Weird Uses for Food Around the House


Hot Household Tips from Our Readers
by AOL Food Editors

We recently shared our favorite fun food tips with our readers, and asked y'all to do the same. So many of you shared brilliant info in the blog comments, we just had to post a follow-up. Read on for smart and unexpected household uses for peanut butter, vinegar, potatoes, and plenty more.

(Did you know that mayo could fix your scratched-up CDs?...)

Our Readers Fave Food Tips

    We recently shared our favorite fun food tips with our readers, and asked y'all to do the same. So many of you shared brilliant info in the blog comments, we just had to post a follow-up. Read on for smart and unexpected household uses for peanut butter, vinegar, potatoes, and plenty more.

    (Did you know that mayo could fix your scratched-up CDs?...)

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Tabasco Sauce

    "If you have a toothache, just put about 5 or 6 drops of Tabasco sauce on your aching tooth with a cotton swab. It numbs your tooth better than Orajel." -- Lexus

    "Gently scrub your silver with a few drops of Tabasco on a soft toothbrush and some warm water. Just make sure to rinse well afterward." -- Virginia

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Mayonnaise

    "Mayo is good for getting water stain marks off of your kitchen table and other wood furniture. Just put mayo on the water stains and wipe it with a rag." -- Candace

    "If you have a CD with a scratch on it, just rub themayo on the scratch. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then wipe off going from the center of the CD to the outside rim." -- Laura A

    "Wipe your live plant leaves with mayo. It's natural so it wont hurt the plant and it leaves a brilliant shine."-- Kristen

    "Mayonnaise is good for getting rid of head lice and moisturizing your hair/scalp. Generously slather mayonnaise in your hair, cover with a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and go to bed. In the morning wash your hair with regular shampoo. Ifusing it for head lice, use a lice comb to comb out the nits. This may take up to three consecutive days to get rid of the lice, depending on how bad the infestation is. Of course it will not work if clothing and upholstered furniture are not de-loused."-- Soondock

    "To remove pine pitch from your hands, rub your hands with a teaspoon of mayo or peanut butter. It removes the pitch almost instantly." -- Paul

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Cooking Spray

    "Spray Pam on a soft cloth and wipe on inside of shower doors to clean them." -- Cheryl

    "Have ants in the kitchen? Non-stick spray such as Pam kills them instantly without having to use chemicals around food prep areas. Of course you have to wipe up the ants and oil, but it's not terribly messy." -- Lori

    "I have used cooking oil spray to grease a hinge on my bathroom door. Just make sure not to overdo it, or it will drip." -- Sunluvver

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Potatoes

    "Have a broken light bulb still in the light? Unplug the light from the wall (very important), and cut a potato in half. Press it on to the broken bulb and twist off." -- Jim

    "So you've been out at the beach, and you arefried lobster red. Don't panic -- just take a potato and grate it (leaving peel and everything on it) and put it where you are burnt. Wait 30 minutes and remove the potato. Take a cool shower. Not only is the heat gone, but the next day so will be the pain and most of the red -- if not all." -- Juliana

    "If your child has a fever, take a potato and cut it in half. Take each half and put it on the bottom of their feet, keeping the in place by putting socks on over the potatoes. Keep the potatoes on for a few hours. When you take them out your child's fever will either be a lot lower or gone. There is something in the potatoes that helps draw the fever out." -- Joellen

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Bread

    "For home-made cookies that are too crispy, put them in a sealed container with slices of bread covering them. The moisture from the bread will absorb into the cookies, making them soft!" -- Tina

    "To make dried out brown sugar like new, put one slice of bread into the box or bag of dry sugar for a few hours. The moisture from the bread goes into the sugar, and the bread dries out. No need to put in a airtight container. Just stick the bread on top of the sugar, and close the box or bag as usual." -- Elle

    "Have a boil or large pimple? Soak a small piece of bread in milk, attach the piece of bread over the boil using tape or another fastener, and the milk will dry out the boil, decreasing its size. Best if done overnight. Toothpaste can also be used to dry out pimples." -- Ben

    "A piece of white bread will stop a cut from bleeding" -- Pat

    But what helps bread stay fresh? Joy Taylor says, "To keep bread longer place a carrot in the bag. It will freshen bread like it was just baked."

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Apples

    "An apple's ethylene gas will also help pears and avocados to ripen and bromeliad plants to bloom if they're placed together in a loosely-closed paper bag." -- Vee

    "If your brown sugar becomes hard, just place it in a sealed container with a few slices of apples for a few days and it will become soft again. Then you can remove the apple slices." -- Leslie

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Walnuts

    "Rub the meat of a walnut on any dark wood furniture scratches. Mom always knows best!" -- Pat

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Sugar

    "For a face scrub, use Dove soap & little bit of white sugar. Gently rub into your face in circular motion. Lovely results." -- Alice

    "To trap ants, mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup borax and 3 cups water, and pour into 4 glass jars with perforated screw-on lids (use a hammer and nails). Place these jars in areas where ants are present, but kids and pets can't get to them." -- Kitty

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.

    Cola

    "Cola is good for washing road grime off of your windshield. It cuts through the grease and dirt. Just pour a can of cola over your windshield and rinse off with water." -- fdtate

    "To get rid of those pesky little aphids on house plants put some Coke in a spray bottle and spray the leaves and buds on the plant. Let dry and stay there for several weeks. Take the plant outside and spray off with fresh water or leave out in the rain. The little buggers will choke on the Coke." -- Greg

    "If you have a tooth ache or abscess, try using warm (not cold) cola and hold it in your mouth for a few minutes until it has stopped foaming and spit it out. Works wonders until you can get to the dentist ." -- Margo

    "One 12 oz can of Coca-Cola ( not Pepsi ) in the wash will get rid of diesel smell in clothes." -- Chris

    "Put some cola in your coffee pot let it soak. Add some ice cubes, swirl them around the coffee pot and most stains will rinse right out." -- Rhonda

    Got a tip on a multi-tasking food? Share it in the blog.



Recent Comments

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5 comments

MaryPBCA 04:45:54 PM Oct 12 2009

To remove blood from clothing, even old ones, use ice cubes and ice water out of the freezer/refrigerator, or water cooler. Simply wet stains with Ice water, place ice cubes on stains. Fresh blood stains will dissolve immediately. Old blood stains will take longer (keep applying new ice cubes. Then, use a liquid detergent of soap and brush the stain with a toothbrush. Be patient, it works!

Mommom4life 04:29:18 PM Oct 12 2009

If you happen to have the heat to high while cooking spagetti sauce add a whole peeled potato and it will take out that burned taste.

LINPT13 05:45:38 PM Aug 09 2009

GREAT tip to get rid of moles in your garden. Smash up a clove of garlic and push it down the last hole they came up, with a broom handle or long stick. This will absolutely get rid of the moles.

GLSheffield 04:43:26 PM Apr 22 2009

About the honey in hot water to undo the crystalizing.I like to use the Micro-wave. the hot water is probably safer but with some experimenting with different amounts and all of it being in plastic containers, I find that 2 or 3 minutes on medium to high heat settings does a good job for me. Don't have the container air tight. Allow for heat expansion and fix the container so that as the honey liqiifies, it doesn't spill out.Good experimenting and Happy Eating Grover

ROLFSONC 08:40:24 AM Apr 16 2009

Honey is the only food I know of that will NEVER spoil and does not need to be discarded after a year. You can keep it for years and it will be just as good as the day you bought it. The bees seem to know what they are doing! If it does crystalize, simply put the jar in hot water and it will melt.Carmen

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