Baby powder is a product that is mostly used for keeping infants’ bottoms dry, or for full-body dusting after a shower or bath for that fresh feeling. However, baby powder can be used for a variety of fun crafts, and even for some practical purposes, like icky, unwanted bed bugs. Along with baby powder, rubbing alcohol can be used in the home. The answer is yes to the question that does rubbing alcohol repel bed bugs.
Silly Putty
Don’t waste your money on Silly Putty; it is easy to make at home and can be a fun afternoon activity for kids. Mix three teaspoons of Elmer’s glue (generic white glue will work) with five teaspoons of water in a clean, glass container or jar. Add a teaspoon of baby powder and stir the mixture thoroughly. Give your Silly Putty its desired color by adding food coloring. In a separate container, combine a teaspoon of borax and a tablespoon of water. Mix thoroughly and add the mixture to your Silly Putty. Knead the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency.
Bed Bug Trap
Are bed bugs plaguing your nightly slumber? Use baby powder and a few other supplies to create a trap that will help eliminate these nasty critters. Turn a clean, unused, plastic pet dish — one that has divided sections for food and water — upside down. Wrap fabric (any scraps will do) around the perimeter of the dish and secure it with glue. Drill a hole in the middle of the dish, and set the dish on top of an open thermos containing dry ice.
Sprinkle baby powder on top of the dish. Bed bugs are attracted to the CO2 in dry ice, and when they land on the dish, they will be unable to move due to the baby powder. They subsequently will be gassed by the fumes given off by the dry ice. This bed-bug trap works best when placed under your bed.
Make Your Own Baby Powder
Make your own lightly scented, all-natural baby powder with this simple recipe. You will need 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon orris root (available at health food stores), and 1/2 tablespoon alum. Mix thoroughly to obtain a basic baby powder. If you want scented powder, add 2-4 tablespoons of crumbled, dried flowers (e.g. rose, chamomile or lavender) to your mix. Sift the mixture to remove larger pieces of flower and store the powder in a glass container. This can make for a thoughtful gift for baby showers or holidays.
Simple Gift
If you want to give a gift of delicately scented, floral baby powder but don’t want to rush around to different health food stores to find the necessary ingredients, just mix your crushed dried flowers into a store bought unscented baby powder. Feel free to experiment with different floral combinations (for example, dried lavender and rose compliment each other to create a whimsical, feminine scent). Have fun scoping out pretty jars to store your concoction in at craft and container stores – containers with sifter lids are readily available.
Bailey Hudson is a creative content writer from Texas USA. He graduated in 2012 at the Hult University with a degree in Mass Communication. He created Bailey Doest Bark in 2015 and is currently the managing editor of the online portal.
