Has anyone here ever heard of using a raw potato to get a splinter out of your skin? I've been doing this for years and it really works, but I don't remember where I first heard about it. Just hold the exposed end of a freshly cut potato on the splinter site for about ten minutes. The splinter will be drawn to the surface where it can easily be removed.

Things like this always makes me wonder: Who was the first to think that holding the exposed end of a potato would draw out a splinter? Did they first try a carrot? A tomato? A cabbage? Or a piece of coal? And why think it would be worth the time to stand there pressing any vegetable against the skin anyway? Even if the thought occurred to me I think I would have given up before ten minutes. If it hadn't worked by ten minutes how much longer would the brave experimenter have stood there with her potato? 15 minutes, 20, 30, an hour? Gotta say, it takes a pretty weird mind.

Wow! Food sure comes in handy for things besides eating, doesn't it?

This site explains the potato-splinter relation, plus gives a few more food remedies:

http://www.rollingthunderexpress.com/columnsarchive/numb/numb840.htm

And this one suggests Scotch Tape for removing splinters (Tip #25):

http://www.fulltiming-america.com/daytips.html

And you may already have heard of using a potato to remove the base of a broken light bulb from a lamp:

http://www4.fosters.com/home/articles/home_1105a.asp

Thanks for the links TIE. But that site says use grated potato for a few hours. You can ask my 9 year old kid that it works in ten minutes. But I guess they're talking about really deep ones. I'll assure you that I'll give the grated potato a try next time I get a splinter that's buried quite deep. If it works it'll sure beat that menacing sewing needle.

I use masking tape, myself. Good for splinters that have gone in straight down, but if it's lying just under the skin, I'm sure you'd have to use a needle (sterilized). I'd like to meet the potato that can draw a splinter up through skin.

That's a useful link, though. Thanks.

Catty (do you want French fries with that?)