Vaseline Petroleum Jelly - a HUGE bargain with a ton of uses

Can you think of a product that will seal a gasket and keep it from cracking, prevent rust from forming on car battery terminals, or prevent diaper rash on your baby's bottom? If you said petroleum jelly, you were correct.

In 1870 Cheseborough opened his first factory in Brooklyn, New York, under the brand name “Vaseline” as an ointment for skin injuries

This amazing ointment is a huge bargain, and you can purchase it in a tiny tub, which costs less than $2! And it will last a long time because even with all its uses, a small amount goes a long way.

Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly, on its company website, states that its ingredients are a mixture of mineral oils, paraffin, and microcrystalline waxes. It has a melting point just above body temperature, and that's why it acts so well to protect from weather and exposure and keep the water in our skin. Let's look at some of the uses of this "miracle" product.

Feet cracked and sore? Work some petroleum jelly into clean feet before bedtime, put on socks, and wake up the next morning with soft, smooth feet. It's a lot cheaper than the fancy foot cremes available in stores. You can also use it on pets' pads to prevent damage from harsh weather conditions like snow and ice.

Keep lips kissing soft. For you who use lip balm regularly, save your money. Petroleum jelly works just as well and stays on longer. Put lipstick on underneath it for a bit of color.

Take care of squeaky door hinges. If you have squeaky door hinges, don't buy lubricating oil. Place a small amount of petroleum jelly on them and the squeak will disappear. As a bonus, it won't drip like oil.

Use as shoe polish and conditioner. Need to shine your shoes but don't have the right color polish? Just apply petroleum jelly to leather (or faux leather) shoes, then wipe and shine with a soft cloth. At the same time, it conditions the leather. You will also save money because you won't have to buy shoe polish in different colors.

Keep candle wax buildup from being a problem. One of the worst household jobs is prying wax out of candleholders. It takes time to pry it all out and get the candleholders clean for further use. Before you insert the candles into the candleholders, swipe a bit of petroleum jelly on the lower part of the candle and the inside of the candleholder. Used candles will easily lift out, and there's no residue to clean.

Make fire starters. Did you know you can easily and inexpensively make your own fire starter? Put a little petroleum jelly on cotton balls or dryer lint and store them in a waterproof container to take with you when you go camping.

Use as face cream. Ladies, compare the price of petroleum jelly with the expensive face creams on the market, some running into hundreds of dollars. And because it is so pure, you won't have to worry about allergic reactions. Don't forget to put some on hands and elbows, too.

Protect skin from hair dyes. If you dye your hair at home, put a thin film of petroleum jelly around your hairline. It will help you avoid embarrassing stains from the dye on your skin.

Remove water stains. If you have water rings on your wood furniture, rub some petroleum jelly into them and leave for a few hours or overnight. Wipe it off with a soft cloth and not only will the stain be gone, but also your furniture will have a lustrous shine.

Combat lipstick stains. When you do your laundry, apply petroleum jelly directly to the stain and rub it in. Toss the item into your wash, and the stain will be gone. If not, repeat. There is no need for costly stain removal products.

Unscrew stubborn light bulbs with ease. Coat the threads of light bulbs with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, and they will easily unscrew for changing. This is particularly helpful for outdoor and hard-to-reach bulbs. No more wasting time trying to get a broken bulb out of a socket or getting injured.

Foil pesky squirrels. If you are bothered by squirrels that keep getting at the food in your birdfeeders, try rubbing the outside of the feeders with petroleum jelly and watch the squirrels fall to the ground.


Water Rings on Wood Furniture: Rub petroleum into damaged area with your fingers and let stand for a few hours or if possible overnight. In the morning remove excess jelly with a paper towel and buff with a soft cloth.

Super Glue Cap: Often after it’s first use, the super glue cap ends up stuck fast to the tube and can’t be used again. Put a thick coating of jelly inside the cap threads to keep it from gluing itself shut. This will work on any cap or lid that may stick.


No matter what the chore, if it is messy rub on Petroleum Jelly before you begin. It will keep paint, stain, car grease, and garden dirt from embedding in your skin. It will soften your hands while protecting your skin. Just wipe off with paper towel or an old rag for clean up.

