolk Public Schools Examiner

Janice Holland is a retired public school educator having served her hometown of Suffolk, VA as as the assistant superintendent for administrative services; an elementary principal; a high school assistant principal; and, as a high school mathematics teacher. Since retiring, Janice has worked as...

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