Brilliant steel wool hacks you’ll wish you knew sooner

Don’t end up with a clogged drain: Before you give Fido his next bath, use a wad of steel wool to block the drain. There’s enough room for water to get through, but nasty hair and gunk will get caught up in the steel wool.

Don’t you hate getting scuffs on your white soled shoes? Use steel wool to fix this common footwear dilemma! Moisten a steel wool soap pad and gently scrub away at stains. Wipe them clean with a damp sponge or put them in the washing machine and they’ll be good as new.

Nothing will extend the life of your gardening tools like a good cleaning at the end of each growing season. Grab a wad of fine steel wool, and saturate it with the same type of oil you use on squeaky door hinges. Rub rust off your shears, shovels, and anything else with metal parts. Wipe them clean with a dry rag, sharpen any blades, and reapply with a bit of oil before storing them for winter.

These simple yard tool hacks will make your life easier.

Anxious to put varnish on that freshly sanded project? Well, just hold on a second! Before applying the finish, rub the project (moving with the grain – not against it) using steel wool. You’ll lift sanding dust from the grain and burnish and shine the surface fibres. Follow up with a Swiffer-style cleaning cloth to wipe away any specks of dust or steel wool. You’re now ensured a pristine surface for perfect results with oil-based (not water-based) finishes.

Got more DIY projects on the go? Check out these painting tips the pros don’t want you to know.

For burnt food stuck to the bottom of your oven, steel wool is a much better alternative than toxic oven-cleaning chemicals. After running your oven’s self-cleaning cycle, use steel wool to remove the burnt debris and make your oven shine like new.

If you want to make new wood “age” quickly, use a mixture of steel wool and vinegar as stain. The brown-grey liquid, when applied to new timber, gives it a silvery patina. It’s a much faster way to create this in-demand look than letting your wood sit outside for a few years (and it’s non-toxic, too!).

Discover the 10 most common woodworking mistakes beginners make.

Dealing with a mouse infestation is never fun. Once you’ve done your detective work, you can plug suspected mouse holes with a wad of steel wool. It’s inexpensive and mice won’t chew through it.

Learn more about pest control.

At some point, every metal tool develops rust. Fortunately, steel wool excels at removing surface rust. Just grab a wad of steel wool and start buffing your tools. They’ll look like new in no time!

Find out more cleaning hacks for hard-to-remove stuff.

Dark-soled shoes on vinyl floors can lead to scuff marks. Fear not – a few scrubs with some steel wool and the scuff marks will be gone.

Learn how to lay vinyl tiles.

It may seem counterintuitive, but using your dull scissors to cut steel wool actually sharpens them! You won’t be able to grind a new bevel by any means, but a few snips through steel wool will renew the cutting edges of your scissors.