20 Unusual Ways to Use Butter
Butter is far from unusual in the kitchen. However, when it comes to its role outside of the kitchen, there are indeed some unusual and surprising uses for the fat. Most of the following 20 unusual ways to use butter depend on its creaminess and protein content. From shaving legs to preserving onions, these suggestions can be lifesavers around the house!
1. Remove Wax: One of the glories of homemade hair removal waxing kits is that you can do it all by yourself, on the cheap. However, the result can be messy, with sticky, albeit hairless, skin to ten to afterwards. No need to wait it out any longer – the solution is in your fridge! Rub butter on the wax-laden area and wipe off with a wet towel.
2. Remove Makeup: A gentle way to remove makeup is by using a cotton ball to apply a smidgen of butter on area and wiping clean.
3. Polish Leather: Shine your leather and remove moderate residue and stains with butter!
4. Remove Gum: Cancel that hair appointment to chop off your glorious locks! The chewed gum has not won just yet. Apply butter to the affected area and massage into the gum until it softens and slips right off.
5. Swallow Pills Easily: Swallowing pills can often be difficult because the pill is big and dry and sticks to the back of your throat as you try to get it down. Butter is a great aid in this situation, because a very light layer of it around the surface area of the pill allows it to slip right down without a fuss. This is a great tip for getting kids to take their medicine or vitamins!
6. Slice Smoothly: Ever slice into a cake and have more stick to the sides of the knife than stay in the dish? To solve this, smear both sides of a cutting knife with butter and the knife will slice seamlessly.
7. Get Rid of Smell on Hands: One of the downsides of handling fish, garlic or any other pungent flavor is the smell it leaves behind on your hands. To remedy this, massage your hands with a dab of butter and scrub them clean with water and soap.
8. Stop Door Creaks: Grease the hinges on your door with butter rather than a pungent, toxic black grease.
9. Treat Skin Irritations: The protein in butter and its overall texture make it an effective way to treat minor scars and burns.
10. Acclimate Cats: This is an old trick that helps cats to acclimate to new environments. Simply rub a small amount of butter on their front paws. Cats love butter and will stay in place long enough, licking their paws, to grow more accustomed to the atmosphere.
11. Increase Cheese’s Shelf Life: Butter creates something of a casing on certain goods whose shelf life you want to elongate. A cheese block is a salient example. Rub a thin layer of butter around the cheese and watch it last longer than usual.
12. Prevent Boiling Over: Butter doesn’t mix well with water, so when you add a dab of it to boiling water, tiny fat globules are formed when the butter melts. This melted butter acts as a bubble breaker, which prevents the water from rising up and boiling over.
13. Remove Ring: We’ve all been there. Before you fret, open the refrigerator and apply butter around the imprisoned finger and as close to the ring as possible. Remove without a fuss!
14. Nourish Brittle Nails: Using a dab of butter, apply it around your cuticles and nails to remedy flaking, peeling, and dryness.
15. Reduce Snow Shoveling Time: Save yourself a lot of hassle with this simple tip: rub butter on both sides of your shovel’s scooper. Why does this work? As you dig into the snow and pull it to the side, the snow will not stick to the shovel as you go in for another dig – the butter prevents snow from adhering to the shovel.
16. Substitute Shaving Cream: Run out of shaving cream? Accomplish a smooth, close shave with butter!
17. Soften Hands: The Winter can wear hard on your hands, drying them out and making the appear older. Rub a tad of butter into your hands and keep them moisturized and looking fresh and young!
18. Condition Hair: Soften your hair with a weekly butter mask. Simply use your fingers to rub in room temperature butter from the scalp to the hair’s end. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and then wash as you usually do. The proteins will nourish and strengthen your hair while the fats will soften and smoothen it.
19. Preserve Half-Used Onions: Not keen on using the entire onion? Rub the unused portion lightly with butter and you can preserve it until the next use without it drying up or going moldy.
20. Relieve Rashes:Treat mild rashes with butter. Applying a thin layer to the affected area moisturizes and strengthens the skin.
Photo Credit: JoelK75, Helga Weber, Malias, MowT, Xavivix, MShades, Richard North
