6 ways you can use car wax around the home

Cooktop Cove: 6 ways you can use car wax around the home

By Jacinta M. Carter

Car wax is one of those items that you don't buy very often because it has only one purpose — and who really wants to wax a car that often? But actually, you can use car wax for a variety of tasks, none of which have anything to do with your car.

As these ideas demonstrate, car wax is great to have on hand, especially in your kitchen or for wood furniture. Though you can't use the wax to clean up messes, it is pretty great at helping prevent the mess from happening in the first place.

1. Stain removal
Next time you have a party, don't worry so much about guests who seem incapable of using coasters. You can get rid of the stains their cups leave behind easily. Just rub a little car wax over the stain until it disappears, and then buff it dry with a clean cloth.

2. Hinges & tracks
If you have a window, door or drawer that won't open properly, gets stuck or squeaks when you open it, you can fix these problems with car wax. Rub a little onto the hinges or the sliding tracks, and they'll open smoothly and silently.

3. Granite countertops
Granite countertops can look amazing with proper care. Car wax helps keep granite in great condition. Start with a polishing compound, and follow up by slowly rubbing car wax over the granite.

4. Stainless steel appliances
You normally use car wax to fill in scratches and add shine to the metal finish on your car, so why not use it for these purposes on your stainless steel appliances? Rub the wax into the stainless steel, let it dry, and then use a clean cloth to buff it off.

5. Stovetop
Waxing your stovetop regularly (every two to three months) will make clean-up significantly easier, no matter how messy you are when you cook. Start with a cool, clean surface, and wax the top of your stove by following the directions on your bottle of car wax. Next time you spill something on the stove, it will wipe up quickly and easily.

6. Window blinds
Getting rid of the dust that collects on your window blinds is a pain. You have to clean between all of them, and the dust seems to come back in a day or two. Instead of trying to fight the dust buildup, coat each blade of your blinds with a thin layer of car wax. This will help prevent the dust from collecting on the blinds, so you don't clean them as often.