10 Brilliant Uses for Shaving Cream

Shaving cream gets our arms and legs silky smooth, but it also has several other uses. This shower staple works wonders around the house — whether you need to unstick a stubborn zipper or nix pet stains. Here are 10 brilliant uses for shaving cream that make everyday tasks a breeze.

1. Eliminate crayon marks from walls.

Oops! During a rainy afternoon, your little artist decided to test out her drawing skills — on your wall. An easy way to remove the crayon residue: Cover the marks with shaving cream, let it sit for three minutes, then wipe it away with a damp cloth. The foam’s concentrated soaps will quickly dissolve the waxy marks, leaving your wall spotless.

2. Volumize hair in a pinch.

Styling your hair into beachy waves for a pool party and realize you have no volumizing mousse? Reach for shaving cream! Simply work a small amount through wet strands and style as usual. Polymers in the cream will create soft, non-sticky volumizing texture for an effortless ’do that wows!

3. Unstick a stubborn zipper.

You’re about to spend an evening outdoors stargazing, but when you go to put on your jacket, the zipper won’t budge. The save: Rub a dime-size amount of shaving cream over the zipper’s teeth. The cream works as a lubricant, making it easy to pull the zipper up and down. You’ll be out staring at the sky in no time!

4. Ensure fog-free swim goggles.

Your goggles are key when you’re wearing contact lenses, but they often fog up and cloud your vision. To prevent this, spray a generous amount of shaving cream on the inside and outside of the lenses. Let sit one minute; wipe clean with a soft cloth. The shaving cream will leave behind a clear coating that prevents fog-inducing moisture from accumulating on goggle lenses.

5. Stop a hinge from squeaking.

Front door make an irritating squeak every time you open it? Silence it by spraying a small amount of shaving cream onto an old toothbrush, then brush the cream into the hinge’s cracks and crevices. The glycerin in the cream acts as a lubricant while the lanolin seals in glycerin’s moisture.

6. Get a garbage can gleaming.

The trick to a sparkling stainless steel trash can: Squirt shaving cream onto a soft, clean rag then wipe it all over. The cream’s surfactants and emulsifiers work as gentle cleansing agents to lift gunk and polish steel without leaving the streaks that drippy soap would.

7. Keep pet stains from setting in.

Eek! Buster had a minor accident on your carpet, and you’re all out of rug cleaner. To the rescue: shaving cream! Just cover the spot with cream and let it sit. After 15 minutes, use a towel dampened by hot water to rub the spot. The shaving cream’s glycerin and alcohol will dissolve the stain, so your carpet looks and smells fresh. (Just be sure to test the cream on a small spot of the carpet first.)

8. Revitalize a baseball mitt.

You pulled out your old baseball mitt for the little one in your life, but it’s gotten a bit stiff. The fix: Use a clean cloth to rub shaving cream into the center of the glove until it’s completely coated. Then place a baseball inside and use a rubber band to hold the glove closed around the ball overnight; wipe away any excess in the morning. Shaving cream’s lanolin softens leather, allowing the ball to reshape it for a more f lexible hold.

9. Soothe a sunburn fast.

Ouch! Even after lathering up with sunscreen, you still managed to get a sunburn! To ease pain without buying pricey lotions, gently massage a dollop of menthol-infused shaving cream on red skin. Menthol helps take the heat out of a sunburn while the cool feel of the foam offers instant relief. Aah…that’s better!

10. Dissolve paint from hands.

The paint-and-sip party you hosted was such a blast! But your hands are now covered in dried-on paint, and soap is just not cutting it. Shaving cream can remove it with ease! Simply apply a thick layer of the cream onto hands and rub into skin. Then immediately rinse off with warm water. The shower staple will help break down the pigments in the paints so they can easily be washed away with water.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First for Women.