How many different shoe polish uses do you know?
Have you ever packed shoe polish in a survival kit or bug-out bag? It might be one of the more uncommon things to pack in your B.O.B. Let’s explore why you might want to. In this post, discover 7 alternative uses for shoe polish other than to keep your Allen Edmunds shiny.
Shoe polish packs some strong chemicals to do what it does. Can we use those chemicals for other things? You bet. The first one we’ll cover is one of the most important survival skills for us to develop. For more details, see our ultimate guide on survival skills.
1) Make Fire
Shoe polish is an effective ingredient for tinder. Treat it like tinder and fire you shall have.
2) Tea Tree Candle
Use shoe polish to make a tea tree candle to light your path on a camping trip night. Put small portions into a candle holder and mix it with cotton wool. They burn for about 20 minutes, which is impressive considering their small size.
3) Polish Leather
Shoe polish is good at rejuvenating color in leather. Use it to polish any leather you wish. Note: A cream polish will work the best for this purpose.
4) Insect Repellent
Insects hate shoe polish more than flying into a window. Caution: Shoe polish is flammable. It can be toxic to us as well as stain skin if it’s applied. Better to use this as a last resort to repel bugs.
5) Protect Wood
Protect the wood while adding a little color to it that brings out a nice shine and more contrast to the wood. Shoe polish can also add waterproof attributes to leather and wood.
6) Style Wood
Color it. Brighten it. However you style it, shoe polish makes a great wood finish and style tool for your wooden furniture or wooden tools.
7) Get Rid Of The Squeak
Put some on a concealed carry leather holster to get rid of the squeak. Put some on where the leather friction is that’s causing the squeak.
Conclusion
Now you have more than one reason to keep shoe polish around. Make your woodworking DIY projects more vibrant and bright. Protect your leather shoes and make them free of squeaks.
Just for the record, if you’re wondering how much shoe polish to use, let me put it this way. One container of shoe polish lasted me over a year—and I used it every day.
For which shoe polish to use and buy, go with a wax based shoe polish over a shoe polish cream. The wax offers additional protection against scuffs, scratches, and marks from regular everyday wear and tear.
Business Insider has a good article on the best shoe polish you can buy.
Have you used shoe polish for something else that we didn’t talk about? If you liked this post and want to see more survival uses and hacks, check out these posts:
Also make sure you visit the go to the Ultimate Survival Uses Guide if you haven’t already.
