9 Surprising Benefits Of Rubbing Alcohol You Didn¡¯t Know About

If you¡¯re someone who can only make sense of storing alcohol in a liquor cabinet, think again. While others may store it in their medicine cabinet, not many know the how to fully use the potent properties of rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol.

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Although alcohol may have been used as a disinfectant traditionally, it also has several health benefits that have gone relatively unnoticed. These are 9 benefits of rubbing alcohol that you may have overlooked.

First some of the unknown health benefits:

It can give you instant relief from a mosquito bite

Dabbing or rubbing alcohol on mosquito bites as soon as you notice them helps keep the itching at bay according to popsugar.com.

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Treat cold sores

Holding a swab or sterile pad soaked in rubbing alcohol can help stop the stinging, prevent re-contamination and the spread of an HSV as stated by wikihow.com. It also states that 70% rubbing alcohol the ideal level of dilution for this treatment.

Helps relieve sore muscles

Turns out that rubbing alcohol spread over aching muscles and aching joints can help reduce pain and swelling. According to the Columba Online Encyclopedia, alcohol acts as an irritant on the skin and increases the blood flow to the area it is applied to, which enhances healing.

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Make your own hand sanitizer

Use these ingredients as listed in wellnessmama.com to make your own hand sanitizer, which is equally potent and healthier than the commercial variant. Mix mix ? cup aloe vera gel, 1/2 teaspoon glycerine, and 1 tbsp. of rubbing alcohol in a small bowl. Then add 10 drops of cinnamon essential oil or tea tree oil along and any other essential oil for scent (such as lemongrass, orange or lavender).

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Can eliminate ticks

Rubbing alcohol can be used to stun ticks, which loosens their hold making it easier to remove them as suggested by The Huffington Post. Put some on a cotton ball and dab the area around the tick gently. Then, use a pair of tweezers to remove it once the area is well treated.

Other useful ways to use rubbing alcohol:

Keep bed bugs at bay

The American Pest Control advises you to fill a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and spray the braiding of the mattress, the headboard and the box springs. Alcohol manages to kill the bugs on contact. Use the spray frequently to eliminate the eggs as well. Make sure the alcohol has dried, and your room is ventilated before sleeping in it.

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Eradicate fruit flies

Fill rubbing alcohol into a misting spray bottle up to 70%. Spraying it on the hovering fruit flies will have them fall dead instantly, according to wikihow.com. Saturating the air with about 91% or so will kill any eggs as well.

De-stink your shoes

Let your shoes dry out completely and spray rubbing alcohol inside of the shoe once they are dry. Now let the shoes dry out overnight, and the odour should be gone suggests lifehacker.com.

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Remove stains from you favourite shirt

Wiping the neck of your shirt with rubbing alcohol before you wear it prevents it from getting stained suggests Reader¡¯s Digest. They also recommend soaking an ink stain on your shirt with rubbing alcohol for a few minutes before you put it for a wash for more effective cleaning.