Secret sandpaper uses

Secret sandpaper uses
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Most of us have some sandpaper stashed around our home. Bet you didn’t know you could be putting it to great use with these clever hacks!

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Sharpen sewing needles

Sharpen sewing needles
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Think twice before throwing out a used piece of fine-grit sandpaper; the unused edges or corners are perfect for tucking into your sewing box. Poking your sewing needles through sandpaper a few times, or twisting them inside a folded piece of sandpaper, will make them sharper than ever.

Here are 42 more truly extraordinary uses for household staples you already own. 

Sharpen your scissors

Sharpen your scissors
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Are your scissor cuts less than crisp? Try cutting through a sheet of fine-grit sandpaper to finish off the edge and keep your cuts clean.

Check out these 9 alternative uses for aluminium foil. 

Remove fuzzy pills on jumpers

Remove fuzzy pills on jumpers
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If you’re fighting a losing battle with the fuzz balls on your jumpers, a little sandpaper will handle them. Use any grit, and rub lightly in one direction.

Remove scorches on wool

Remove scorches on wool
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Take some medium-grit sandpaper to any small scorch spots on your woollen clothing. The mark left by a careless spark will be less noticeable with some light sanding around the edges.

Don’t miss these brilliant uses for ice cubes. 

Roughen slippery leather soles

Roughen slippery leather soles
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New shoes with slippery soles can send you flying, so take a little sandpaper and a little time to sand across the width of the soles and roughen up the slick surface. It’s thriftier and easier than taking your new shoes to a repair shop to have new rubber soles put on.

Remove ink stains and scuff marks from suede

Remove ink stains and scuff marks from suede
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A little fine-grit sandpaper and a gentle touch is great for removing or at least minimising an ink stain or small scuff mark on suede clothing or shoes. Afterward, bring up the nap with a toothbrush or nailbrush. You might avoid an expensive trip to the dry cleaner!

Here are more expert laundry tips you’ll wish you knew sooner. 

Use to deter slugs

Use to deter slugs
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Slugs are truly the unwelcome guests that will never leave, but you can stop them from getting into your potted plants in the first place. Put those used sanding disks to work under the bases of your pots, making sure the sandpaper is wider than the pot base.

Remove stubborn grout stains

Remove stubborn grout stains
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Sometimes your bathroom abrasive cleaner is just not abrasive enough. Get tough on grout stains with fine-grit sandpaper. Fold the sandpaper and use the folded edge to sand in the grout seam. Be careful not to sand the tile and scratch the finish.

Open a stuck jar

Open a stuck jar
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Having a tough time opening a jar? Grab a piece of sandpaper and place it grit side down on the lid. The sandpaper should improve your grip enough to do the job.

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