A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity Helpful Hints easy removal of cactus spines

ok, so somewhere i read this, and it really does work.

tonight, i was putting some cacti in a box to mail out, and got quite a few spines in my fingers.

take white glue (elmers or roseart, or what ever) and smear it gently over the areas with the spines. let dry until nearly peelable or just barely tacky. peel or roll off the skin, and the spines will come with it, no mess, no fuss, no pain, no tweezers, just clean hands! it sure made me feel better 'cause the spines were those babyfine hair like ones... ouch!

if it makes you feel any better at all... i've known it for years, and just remembered it tonight, at the same time i remembered where the glue was, so i could try it.

Jiffy, I sure wish I had known this when my daughter grabbed a "fuzzy" plant aka cactus, then rubbed her sore hand on me. Now I just need to remember it, I'm sure it'll be useful in the future.

wow, I will definitely remember that hint! I have never experienced the cactus spines, but if I do, I will know what to do! Thanks Jiffy!

I wish someone had known that trick when I was little and fell into my GM's huge prickly pear, that was agony. I wonder if that would work for mesquite thorns as well, I have more of a problem with that than cactus where I currently live. Thanks for the info, I will try and remember that.

Uni