Most of us have some sandpaper stashed around our home. But, if you’re only using sandpaper on your woodworking projects, you’re tapping just a fraction of its potential. Here’s a list of smart sandpaper ways to use all around the house.
1. Uses for sandpaper – remove scuffs from suede
A little fine-grit sandpaper and a gentle touch are great for removing (or at least minimizing) an ink stain or small scuff mark on suede clothing or shoes. Afterward, bring up the nap with a toothbrush or nailbrush. You might avoid an expensive trip to the dry cleaner!
2. Uses for sandpaper – remove stubborn grout stains
Sometimes your bathroom abrasive cleaner is just not abrasive enough. Get tough on grout stains with a fine-grit sandpaper. Fold the sandpaper and use the folded edge to sand in the grout seam. Be careful not to sand the tile and scratch the finish.
3. Uses for sandpaper – emery board for nails
If you don’t have an emery board handy the next time you need to smooth your nails, just raid the sandpaper stash in the garage workshop. Look for a piece marked 120 grit or 150 grit on the back.
4. Uses for sandpaper – deter slugs from potted plants
Slugs are truly unwelcome guests that will never leave, but you can stop them from getting into your potted plants in the first place. Put those used sanding disks to work under the bases of your pots, making sure the sandpaper is wider than the pot base.
5. Uses for sandpaper – hold pleats while ironing
If you’re a pleat perfectionist, keep some fine- or medium-grit sandpaper handy with your iron. Put the sandpaper under the pleat to hold it in place while you iron a nice sharp fold.
6. Uses for sandpaper – sharpen sewing needles
Think twice before throwing out a used piece of fine-grit sandpaper; the unused edges or corners are perfect for tucking into your sewing box. Poking your sewing needles through sandpaper a few times, or twisting them inside a folded piece of sandpaper, will make them sharper than ever.
7. Uses for sandpaper – sharpen scissors
Are your scissor cuts less than crisp? Try cutting through a sheet of fine-grit sandpaper to finish off the edge and keep your cuts clean.
8. Uses for sandpaper – pilled sweaters
If you’re fighting a losing battle with the fuzz balls on your sweaters, a little sandpaper will handle them. Use any grit, and rub lightly in one direction.
9. Use sandpaper to remove scorches on wool
Take some medium-grit sandpaper to any small scorch spots on your woolen clothing. The mark left by a careless spark will be less noticeable with some light sanding around the edges.
10. Uses for leather – roughen slippery leather soles
New shoes with slippery soles can send you flying, so take a little sandpaper and a little time to sand across the width of the soles and roughen up the slick surface. It’s thriftier and easier than taking your new shoes to a repair shop to have new rubber soles put on.
11. Use sandpaper to open a stuck jar
Having a tough time opening a jar? Grab a piece of sandpaper and place it grit-side down on the lid. The sandpaper should improve your grip enough to do the job.