As RVers, my husband and I like to pack “light.” That means we pack our RV with a minimum of items. When we discover that a single item can be used in multiple ways, it’s a real bonus! With that in mind, here are some of our favorite (and admittedly unusual) uses for aspirin when we RV. We usually buy uncoated aspirin, and the following aspirin-hacks all use the uncoated tablets.
Caution! If you are allergic to aspirin, you should not take it internally or apply it externally.
Uses for aspirin while you RV
- Insect sting/bite. Aspirin is most often used as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory medicine. That’s because one of aspirin’s ingredients is salicylic acid. If you get a bee sting or an insect bite while RVing, you can wet an aspirin and hold it directly on the sting/bite. Alternatively, you can crush the tablet and add a drop or two of water to make a paste. Apply the aspirin paste to the irritation, and it will relieve the pain.
- Treat discolored hair. Too much chlorine in the campground’s swimming pool got your blonde hair looking green? This may be one of the weirdest uses for aspirin, but you can restore your hair color with aspirin. Dissolve six or seven crushed aspirin in a glass of warm water. Apply the mixture to your hair and let it soak for fifteen minutes. Then wash your hair like you normally would. The greenish tint should disappear. Bonus: Aspirin can also effectively treat dandruff. Crush two aspirin and add them to a capful of shampoo. Wash hair as you normally do. Repeat the treatment as needed.
- Hangover treatment. Many scientific experts, like Dr. Michael L. Oshinsky from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, have studied various hangover treatments. One of the most effective solutions to combat the results of drinking too much is the combination of aspirin and caffeine (coffee or tea). Take two aspirin with coffee a few hours after “too much campground partying,” and you should feel no ill effects the next day.
- Revive a dead car battery. You’ve unhooked the tow car from your motorhome only to discover the car battery is dead. Don’t despair! Aspirin can help. Drop two aspirin into the battery cell. The battery’s sulfuric acid will react with the aspirin to create a charge. It should be enough to jump-start the battery—and enable you to drive to the nearest gas station or auto parts store.
- Eliminate sweat stains. After a day of work camping, hubby’s T-shirts are dirty and sweat-stained. Grab the aspirin. Crush three or four aspirin and mix with warm water to form a paste. Evenly rub the paste over the stains and allow it to soak for a couple of hours. Then launder as normal.
- Remove rust. I was frustrated when I discovered that my husband’s razor and can of shaving cream left rust stains on the RV’s bath sink top. To remove the rust, I first dampened the stain with water. Then I applied several crushed aspirin tablets directly to the stain marks. After ten minutes, I simply wiped the rust away.
- Garden assistant. When we work camp, I grow a few veggies in potted containers. We love enjoying fresh tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and radishes. I recently discovered that you can add one crushed aspirin to one gallon of water. Spray the mixture on your potted vegetables. The aspirin will improve growth, increase production, and combat fungal diseases. (Source: University of Rhode Island.) Bonus: a crushed aspirin mixed with water and added to a vase of cut flowers will keep them looking fresher longer.
Do you have additional aspirin hacks to add to the list? Please share your ideas in the comments.
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Don’t remember where we heard this, or who we heard it from, but we always put several aspirin in our black tank after we dump, instead of other treatments. Works well, no odors, no problems. Been doing it for years.
If you use BC powder you’ll eliminate all the crushing.
What is BC powder?
https://www.bcpowder.com/
It’s basically powdered aspirin. I’m not sure if it’s available nationwide.
https://www.bcpowder.com
I heard you shouldn’t give a drunk coffee. All you end up with is a wide awake drunk. 🙂
Have you actually checked out the “aspirin in the battery” hack? Firstly you would have to put aspirin into each of the 6 cells, then you may have shortened the life of your battery.
Only distilled water is going in my battery.
Put 2-3 aspirin in the Christmas tree water to keep the tree fresh longer.
I had an employee I worked with when I was working for the Federal Government. This person ended up in the hospital for 3 or 4 days and it was because he used uncoated aspirin. The aspirin stuck to his stomach and burned a hole in his stomach wall and his son who worked for a pharmaceutical company said this was a good reason to purchase aspirin that were always coated because these pills can stick to your throat or stomach and cause an ulcer in that area. To my knowledge this employee never bought aspirin that was not coated. Just a caution.
Omg, so many-sayers. Thank you for your story, I learned something. 🙂