New Uses in Your Bathroom

Conditioner as Shaving Cream

Lighten your carry-on load and sub conditioner for shaving cream.

Mayonnaise as Hair Conditioner

Use mayo to get a deep condition at home. Starting at the scalp, coat strands with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and leave on for 15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly.

Beer Koozie as Shaving-Cream Holder

Protect your bathtub rim from rust rings by slipping this foamy college relic over a can of Barbasol (rather than Budweiser).

Baking Soda as Hair Cleanser

If daily use of mousse or gel is weighing down your locks, add a pinch or two of baking soda to your shampoo once a week to remove product buildup. Getting squeaky-clean strands is a piece of cake.

Car Wax as Sink Polish

Polish faucets, sinks, tile, even shower doors with Turtle Wax, which leaves behind a protective barrier against water and soap buildup, so your hard-earned sparkle will last past the next tooth-brushing.

Hair Clip as Towel Securer

Maintain some modesty in the locker room. Hold towel in place with a clawlike clip post-shower.

Baby Powder as Dry Shampoo

Fake freshly washed hair by sprinkling powder on, then comb through down to the roots.

Baking Soda as Toothpaste

When you can't squeeze another dollop out of the tube, make a paste of baking soda and water. It will get your teeth clean until you can make it to the store.

Baking Soda as Drain Unclogger

To get your drain running again (without resorting to chemicals worthy of a hazmat suit) pour ½ cup soda, then ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover, and flush with steaming-hot water.

Beach Towel as Shower Curtain

Make a summery shower curtain by hanging two boldly patterned towels using clip-on drapery rings.

Berry Basket as Bathroom Storage

Corral bathroom essentials in an eco-friendly (but still pretty) caddy.

Cooking Spray as Manicure Setter

Set a manicure in record time. Lightly mist freshly painted nails for instant smudge protection.

Crate as Linen Storage

Use a wooden crate to store extra towels in the spare bathroom, so guests don't have to go hunting for the linen closet.

Dryer Sheet as Scum Buster

Remove obstinate soap buildup from glass shower doors by sprinkling a few drops of water onto a used fabric-softener sheet and scrubbing.

Epsom Salt as Hair Degreaser

Remove greasy buildup from hair by adding 1 tablespoon salt to 1 cup water and massaging through hair. Rinse well.

Bathroom Mirror as Memo Board

Leave a message that’s impossible to overlook. Write quick reminders (Pick up dry cleaning) or encouraging notes (Good luck today!) with a dry-erase marker.

Newspaper as Window Washer

Newspapers deposit less lint than paper towels do and don't leave any streaks. Just spray on a glass cleaner and wipe.

Oatmeal as At-Home Facial

Treat yourself to an at-home facial. Mix a package of plain instant oatmeal with warm water and apply to skin. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse well.

Cooking Oil as Cuticle Moisturizer

Soften cuticles easily with a couple of dabs of cooking oil. It's the quickest cure for dishpan hands.

Pant Hanger as Drying Rack

Use a pant hanger to air-dry a bath mat after showering. Simply hang it over the shower curtain rod.

Paper Clip Dispenser as Bobby Pin Holder

Corral bobby pins and hair clips in a paper clip holder. The magnetic ring makes them easy to dispense.

Petroleum Jelly as Mascara

Give eyelashes new luster by brushing them with a bit of petroleum jelly for an instant length-enhancing shine.

Petroleum Jelly as Cap Unsticker

Prevent a nail-polish cap from sticking by dabbing the jelly around the bottle’s ridges before sealing.

Cotton Swab as Travel Makeup Kit

Make an on-the-go cosmetics kit by applying a bit of your favorite eye shadow, concealer, and lip gloss to the ends of cotton swabs and stashing them in a plastic bag in your purse.

Rice Cooker as Towel Steamer

For an at-home spa experience, wet and wring out washcloths, fold in thirds, roll up, and steam in the cooker for about five minutes. (Transfer the towels with tongs—they're hot!—to a plate to cool a bit before using.)

Rubbing Alcohol as Ear Dryer

Evaporate water from your ears by using an eyedropper to insert a few drops of rubbing alcohol into each ear canal.