Nail Polish: Rub Petroleum Jelly on the skin around your nails before polishing. If you make a mistake it can be wiped off when your nails are dry and it softens cuticles at the same time.

Paint Cans: Petroleum Jelly forms an air tight seal when applied around the inside edge of the can.

Frozen Locks: To keep your locks from freezing, smear Petroleum Jelly on the shaft of the key and insert it into the lock. Work the key and lock 4 or 5 times to lubricate the tumblers. This is also a good remedy for keys and locks that just don’t seem to work smoothly together.

Sticky Drawers: Apply petroleum Jelly along the runner on a sticky drawer to make it slide more freely

Makeup Remover: Use as you would any makeup remover. It removes makeup safely while softening your skin.

Diaper Rash: Use in place of expensive ointments and creams to prevent rash.

Grandpa’s Bald Head:  Gives a glistening shine for those special occasions. Just apply and polish.

Nuts and Bolts: Keep nuts, bolts and screws from rusting by coating with Petroleum before using

Tight Finger Rings: Apply to your finger and the ring will slide off.

Use on your refrigerator door, to keep the seal lasting longer. Also apply on your storm windows to slide better and not stick.

Apply to the runners of your sliding glass doors and for the sliding screen door especially.

Also great for keeping the rubber around removable car tops from becoming brittle.

Use it on my hummingbird feeder to keep the ants away - apply it to the hook, the top, and around the tip of each feeding cup. It also keeps the syrup from dripping out.

 

When replacing washing machine hoses. Put a little on the inside and outside of each end. Goes on the machine and the pipe easily. No more rust or corrosion, even if you have hard water. And, if you ever need to take it off, comes off easily also.

Fishing/Boating/Diving:

Smear it on anything with a zipper (even the plastic zippers) Works great on tackle bags, Bimini top zippers, etc. Never have a stuck zipper again! Smear a thin coat on your fishing knives before storage and they will be rust free the next time you reach for them…even if it’s not unitl next Spring! Divers…pack the sheath of your dive knife with it and your knife will stay rust free for years! (old Navy Diver trick I learned years ago.)

My sister had breast cancer. At the Mayo Clinic in New York they told her to use Petroleum Jelly under her arms as deoderant. I have been using it for two years and it works fantastic. I have tried the essential oils, almond oils but vaseline works really well. Try it you will be surprised. I have never had a problem with my clothes either.

No more shampoo tears -Thinking of buying special no-tears shampoo for your child? Forget about it. If you have some petroleum jelly, you have the solution. Rub a fair amount into your baby's eyebrows. It acts as a protective shield against shampoo running down into his eyes.

Mask doorknobs when painting - You're about to undertake painting the family room. But do you really want to fiddle with removing all the metal fixtures, including doorknobs? Petroleum jelly rubbed on the metal will prevent paint from sticking. When you're done painting, just wipe off the jelly and the unwanted paint is gone.
Seal a plumber's plunger - Before you reach for that plunger to unclog the bathroom toilet, find some petroleum jelly. Apply it along the rim of the plunger and it will help create a tighter seal. Whoosh, clog's gone.

You can also use it to make dance make up…. I’m a Cheer coach… instead of spending tons of money on expensive glitter makeup you can take Vaseline and dump craft glitter in and mix well and use as costume makeup.. its also good to use over your teeth in a performance or photoshoot it keeps your lips/inside of your mouth from sticking to your teeth… I’ll swear by this I do it to every cheerleader i have.
Why it's best:


Young children love stickers. It seems that they all go through a stage where they put them on everything. What the children don’t realize, of course, is that the sticker adhesive can be very difficult to remove from wood, glass, and stainless steel surfaces. Scrubbing the surface with an abrasive cleanser can scratch it and ruin its appearance forever. Instead of marring your furniture, remove sticker adhesive with petroleum jelly.

Petroleum jelly is gentle, soft, and can be used on virtually any surface. To remove sticker adhesive with petroleum jelly, dab on a generous amount directly onto the sticker and allow it to sit for several hours. Then, using plastic putty knife or credit card, gently scrape the sticker until it is removed. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and then polish. TIP - This tip also works to remove price tag stickers on new merchandise. Follow the steps listed above to remove price tags from mirrors, picture frames, and so on.

Petroleum Jelly is extremely flammable….so DON’T use it around candles etc.