Survival Uses For Steel Wool
- Start a Fire
- Screw it
- Remove scuff marks on floors
- Polish brass
- Perk up tires
- Clean a dirty windshield
- Start a fire with a 9v battery
- Sharpen scissors
- Surface prep
- Critter proof air intake and exhaust pipes
- Disposable drain strainer
- Clean Pans and Cookware
- Without a trace
- Clean Rusty Tools
- Remove crayon from wallpaper
- Fill critter holes
- Clean the oven
- Age wood
How many steel wool uses do you know? In this post, we cover different uses for steel wool that might make you want to stock up on it.
What do you use steel wool for besides cleaning a dish or two? In the last article, you learned how to use spiders silk to survive. In this post, we go through 10 Survival Uses For Steel Wool.
Here are 10 ways to use steel wool to survive off the grid.
Screw It
Wrap steel wool around it before driving it in, it provides enough friction to hold the screw firmly to drill
Remove Scuffs From Flooring
Use steel wool and a liquid (water is ideal) to scrub away marks off the floor.
Start a Fire
There are multiple ways to start a fire with steel wool. Here are two different ways using two different items paired with the steel wool. You can use it:
- With a 9V Battery
- With a Ferro Rod
Start a Fire with Steel Wool and a 9v Battery
Why a 9V battery? The minimum power required to start a fire is 3 volts. After a while of people trying the method, they concluded that 9V was perfect to get the fire going with a battery and steel wool. 6V works as well, but 9V is in the sweet spot of sparking a fire predictably and reliably.
The video below will show you exactly how to how to start a fire with steel wool and a 9v battery.
How To Start a Fire with Steel Wool and a Ferro Rod
Watch the video tutorial below on how to start a fire with steel wool and a Ferro Rod.
Polish Brass
Got some brass that could use a little polishing after collecting dust for a decade? Take some wool and gently start scrubbing the brass.
Blow Up Some Tires
Not literally blow them up, but if your tires could use a little more youth and vibrancy in them. Use your steel wool to
Clean a dirty windshield
Steel wool is actually effective at cleaning car windshields.
Sharpen Scissors
Similar to how a squirrel would sharpen their teeth by chewing on my wooden posts in my backyard. You would use the same method to keep your scissors sharp.
Surface Prep
Take steel wool, preferably no 0000, and scrub the wooden surface before filing it. The wool will lift any loose or excess sanding dust which leaves a nice smooth particle-free surface.
Critter-Proof Pipes
The piping installed in households are the perfect gateways for mice and other critters to make their way into and into your house. Take a bunch of steel wool and cover air intake pipes and exhaust pipes. The steel wool also allows the pipes to function while at the same time preventing critters from crawling through.
Disposable Drain Strainer
If you have hair, it’s only a matter of time before enough of it clogs the shower drain. Steel wool is good for straining the drain to prevent this from happening. And it’s easy to clean up and dispose of.
Clean Pans and Cookware
Give your metalware and cookware a good scrub with the wool. This is almost mandatory to have in the house just for this reason. This may seem like common sense, but I was surprised to see so many people that have never heard of steel wool.
Without a Trace
Black shoes, the heel part of the shoe specifically, are known to leave a black mark or two on the flooring. Especially vinyl flooring.
Clean Rusty Tools
Rust is bound to build up where it can. Remove it with steel wool.
Remove Crayon From Wallpaper
Crayon is notoriously difficult to get off from walls. The wool is gentle enough and strong enough to do the job well.
Mice Meneuvor
Keep out mice and any other critter for that matter by filling any critter holes with steel wool. Take some steel wool and cover the entire hole with it. This is much more effective than traditional “keep mice out by filling all mouse-holes” solutions because
Clean The Oven
Take a steel wool sponge and clean the oven for any grilling residue that has been hardened. Works well for grills too.
Age Wood
Want your new aged wooden pieces to become old-aged wooden pieces, not in 30 years, but in 30 minutes? Steel wool is the answer to your age-acceleration. Get some vinegar and steel wool and, mix them together. This is your solution for aging the wood.
Conclusion
This material is unlike most others you’ll find. Which is what makes it so useful for many things. It definitely earns a space in your kits.
Do you know any other uses or hacks with steel wool?
We hope this article helped you learn some different uses for steel wool. You may also want to see our post on different uses for a shemagh and different old gasoline uses.