Rubbing Alcohol as Hairspray Remover

Lift off hair-spray residue from bathroom walls. Spray a mixture of one part rubbing alcohol, two parts water, and a dash of dishwashing liquid onto vinyl wallpaper or semigloss (not flat) paint. Wipe clean.

Saucer as Soap Dish

Dish out decorative soap in a refined way and present it on a patterned tea saucer.

Soap as Door Unsticker

Facilitate smooth exits. Rub a bar of soap over the inner frame of a door that's prone to jamming.

Soda Bottle as Water Saver

Waste less water. Fill a plastic bottle with liquid and place it in the tank of an old toilet (not a high-efficiency one). That way, it will require less resources to refill.

Sugar as Lip Scrub

Perfect your pucker. Make a paste of sugar and petroleum jelly and gently brush on dry, peeling lips with a toothbrush until they are smooth.

Sunscreen as Shaving Lotion

While a bottle of expired sunscreen will no longer protect you from UV rays, it can still protect you from razor burn. Use it when lubing up to keep legs smooth all year long.

Electric Toothbrush as Grout Scrubber

Scour bathroom crevices with a battery-powered toothbrush.

Toothpaste as Linoleum Cleaner

Use white toothpaste to buff scuffs out of linoleum tiles.

Towel as Plant Waterer

Keep your plants hydrated. If you’re going away for a week or so, place a towel in a bathtub or sink and fill with about two inches of water. Then thoroughly water the houseplants, and place them on top of the towel. They’ll soak up the water.

Vinegar as Bath Booster

Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the water to soothe dry skin—and get a cleaner bath tub. An essential oil can help counteract the smell.

Water as Hair Style Booster

If you don't want to pile on more hair products halfway through the day, let water reactivate what you applied in the morning. Just spritz hair and reshape. If you need a firm hold, however, you'll need a fresh coat of hairspray.

Window Box as Towel Storage

Roll several cloths and stack in the box in a guest bathroom so no one has to poke around in your cabinets hunting for them.

Baking Soda as Tub Scrubber

Rub tub stains away. Create a paste mad up of equal parts baking soda and cream of tartar and a little lemon juice. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse.

Vitamin Organizer as Travel Makeup Palette

Skip individual travel-size bottles and load lipstick shades and cream foundation into the compartments of a multi-day pill case.

All out of shaving cream? Rather than skipping the shaving session altogether, reach for the conditioner to help soften your skin.

Hosiery as Hairbrush Cleaner

Prevent gunk from settling into your hairbrush by pushing a swatch of stocking fabric over the bristles, so it rests on the base. When the brush needs cleaning, remove the swatch and hair and product buildup will go with it.

Ladder as Towel Rack

Instead of installing a typical metal rack to hold your towels, enlist a ladder made of bamboo (or some other wood that can withstand humidity) to do the job. No tools required.

Magnet as Tweezer Holder

Stop tweezers from going astray by installing a magnet on the inside of the medicine cabinet and they will always be at your fingertips.

Nail Polish as Rust Preventer

Coat the bottom of a shaving-cream can to fend off rust rings on the ledge of the tub.

Nutcracker as Cap Remover

Clamp the nutcracker around the top of a glue, nail-polish, or beverage bottle to give you extra gripping power. Your reward: Tight caps no longer drive you nuts.

Oven Mitt as Heat Guard

When you don’t have time to let your styling tool cool (say, you’re headed for the airport or going straight to work from the gym), stash it in a heat-resistant mitt before packing it up.

Ribbon as Shower Curtain Ring

For an easy and inexpensive way to hold up your shower curtain and give your bathroom a jolt of color, lace a ribbon through each hole and tie it in a knot, as shown. Snip off the ends at an angle.

Towel Rod as Cleaning Supply Holder

Assemble a spray-cleaner arsenal by installing a rod in the closet or underneath the sink and then hooking the bottles onto it by their triggers.

Vase as Toilet Paper Storage

The perfect arrangement for helping toilet paper hide in plain sight. Guests don't have to root around for a new roll in your not absolutely, positively tidy vanity, and you always know when you're running low.

Clothespin as Towel Labels

Track guests’ towels. When “his” and “hers”  doesn’t cover it, give visitors color-coded pins (or write names on wooden ones) to attach to their bath towels.

Coffee Filter as Mirror Cleaner

Get a streak–free shine by using a coffee filter to buff a mirror or window.