Other Uses For….Car Wax….Who Knew?

I saw some car wax on the clearance aisle at Target and almost picked some up and then thought, “I bet we already have some”, and then my next thought was, “And who’s going to actually wax one of the cars if I do buy it”….(for some reason, neither my husband or I do that on a regular basis!) Anyway, I skipped it, even though it was marked down, and then came home and looked to see if we did have any. Well, we actually have about 4 or 5 different brands of car wax sitting in the garage, with some of them never having been opened. Glad I didn’t pick anymore up! So of course I had to go to the computer and see if I could use it in any other way. And I was surprised at the alternative ways you can use car wax and thought, why not try some of the ideas and use up what we have? Otherwise it will all eventually get tossed or put in a garage sale for 25 cents. And you can also pick up car wax at the dollar stores. I tried most of these ideas and got great results….for any of these uses  I personally tried, I’ll put an asterisk next to it.

Whether in paste or liquid form (and we have both), car wax is formulated to fill scratches and give a high shine to nonporous surfaces like glass and metal, while protecting them from smudges and stains. Using a lint-free cloth, look at all the other ways you can use it…

1. Make A Mirror Fog-Free –

Rub a thin layer of car wax onto a bathroom mirror and buff it clean.*

2. Coat Your Dustpan –

Polishing your dustpan gives it a non-sticking surface and the dirt and dust slides off.*

3. Stop Rust On Your Tools –

Apply a coat of car wax to your tools to stop them from rusting…..AFTER I clean the rust off my garden tools, I WILL try this tip.

4. Keep Appliances Fingerprint-Free –

Apply a thin coat of car wax to stainless-steel fridges and stoves. Buff clean to resist fingerprints and smudges. (I tried this on our toaster and what a difference it made*)

5. Shine Your Faucets –

Rub car wax onto your bathroom and kitchen metal fixtures…helps keep them shiny and spot-free.*

6. Shine Your Bathtub and Tiles –

Polish your bathtub and tile with car wax then rub off with a soft cloth.*

7. Coat Your Snow Shovel –

Apply two coats of car wax to your shovel. This will stop snow from sticking to it….with our first heavy snow I’m going to totally try this!

8. Unstick Hinges –

Use car wax to lubricate the hinges of garden shears and scissors.*

9. Fix a Skipping CD –

Apply a small dab of car wax to a scratched CD and buff it clean using short strokes along the length of the scratch, not across it. Rinse the CD with water, and let it air-dry before playing…..I didn’t try this so I can’t say if it works. Putting water on a CD is something I have always thought was bad? But if you have a CD that is scratched and you’re thinking about tossing it away, I guess this couldn’t hurt? If anyone tries this, I’d love to hear how it works for you!

10. Prevent Bumper-Sticker Residue –

Before placing a sticker on your car’s bumper, rub a tiny bit of car wax onto the area the sticker will cover. When you want to pull it off, it should come off easily with no gummy mess.

11. Combat Corrosion –

Apply a thin coat of car wax to brass door knockers, mailboxes, and other outdoor fixtures to keep them from tarnishing.

12. Shine Your Leather Shoes –

Apply wax to your leather shoes then clean off with a soft cloth.*

13. Coat A Sliding Board –

Putting two coats of car wax on a sliding board will create less friction and your child will slide down easier.

14. Make Closets, Drawers and Windows Easier to Slide Open –

Rub a small dab of car wax onto the tracks of sliding closet doors, drawers and windows so they’ll slide more smoothly.

15. Fight Mildew –

After using your regular cleanser, apply a layer of car wax to the inside and outside of a shower door and buff off with a dry cloth to stave off mildew growth.*I’m in the process of trying this.

16. Coat Your Playing Cards –

If you polish the back of your cards they won’t stick together.

17. Clean Rings From Furniture –

If your furniture has white rings on it, just rub a little wax on the area with your finger until the rings disappear.

18. Shine Table Tops –

Car wax is good for shining your plastic and formica table tops. Wipe on and clean off.

19. Clean Window Frames –

After cleaning the frames of aluminum windows, polish them with car wax. This should help keep them clean for up to a year.

20. Keep Dust Off Blinds –

Clean venetian blinds as you normally would and then apply a thin coating of car wax to them. The wax will help repel dirt and dust.

21. Rub Away Rust Rings –

Metal cans like shaving cream or hairspray can leave rust rings on countertops. Rub them with car wax and they should easily be removed.

Car wax can be used to polish and shine any surface that is plastic, porcelain, enamel, formica or chrome. BUT as with anything, I would try it first on a small area to make sure it doesn’t harm any surfaces.

If you’ve ever used car wax on something besides your car….let us know how it worked for you!