15 things you didn’t know you could do with baby shampoo

Baby shampoo is obviously great for babies. You can lather up their hair and the no-tears formula means bath time is a happy affair. But this gentle parenting favourite has lots of uses in and out of the bath. From cleaning your eyelids to washing your floor, you’ll find lots of jobs for this versatile shampoo.

If baby shampoo is gentle enough for your baby’s scalp, then it stands to reason it would be gentle enough for your skin. Dermatologists often recommend that people with eczema (seborrheic dermatitis) use baby shampoo to wash their face every day.

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“Just rip off the Band-Aid,” they say. But if you’re not brave enough (and who really is?), you can rub a drop of baby shampoo onto the adhesive, and it should curl right up off your skin. A dab of baby shampoo also helps remove any leftover cream or ointment under the bandage.

A neti pot can help keep your sinuses clear and eliminate snoring, but if you add a drop of baby shampoo (a half teaspoon to 250ml of saltwater), it can help you get over a sinus infection, according to Dr Mas Takashima, director of the Sinus Center at Baylor University. “We tell our children to wash their hands with soap, not with plain water, in order to clean bacteria from their hands. The same concept is being used in the sinuses,” Dr Takashima says in a news release. But be sure to check with your doctor first.

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Got red, itchy eyelids? You could have blepharitis, which is a common eye disorder often caused by bacteria. Symptoms include itching, redness, burning, tearing and crusting on the eyelids upon waking. Treatment involves keeping eyelids clean and free of crusts. Apply a warm compress to loosen the crust, then gently scrub your lids with a mixture of water and baby shampoo.

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Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth, right? So it wasn’t surprising to me when my jeweller recommended cleaning my engagement ring by boiling it in a mixture of baby shampoo and water. But did you know you can also use baby shampoo to clean costume jewellery, which is notoriously less durable than diamonds? Simply mix together one drop of baby shampoo and water, and apply with a Q-tip or a soft toothbrush, suggests jewellery manufacturer Stella and Dot. Then rinse with cool water and dry thoroughly.

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If you’re trying to reduce your use of harsh chemicals when cleaning your house, consider using baby shampoo. Many flooring and cleaning companies suggest using baby shampoo as an option for cleaning laminate floors. Try a mix of 1 to 2 tablespoons per 4L of water. It’s gentle, but it helps remove oils, and it rinses clean, without residue.

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There are lots of leather cleaners available for your furniture, shoes and handbags. But in many cases, they might not need a special solution. Try a drop of baby shampoo mixed in warm water applied with a damp, not soaking wet, cloth. Then simply buff it off until it’s dry. “Good old baby shampoo mixed in warm water is a fine leather cleaner,” say the experts at Saddleback Leather Co.

Your leather jacket doesn’t want to be subjected to harsh cleaners any more than your leather furniture does. As with your leather furniture, simply dissolve a bit of baby shampoo in water, wipe it on the leather with a soft, damp cloth, and dry with a soft, dry cloth.

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It stands to reason if your pantihose and other delicates call for mild soap, then what could be milder than baby shampoo? A gentle detergent like baby shampoo is good for your clothes – and the environment – when washing anything by hand.