FIVE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WITH OTHER USES:

You've probably seen those lists about "other" uses for regular household items. But there's a new one from Prevention.com that's pretty good, because the secondary uses for some of these things are just bizarre. Here are the top five . . .

#1.) USE ALKA-SELTZER ON INSECT BITES. It has aspirin in it, which helps if the bites are itchy or painful. Calamine lotion has zinc oxide in it, which can dry out your skin. But Alka-Setzer won't. Plus, it works faster.

--If you want to try it, crush up one Alka-Seltzer tablet, mix it with water, and add a pinch of oatmeal, which also soothes your skin. Then just rub it on. The bug bite should feel better immediately.

#2.) USE MOUTHWASH TO PREVENT ATHLETE'S FOOT. Pour some on a cotton ball, then rub it all over the bottoms of your feet and in between your toes after you shower.

--The only catch is, it has to have alcohol in it because that's what makes it work, and some types of mouthwash are alcohol-free, like ACT or Tom's Of Maine.

#3.) USE ALOE VERA TO GET RID OF CANKER SORES. Aloe vera has vitamins and amino acids that repair damaged tissue. And a study found that people healed 50% faster if they applied aloe vera directly to their canker sores.

#4.) USE NASAL SPRAY TO STOP A NOSEBLEED. Most nosebleeds can be stopped by just pinching your nose for 10 to 20 minutes. But if that doesn't work, try a nasal spray like Afrin or Mucinex.

--About two-thirds of people who go to the emergency room for nosebleeds are successfully treated with oxymetazoline (--pronounced oxy-meta-ZOH-leen), which is the active ingredient in nasal sprays like Afrin and Mucinex.

#5.) USE BAKING SODA ON IRRITATED SKIN. It takes the sting out of sunburns, and it helps with itchiness and discomfort if you have eczema or get poison ivy.

--If you must know, it's because baking soda is sodium bicarbonate . . . a mild alkaline compound that can get the pH balance of your skin back to normal. The best way to use it is to draw a bath, then pour in one cup of baking soda.

--Make sure you mix it in really well so it completely dissolves. Then just soak in the tub for about 30 minutes.


(Prevention.com)