20 Unusual Ways to Use Eggs (and Egg Cartons!)
There are infinite ways to use eggs in the kitchen, but did you know that eggs can also be a useful beauty and household item? Just as they have a place in just about every cuisine, eggs also come quite in handy around the house. From glistening leather to a gleaming complexion, discover how these 20 unusual ways to use eggs can improve your life.
1. Compost
Add eggs to your compose to boost its nutrition and promote a healthy garden. Crush the eggs and toss them into the compost for a richer soil.
2. Glue
Egg white makes for effective paper glue. Use it to bind together light items, such as paper or cardboard. Whisk the egg white beforehand and use a brush to apply it to the surfaces you’d like to adhere together.
3. Clean Leather
Egg white is viscous and sticky and is thus able to get rid of dirt from leather. After application and a light scrub, the egg white will leave leather looking shiny and clean with the added benefit of environmental protection.
4. Shampoo
Because of the egg’s protein content, it is particularly beneficial for distressed and damaged hair. The albumen in egg whites cleans the hair while the egg yolk’s fat content conditions.
5. Separate Paint
Use an egg carton to separate paint for kids while they do arts and crafts and have control over the sample size they use while containing the mess at the same time.
6. Creat Edible Paint
Paint food with the help of egg yolks. Mix each egg yolk with about one tablespoon of water and add food coloring of your choice. Paint cakes, cookies, or whatever food you’d like to add color and a touch of decadence.
7. Make Extra Ice Cubes
Run out of ice cube trays? No fear, simply pour water into a well-cleaned empty egg carton and freeze.
8. Get Artsy with a Homemade Ornament
Drain the egg of its white and yolk by poking a hole with a pin in one end. Once drained, paint the egg shell as your inner artist desires and you will have yourself a beautiful homemade ornament.
9. Repel Pests
Scatter crushed eggshells on the leaves and surrounding areas of plants and small pests will avoid the area. Both snails and slugs, which are known to eat leaves, are harmed by crushed shells and will avoid your garden as soon as they realize they will be hurt.
10. Unclog the Sink
Leave egg shells in the sink strainer to help trap additional solids before they go down the drain and clog the sink.
11. Make Sidewalk Chalk
Crush four to five eggshells until they’re powdery. Mix one teaspoon of the powder with one teaspoon of flour and one teaspoon of hot water. Mix until evenly combined and then shape into a piece of chalk, rolling wax paper around the finished shape. Allow to dry for about five days before using.
12. Feed Your Pet More Calcium
Place egg shells in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 30 minutes. Place the cooked shells in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until the shells resemble a powder. Sprinkle the powder into your pet’s food bowl.
13. Improve the Taste of Coffee
Egg shells can cut the bitter taste of coffee. Simply add crushed egg shells to ground coffee before brewing.
14. Fertilize Plants
Add eggshells to your plant’s soil. The eggshells contain calcium that will promote plant growth, especially during its early stages, as well as strengthen smaller plants before transferring them to the garden.
15. Patch it Up Like a Band-Aid
If you nick your finger in the kitchen or get a small cut around the house, hard boil an egg and use the thin film between the egg white and shell as a band aid. It applies pressure to stop bleeding and will provide some nutrients to prevent scarring.
16. Bring Out Jewelry Design
The sulfur in eggs oxidizes commercially sold silver jewelry with sterling .925 or lower. Boil one or two eggs. Hard boil one or two eggs and crumble the egg yolk at the bottom of a plastic container. Place a few paper towels over the egg yolk and then place the jewelry on top of the paper towels. Seal the container and store for a few days. When finished, sure the jewelry will smell, but it’s nothing soap and water can’t fix.
17. Store Ornaments
Tiny Christmas ornaments are often the first to fall victim to the pressure of storage. Next holiday season, place small ornaments into an egg carton to ensure they are safe from being crushed.
18. Give Yourself an Egg-Yolk Facial
Egg yolks heals blemishes, moisturizes, and softens facial skin. Use your hands to apply a lightly whisked egg yolk to your face and neck. Wait 20 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water.
19. Give Yourself an Egg-White Facial
An egg white mask will tighten you skin and diminish the look of fine lines as well as get rid of oily skin and reduce the appearance of blackheads and pores. Whisk egg whites until frothy. Apply to the face in upward motions. Let dry after 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water.
20. Plant Seedlings
Use an egg carton to isolate delicate plants and begin their growth process without overwhelming them in a big garden. The egg carton acts as the perfect compartment to start this process.
Photo Credits: Steve A. Johnson, Ciaran Mooney,Tech109, Macieklew, Anthony_p_c, Phil Denton
