RUBBING ALCOHOL

Lift ink stains from leather

Oops! Somehow you managed to get a pen mark on your favorite leather handbag. To erase the ink stain in seconds, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub it back and forth on the mark until it disappears. Then dry the area with a hair dryer to evaporate the alcohol. Your purse will look like new again!

Create in-a-pinch deodorant

You’re all out of deodorant and have no time for a drugstore run. To make it through the day odor-free, try this: Fill a spray bottle with 1⁄4 cup of rubbing alcohol and 5 drops of your favorite essential oil, then spritz on underarms. Alcohol kills odor-causing bacteria and the oil leaves behind a fresh scent.

Get photographs smudge-free

While swapping out the pictures on your photo wall, you notice a few of the glass frames are covered in fingerprints. To erase them, add a 50:50 solution of rubbing alcohol and water to a spray bottle, spritz the glass, then gently wipe with a soft clean cloth. The rubbing alcohol will lift the oily residue from the smudges in a blink.

Disinfect a remote control

To get the television remote clean during cold and flu season, remove the batteries from the device, then rub a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol across the surface of the remote. The alcohol’s antimicrobial properties will destroy any germs.

Nix musty odors from a sweater

You pulled a sweater out of your closet only to find it has a funky odor. An easy way to eliminate the smell: Fill a spray bottle with equal parts rubbing alcohol and water and mist the garment. The alcohol kills odor-causing bacteria or mold lingering in the fabric.