Remember when your mom used to lick Kleenex and dab at your face when you had dirt on it? Well, that was a smart (albeit humiliating) way to get the dirt off! The amylase in spit breaks down proteins, lipids and sugars and is designed to start digesting and breaking things down the moment they enter our mouths. As a result, saliva is a rather effective and harmless cleaning agent! That is why it is often used to restore paintings. Spit’s benign (when compared to most chemical cleaning agents) nature and ability to break down dirt and grime makes it the perfect for removing these elements without breaking down paint. The common technique is to dab a q-tip in one’s mouth and then roll it over the affected area. Paintings are often restored using this technique in world class settings. Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” was restored in this manner at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, for instance. I suppose, theoretically, you could use it everywhere. Stains on the counter? Spit on it and wipe. Can’t get your makeup off? Spit all over your hands and scrub your face. Dirty floor? Fill a mop bucket with spit, and go to town. Someone has spit on the floor and you want to clean it up? Um…. You’re on your own.