5 Home Remedies to Remove a Splinter

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There’s nothing more painful than having a splinter. OK, maybe a few things are more painful, but having to dig into your skin with a tweezer for an endless amount of time is never a fun task. Especially if that splinter is seriously lodged in there.

But don’t worry, there’s some good news! Splinters can be coaxed out of your skin with a few simple home remedies. These typical at-home items will help you with that splinter problem without all of the painful tweezer digging.

How to Remove a Splinter with Baking Soda

Add some water to a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to form a paste. After cleaning the area with the splinter, add the paste to the splinter area. Cover with a bandage and leave it for 24 hours. After removing, the splinter should be visible and you can pull it out with tweezers.

How to Remove a Splinter with Duct Tape

Hate using tweezers for splinter removal? Duct tape will help rip that splinter right out! Some people have done this using transparent tape, but obviously, duct tape is a bit stronger and might be the best way to get a splinter out. If you have a splinter slightly sticking out that you can’t get out, place a piece of tape over it (after cleaning the affected area, of course). Once it’s on, pull the tape off in the opposite direction of the splinter.

How to Remove a Splinter with Epsom Salt

Is that splinter really lodged in there? Soaking the splinter in Epsom salts to help draw it out. You can also try sprinkling the pad of a bandage with Epsom salts, and cover the splinter for a splinter removal trick. This will draw out the splinter. If you don’t want to pull it out with tweezers once it’s peeking out, continue adding a new bandage with salt daily and it will just fall out.

How to Remove a Splinter with Vinegar

Since vinegar is acidic and can shrink the skin around the splinter, that will help draw the splinter to the surface. Using white vinegar or apple cider vinegar will both work for this method. Soak it for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If it still isn’t working, try soaking it in warm water before placing back in the vinegar.

How to Remove a Splinter with a Banana Peel

Nope, this one really isn’t a joke. After eating that banana cut a small square piece of the peel and place it on the affected area for splinter removal. Secure with a bandage and let it sit overnight. Sure, having banana taped to you overnight may seem weird, but that splinter will easily come up and even stick that peel itself.

Plus: Discover a Better Way to Get Your Hands and Fingers Unstuck from Super Glue

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Coconut Oil and Baking Soda

According to "Clean My Space: The Secret to Cleaning Better, Faster, and Loving Your Home Every Day" author Melissa maker, a coconut oil and baking soda paste can help remove super glue. Mix equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda and apply to skin. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes and after that begin to gently rub your hands. It's one way to know how to get glue off skin painlessly. See what kind of shine baking soda can bring to your laminate countertops and what baking soda can do for your upholstery.

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Salt and Water

Here's another way you can get super glue off your fingers. Dip your super glued fingers in some water and then a pile of salt. Add some more water and rub the salt into the glue to get super glue off your hands. Check out another amazing use for salt that doesn't involve cooking.

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Mineral Spirits

As a solvent, mineral spirits will work to undo the lack of handy work you did by gluing yourself. Soak the glued area with mineral spirits and then try loosening the glued parts. Ever wonder what the difference is between mineral spirits and paint thinner?

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Margarine or Butter

The Super Glue Corp. lists butter as a home remedy on its blog so it must work, right? If butter is applied to the bonded area, as it softens, fingers will begin to peel apart from each other. For the health-conscious, a butter substitute like margarine remains an equally viable option, though cooking times may vary. Find out some other home remedies you haven't seen before.

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Olive Oil

Olive oil is even great for working your super glued fingers loose. It might take a little longer to free your bonded appendages but if there's nothing else around it'll work all the same as another solution to how to get crazy glue off your fingers. Find out the unusual place people like to put cooking oil.

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Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent placed directly on a super glue stain will remove that stain efficiently. So if you have to figure out how to get super glue out of clothes, just grab the laundry detergent. Discover the secrets to getting stains out of clothes in the wash.

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Petroleum Jelly

Super Glue Corp also lists petroleum jelly as a home remedy to break super glue bonds. Just massage the petroleum jelly into the skin until it is loose. It can be an effective solution on how do you get crazy glue off your fingers. See how a swab of a petroleum jelly can cure headache.

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Lemon Juice

Lemon juice can work on affected skin and materials to loosen the hold of super glue. Work it onto skin with a cotton swab or with a scrap toothbrush onto material. Lemon juice will stop you from asking how do you get crazy glue off your skin. Find out why you should put a lemon in the microwave.

