We had no idea sandpaper was this multifunctional

The use of sandpaper is pretty clear: you use it to make surfaces smoother (or rougher in some cases) or to remove old material, like old layers of paint. We had no idea that you can actually use this handy rough paper for many more things, though. Don’t you love it when you find out you can use a simple, cheap product for a ton of handy things around the house? We certainly do! So, next time you’ve got scraps of sandpaper left over, don’t throw them away!

Sandpaper is very handy to keep around.

1. Open a jar

We’ve lost track of the amounts of time we’ve tried to open a jar of pickles (or something else) and we just couldn’t do it without using rough force. Why do they have to shut those lids so tight? Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Keep a piece of sandpaper in your kitchen drawer and take it out when you need to open a jar. The gritty side of the paper is so rough that it’ll provide that extra grip you need.

2. Make your shoes anti-slip

Some shoes come with a good profile that’ll make sure you never slip and fall. A lot of other shoes, however, like nice dress shoes, have completely smooth soles, which can make it pretty hard to walk on smooth surfaces without falling down. Want to walk a little more secure in your fancy new shoes? Use a bit of sandpaper to sand the soles of your shoes; that way, they’ll become a little less slippery.

3. Clean cast iron pans

This might sound a little on the drastic side, but it’s actually a good trick. If your cast iron pots and pans have gotten a little rusty, you can use some sandpaper to clean them. That way, you can use those nice pans again without the fear of getting rust in your food.

Go to the next page for more sandpaper tips!

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