Anyone who has had to endure painful blisters while trying to break in a new pair of shoes will love a clever hack one savvy mum has shared. However, her method might raise an eyebrow or two, as she uses sanitary pads that she sticks to her ankles. You heard that right.
They say necessity is the mother of invention and it was certainly put into play for Jo McMurrough, 42, one wet Saturday morning. The only pair of boots she had suitable for the downpours were new and rubbed so much they gave her blisters, making them unsuitable for a day trudging around.
But wear them she had to do and with no plasters available, she had to think quick.
What the 42-year-old did have to hand was a pack of Bodyform Ultra Normal sanitary towels. Spotting a possible remedy to rubbing boots dilemma, she grabbed the packet and thought, "why the hell not?"
Without further ado, she simply stuck one of the pads on the back of each heel. Problem sorted in one and no more painful blisters.
A photo clearly shows the pads from the £1.30 packet clinging to her heel and onto the sole of her feet. But Jo didn't care for she was about to embark on an epic eight-hour shopping trip and without sanitary towels stuck in her boots, it would have been an excruciating day without the unusual foot protection.
The mum-of-four returned home with not a blister in sight and the pads hadn't budged an inch. She told her amused kids that her creative solution was the "best thing she's ever done."
Jo later shared her £1.30 hack on her Facebook page, urging others, including men, to give it a go.
Jo McMurrough, from Durham, said: "I think I might have started a trend.
"I'm a bit short of cash, so I couldn't afford gel insoles or big plasters. I thought about what I could do with what I had in the house. I saw the packet [of pads] beside me and gave it a try. I just put the stick side on my foot and then put my sock on. I thought 'why the hell not?'"
They offered blissful comfort all day: "They were really comfy and I couldn't feel anything. I thought it was genius and I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. I'm glad I've figured out a way to stop the blisters now."
Her novel solution certainly had staying power: "They were still stuck on when I took the boots off. They were better than a plaster because they're always falling off. I'll definitely be using them again. It's cheaper than buying plasters and they're always on hand. Most women would have them in their bag anyway."
There have been over 400 comments to her post, many of them impressed by the cheap hack.
She said in her post: "New boots equals blisters lol. Thought I would try this to see if it worked. I got the pad and stuck it to the bottom of my foot and over the heel, put on my socks and hey presto, no blisters hahaha. Seriously guys/girls give it a try. Total game changer."
Many comments applauded her 'ingenious' hack. One said: "Absolute genius!! I had a really sore foot a couple of years ago. My boots had rubbed and caused a huge blister. My husband bought these bug dressings at the time, which worked, but I could've saved him money by using a sanitary towel."
Many more agreed: "That is a great idea. I've never thought of this."
Others indicated they were going to give it a go: "I'm going to try this. I walk more than 30 miles each weekend for work. Hopefully this will stop my heels from burning."
Do you have a clever life hack to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