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Sandpaper

Grab a piece of sandpaper to remove excess super glue from a material for one solution on how to get super glue off wood. Just watch out for the grit and how much glue you really need to remove. You don't want to strip the paint off of something at the same time. Got some old sandpaper? See what a sneaker can do for sandpaper.

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Razor

A razor used safely and delicately can help scrape some of the glue from an affected area. It's a dangerous option on how to get crazy glue off your hands. Discover a way to keep shaving razors out of the way in the bathroom.

Goo Gone

Goo Gone is kind of a catch-all adhesive removal liquid and is one way on how to remove super glue from skin. It can help loosen super glue and make it easier to remove. Ever had trouble getting stickers off your car? Learn the easy way to remove stickers.

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Neosporin

Neosporin contains a petroleum jelly base that is similar enough that it will work on de-bonding glued parts and is one way on how to get super glue off your hands. Keep some Neosporin in your camping bag the next time you head outdoors and find out the cool, new items every camper is adding.

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Nail File

A nail file or emery board can help rid people of super glue stickiness by scraping the dried glue off the affected parts. Keep a nail file in your home so you know what takes super glue off skin. See why woodworkers keep an emery board around the shop.

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Get Rid of Sticky Fingers

Next time you're working on a project and accidentally get some super glue stuck to your fingers, just spray the area with WD-40. The sticky glue will come off when you rub your hands together.

Lotion

A little old lotion can help work your fingers free from super glue. Here's how to remove super glue from hands: rub in the lotion and gently circle your fingers to get them loose. Learn why it's wise to have lotion around when you paint.

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Rubbing Alcohol

Soak a cotton swab in some rubbing alcohol and apply the swab to the skin. Rub the swab on the skin to loosen the bond of the glue. The rubbing alcohol works as a glue solvent. Rubbing alcohol is also pretty good for your car if you want to get going right away in winter.

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Peanut Butter

The oils in peanut butter can break down the bonding power of super glue. Those in the creamy peanut butter camp might want to keep a jar of chunky around because the crunchy kind can even work as an abrasive to make the job of how to get crazy glue off your fingers easier. Peanut butter is great for pest control, too. Find out how to use peanut butter to stop pests.

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Paint Thinner

Naturally as a solvent, paint thinner can work as a glue solvent to break down super glue and allow the stuck parts to work free. Never know what to do with paint brushes after a job? See how to clean paint brushes quickly without any problems.

Vegetable Oil

Just like several other products that have an oil-based background, vegetable oil will loosen the adhesive parts of super glue and is another example of what gets super glue off skin. Vegetable oil is pretty handy around the kitchen, find out a couple of vegetable oil uses you didn't know about.

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Egg White

A reader at Thrifty Fun suggested egg white to remove super glue, which might be surprising since egg whites are a natural glue. Keep that empty egg carton to help your garden in the spring.

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Magic Eraser

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers contain melamine, which can have abrasive properties when combined with other compounds. Just be careful when using Magic Eraser because of its abrasive quality.

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Gas

Another solvent that can be used to rid yourself of super glue. Of course it shouldn't be the first option and is dangerous if not used properly. See how to store gas safely so you don't put yourself in danger.

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Lighter Fluid

Lighter fluid has been cited as a super glue remover by many because of its solvent properties. However, it's still lighter fluid and a lot of caution should be taken in using it. If you've misplaced lighter fluid before a cookout, check out another product you can use to get the grill going.

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Nail Polish Remover

Make sure the nail polish remover you use contains acetone. Acetone is the ingredient that will breakdown the adhesive agents of super glue. See what else nail polish remover can get rid of around the house.

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Soapy Water

Just soak your hands in some soapy water if you don't have nail polish remover nearby.

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Hydrogen Peroxide

Pour some hydrogen peroxide on your hands and begin rubbing. The sticky stuff will soon fade away.

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Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a great tool for pest control, it's also pretty effective at getting rid of super glue.

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Vinegar

Vinegar can be a quick fix when you don't have nail polish remover readily available.

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Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar will help remove super glue from clothing. Use baking soda to clean upholstery, too.

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Toothpaste

Toothpaste will work when super glue gets on glasses, just make sure not to use toothpaste that has micro-scrubbers because they can scratch the lenses. Toothpaste can be an amazing cleaner, check out these 50 ways you can use toothpaste.

Lip Balm

Because lip balms contain some petroleum jelly, they can be a handy tool to remove super glue when you're in a bind.

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Screwdriver

Placing a screwdriver between fingers that are bonded together by super glue and rotating the screwdriver gently can help remove the super glue.

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Window Cleaner

Some people on the internet have reported that window cleaners can help remove super glue from surfaces like desks.