TOP 10 UNUSUAL USES FOR PEANUT BUTTER

“Discover 10 unusual and clever uses for peanut butter! From removing gum and cleaning leather to shaving and baiting mousetraps, learn how this pantry staple can solve everyday problems in unexpected ways.”

SHAVE WITH IT

Believe it or not, peanut butter makes a great shaving gel. Just apply it like you would apply the gel, and shave as normal. It works just as well, and anyone that has bought a container of shaving gel will know it is a hell of a lot cheaper. The end result is a very smooth shave and, as a bonus, the oils in the peanut butter are very good for your skin, so you don’t need to spend even more money.

GUM REMOVER

While it doesn’t happen quite so often to us adults, children often end up with gum in their hair. This would normally be followed by a lot of tugging and pulling with a comb to remove it, and the eventual chopping of the locks. But what most people don’t realize is that peanut butter is a perfect “gum remover”—not only will it remove gum from hair, it will remove gum from carpet and any other object tainted with the chewy stuff. Just rub some peanut butter into the gum and you can wipe the whole mess off with a cloth.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This one doesn’t seem quite so weird, but it is included because these cookies use peanut butter as the main ingredient—there is no flour at all. The cookies are a mix of peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. You can even throw in a handful of chocolate chips if you wish. The resulting cookies are amazingly tasty and it only takes about twenty minutes from start to finish.

LEATHER CLEANER

Peanut butter is an excellent cleaner for leather furniture. Just rub a small amount on and work it in with a circular motion. Remove with a buffing cloth and there you have it! The caveat to this tip is peanut-butter smelling furniture. To avoid that you might want to mix a little perfume oil in it, but not too much. Also, if you do add the perfume, make sure you don’t mix up your jars or you will end up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that tastes like mouthwash.

DE-FISH THE HOUSE

If you have ever fried fish, you will know it leaves behind a rather unpleasant fishy smell in the house. To help eradicate the smell, take a tablespoon of peanut butter after you have finished frying the fish, drop it in the frying pan, and fry it off for a minute or two. The smell of peanut butter in the house is much more enjoyable than stale fish and oil.

PRICE TAG REMOVAL

Despite the major advances in science in recent years, no one seems to have managed to invent a label that can be removed easily without leaving any glue behind. Fortunately, we have peanut butter. Rub some of the tasty spread on the label glue and rub with a cloth—it works brilliantly.

MOUSETRAP BAIT

Mice are not particularly fond of cheese, so it is strange that it is the first food people go for when they are baiting their mousetraps. What most people don’t know is that mice prefer peanut butter; how this has been proven I do not know, but the fact that peanut butter is so much cheaper than cheese makes this tip a very handy and frugal one. So next time you need to bait a mousetrap, don’t bother loading it with Camembert or five-year-aged cheddar, stick on some trusty peanut butter.

BUTTER REPLACEMENT

Most recipes that use butter can be cooked with peanut butter instead. In cookies and cakes, this can make a wonderful and subtle taste difference. Next time you are making fudge brownies, try using peanut butter instead; it will be like eating a huge Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. You can also stir peanut butter into a sauce instead of butter to give it a nutty finish.

ANIMAL MEDICINE

If you own a cat or a dog, you will know how hard it can be to get them to take their medication, especially when it is in pill form. Fortunately, cats and dogs love peanut butter, so next time you have to give them some medication, mix it up with a spoonful and feed it to them. No more struggling with the animal as you hold its mouth open and try to force-feed it a bitter pill.

LUBE IT UP

Peanut butter is an excaellent lubricator. If your lawnmower blades are getting a little tight and rusty, smear on someof the spread and voila—perfect lubrication. This hint is particularly useful because almost every time I need lube, I don’t have any around, but I always have a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard. It can be used for virtually all your lubrication needs.