Uses for Shaving Cream: 14 Ways To Save Time & Money

Shaving cream helps keep our underarms, legs and anywhere else we shave silky smooth and irritation-free, but did you know it also has several other uses? This shower staple works wonders around the house — whether you need to unstick a stubborn zipper, nix pet stains or even add some volume to your hair, shaving cream can do it all. Keep scrolling to discover 14 favorite brilliant uses for shaving cream.

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. Uses for shaving cream: Volumize hair in a pinch

Styling your hair into beachy waves for your backyard get-together 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. Keep pet stains from setting in

uses for shaving cream: English Bulldog Puppy on carpet — Carol Yepes/Getty

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. “Its foaming action is very similar to that of stain removers and will clean and lift any particles that sink into the carpet,” explains professional organizer Dorothy Breininger. (Just be sure to test the cream on a small spot of the carpet first.)

4. Uses for shaving cream: 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!

5. Ensure fog-free swim goggles

Your goggles are key to seeing under water 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.

6. Uses for shaving cream: Stop a hinge from squeaking

If your bedroom door emits a loud screech every time you open it, try spraying a generous amount of foam shaving cream all over the hinges. Let sit for 30 seconds, then wipe away the excess with a paper towel. The oils in the shaving cream will coat the hinges just as well as other lubricants, but without the strong chemical odor. (Click through for more ways to quiet a squeaky door hinge.)

7. Renew plastic chairs

uses for shaving cream: Close-up of red and turquoise arondiack chairs sitting outside blue wooden cabin door on grass. — Susan Vineyard/Getty

To restore plastic lawn chairs to their former glory, just foam on shaving cream, rub it in and leave for 10 minutes, says Joey Green, author of Fix-It Magic. “Shaving cream is really just condensed soap,” he reveals. “It loosens tough stains and wipes away more easily than commercial cleaners.” Plus, it’s nonabrasive and won’t harm surfaces, whether those of outdoor chairs or a little ones’ plastic playhouse.

8. Uses for shaving cream: Get stainless steel gleaming

The trick to a sparkling stainless steel appliance? 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.

9. 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 flexible hold.

10. Uses for shaving cream: Soothe a sunburn fast

uses for shaving cream: Mature woman lying on a deck chair by the pool on holiday. She is rubbing sun lotion into her arm. — SolStock/Getty

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!

11. Prevent a ketchup stain from setting

While prepping for your barbecue, you get a dribble of ketchup on your shirt and there’s no time to change. To the rescue: shaving cream! Just head into your bathroom and dampen the spot with water, then add a dab of foam shaving cream. Let sit for a minute; blot. Alcohol in the foam will lighten the stain, which will come out in the wash. “Since ketchup is a water-based stain,” explains Steve “Clothing Doctor” Boorstein, “shaving cream will help break it down.”

12. Uses for shaving cream: 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.

13. Whiten grout for pennies

A gloved hand holds a rag and washes ceramic tiles — Олег Зайкин/Getty

To nix bathroom mold, spray foam shaving cream on the grout after you shower. Let sit for 10 minutes; wipe clean with a damp cloth. The shower’s steam loosens gunk while shaving cream’s alcohol breaks down mildew.

14. Uses for shaving cream: Make little ones’ bath time more fun

Next time you’re tasked with giving the cutie in your life a bath, whip up a batch of foamy finger paint. To do: Fill a plastic bowl with foam shaving cream and add a few drops of food coloring. The foam will absorb the dye and your little one will have a blast drawing all over the tub with the “paint.” When bath time is over, as the tub drains, the paint will go down the drain with it.