My dad never used aftershave but then he was born in 1907. I did for years, preferring Houbigant; these days I don't shave as my skin has become sensitive with age. But about the unusual use. I was at college (in England) from 1966-1970, and the last year was in a rented cottage in the country with four other guys. The place was pretty disreputable after twelve months of parties, car repairs and goodness knows what else, and in the summer of '70 we faced a huge clean-up. I got the kitchen and bathroom to sort out, not nice jobs but help was at hand. There was a big bottle of Avon ‘Blue Blazer’ aftershave in the bathroom which none of us had ever put on our faces, as it smelt appallingly strong. But it turned out to lift grease and dirt like magic, and cleaned the cooker, the toilet, tiles, floors, the lot. I don’t suppose Avon ever realised its true potential; a chemical weapon if ever there was one! I salute anyone who used it as aftershave - you're a lot tougher than I am.
Wikipedia says that 4711 was originally marketed as ”miracle water" to be used internally as well as externally. So I guess you can drink it!? Also, according to www.luckymojo.com, both Florida Water and it's cousin Kananga Water are used to perform cleansing and other spiritual rituals. I guess there's a lot of unusual uses for stuff we see as having only limited uses.
Back in the 70's we'd put a couple of drops of AV on a light bulb to mask the activity we were partaking in.
I was in an antique store buying Avon bottles. When I told the lady that I used the aftershave, she told me what she used it for. She had one of those Glade plug in air fresheners that takes the little bottle of scented oil. She was refilling it with her stock of Avon, thinking that people wanted them for the bottles and didn't care for the aftershave.
