DAILY DIRT: Need to remove sweat stains? Dry up a pimple? Get rid of a pimple?

Daily Dirt for Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024

The answer could very well be in that bottle of aspirin you keep in the kitchen cupboard … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,146 of The Daily Dirt.

1. One of the things we probably take for granted is that bottle of aspirin most of us keep in the bathroom cabinet or kitchen cupboard.

Aspirin actually has more uses than you might ever imagine, according to the Reader’s Digest and a number of other publications and web sites. Did you know aspirin could also be used for:

Removing sweat stains: Before you give up all hope of ever getting that sweat stain out of your good white dress shirt, try this: Crush two to three aspirins and mix the powder in 1/2 cup of warm water. Aspirin contains salicylic acid, according to HuffPost, so it works similar to acetic acid found in vinegar, which can also remove stains. Try soaking the stained part of the garment in the solution for two to three hours.

Restoring hair color: Again, the salicylic acid is what makes aspirin great for this household use. Product buildup, swimming in a chlorinated pool and time all lead to faded or brassy color — especially if you have light-colored hair. But you can usually return your hair to its former shade by dissolving six to eight aspirins in a glass of warm water. Rub the solution thoroughly into your hair, and let it set for 10-15 minutes. Kyle White, the lead colorist at the Oscar Blandi salon in New York, says to try putting this mixture in your shampoo to combine the two steps.

Drying up pimples: One of the best household aspirin uses is for your skin. Salicylic acid can help reduce inflammation and swelling, making it a good do-it-yourself remedy if a pimple appears, Byrdie.com reports. Crush one aspirin and moisten with a bit of water to make a paste. Apply it like a spot treatment to the pimple with a cotton swab and let it dry before washing it off with soap and water. 

Treat hard callouses: Soften hard callouses on your feet by grinding five or six aspirins into a powder. Make a paste by adding 1/2 teaspoon each of lemon juice and water. Apply the mixture to the affected areas, then wrap your foot in a warm towel and cover it with a plastic bag. After staying off your feet for at least 10 minutes, remove the bag and towel, and file down the softened callus with a pumice stone to exfoliate.

Control dandruff: Is your dandruff problem getting you down? Keep it in check by crushing two aspirins to a fine powder and adding it to the normal amount of shampoo you use each time you wash your hair. Leave the mixture on your hair for 1-2 minutes, then rinse well and wash again with plain shampoo.

Just a warning: Checking with your physician before using aspirin for any of the preceding would be a good idea if you suffer from asthma or might actually be allergic to the salicylic acid contained in the pill. 

2. Did you know that (Part 219)

• That the Coca-Cola company, headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Ga., has its own private security force, which is larger than the number of Atlanta Police Department officers (2,000).
• That Rold Gold Pretzels are debuting an “Auntie Anne’s Cinnamon Sugar” flavor.
• That Pringles’ newest chip flavor is Loaded Hot Dog.
• That color you see when you close your eyes is called called eigengrau, a shade of dark gray.
• That you actually don’t need a parachute to skydive. You just need a parachute to skydive twice.

3. Two more weeks

Can DR LOV hang on to be the winner of the third annual Great Plate Debate for the most creative vanity plate found found across West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri in 2024?

Our current gold medal holder withstood another strong challenge over the past week, but the Daily Dirt Board of License Plate Control felt DR LOV, GOD 911 and WAR PIGS were just a little more worthy than LYK WOW 1.

DR LOV, spotted in the Quincy Medical group parking lot, has held the gold medal position since Nov. 8.

The current medal holders:

Gold medal: DR LOV.

Silver medal: GOD 911. 

Bronze medal: WAR PIGS.

This week’s best of the rest:

• LYK WOW 1
• TAXLDY 1
• DBL EGL
• MR H
• 6 CRAWL
• 2 TROD
• FED INS 1

Steve Thought O’ The Day — We’ll never know what it smells like underwater.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He’s never taken anything stronger than an aspirin.