Cool Uses

When you get to the last slice of bread and it's not as fresh as you'd like it to be, instead of tossing it, there are ways to transform that crumbling mess into something useful. After all, why throw away the old when you can upcycle it into something new?

You might be surprised at the various things you can do with stale bread, ensuring you get every penny out of your favorite loaf. Here are several cool uses for stale bread:

• Artisan bread crumbs: Cube stale bread, and season it for delicious bread crumbs that can be used for topping soups, stews, or fresh salads.

• Happy plants: Dry stale bread in the oven, and then grind in the blender, creating fine bread crumbs. Simply mix with your potting soil or rake into your garden. The crumbs will add nutrients and moisture to your happy plants. While you're at it, throw in some crushed egg shells for a nutrient-happy plant.

• Special bird treats: Instead of tossing dry chunks of bread to the birds, grind stale bread in the blender and leave out in small dishes for your friendly birds. Or mix together equal parts bread crumbs, birdseed, peanut butter, and lard, and roll into rounds. Place in bird feeders for a really special bird treat.

Read on for more smart ways to use stale bread.

Here's a quick tip: don't trash your bread when it's stale; just repurpose it by feeding it to your living greens.

Dry stale bread in the oven, and then grind in the blender, creating fine bread crumbs. Simply mix with your potting soil or rake into your garden. The crumbs will add nutrients and moisture to your happy plants.

Is your coffee grinder in need of a cleaning? If you have some stale bread on hand, it's the perfect ingredient for a grinder quick-clean. All you have to do is tear up stale bread into chunks and throw them in the coffee grinder. Grind it for a few seconds, open it, and you'll see coffee bits sticking to the bread, which you can then dump out.

Club soda is yet another common household item with a variety of uncommon uses. If you have some left over and don't know what to do with it, don't throw it away. Here are some clever uses for this popular drink mixer:

• Stain remover: Treat stains by dabbing on club soda and gently scrubbing the material. It works on a variety of spills, including red wine stains.
• Fluffy food: To fluff up food like pancakes, waffles, tempura batter, omelets, and more, use club soda instead of water or milk. It makes the end results more fluffy and light.
• Water plants: Club soda is better for your plants than regular water because it has more minerals. Try to water your plants with flat club soda at least once a week.
• Clean surfaces: Gently wipe down surfaces in your home like countertops and the inside of your fridge with club soda. Club soda is also good for cleaning porcelain surfaces because it doesn't ruin the finish. You can even pour it on pots and pans while they are still warm to help remove the gunk that's stuck to the bottom.
• Remove rust: Pour club soda over rusted materials or soak the rusted objects in them. The carbonation will make it easier to remove the rust.
• Soothe your belly: If you have stomach upset or are feeling nauseated, sip on some club soda.
• Clean gems: Soak gemstones in club soda overnight to clean them.
• Restore hair color: If you go swimming, make sure you rinse your hair with club soda to prevent discoloration in your dye job.
• Preserve newspaper clippings: Preserve newspaper clippings by soaking them in a club soda and milk of magnesia mixture for an hour before taking them out to dry.
• Shuck oysters: Make oyster shucking an easier task by soaking them in club soda beforehand.

I'm sure you'll have a lot of eggs left over now that Easter is here, but don't let the eggshells go to waste. There are plenty of uses for them, and here are a few.

• Face mask: Crush eggshells and mix it with some egg white to smooth over your skin. Let it dry and wash it off for glowing skin. Make sure the eggshells you're using aren't dyed!
• Fertilizer: Crush eggshells and feed them to your plants. Eggshells have plenty of nutrients that are good for enriching the soil.
• Slug repellent: Sprinkle crushed eggshells around your plants to keep slugs and snails from getting to your plants. The sharp edges will deter them.
• Starter pots: Use eggshells as small starter pots for small seedlings.
• Christmas ornaments: Now that you don't need the Easter eggs, reuse those eggshells and turn them into Christmas ornaments.
• Drain strainer: Break up an eggshell and leave it in your sink strainer. It will help trap solids so they are less likely to make it down your pipes.

Source: Etsy user BooBahBlue

Hydrogen peroxide can be found at just about any grocery store for only a few dollars, and there are so many smart uses for this fizzy oxidizer. What actually is hydrogen peroxide? It's the simplest peroxide, a compound with an oxygen-oxygen bond, and it helps reduce oxidization. You can find hydrogen peroxide in fresh fruit and vegetables and in the body's immune system. But the commercial concoction that you can pick up at the store is a serious powerhouse around the home — and in a few other ways that might surprise you.

• Clean wounds: Most of us know to reach for hydrogen peroxide when we see blood to help clean wounds. This home remedy really works by helping to stop capillary bleeding and safely disinfecting the cut.
• Dissolve ear wax: When ears are feeling a bit plugged, safely clear them up by adding a few drops of olive oil to the ear canal followed with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Let sit and then tilt head and allow to release.
• Deskunk your pup: The next time your dog gets in a tussle with a skunk, mix together one-quart hydrogen peroxide, one-teaspoon liquid dish detergent, and two quarts warm water in a big bucket. Use for soaping up your dog and then rinse with water.

• Clean cutting board: Spritz your cutting board with hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for several minutes before wiping clean. And it's safe to use on plastic or wood boards.

Keep reading for more smart uses for hydrogen peroxide.

When your toothbrush has done its duty, instead of kicking it to the curb, give the brush a second life as a helper around your house. After a quick spin in your dishwasher, that old toothbrush can be put to work doing a multitude of tasks, cutting down on the amount of elbow grease that goes into cleaning. Here are 10 smart reasons to keep your old toothbrush stashed with your cleaning supplies:

• Grout scrubber: Instead of using harsh chemicals, or getting tuckered out from the repetitive movement of scrubbing, use the toothbrush to clean away stains. Pair it with a homemade cleaner, and you're on your way to a sparkling bathroom or kitchen.
• Hard-to-reach spots: You know that space behind your bathroom or kitchen sink that's almost impossible to really get clean? Use your handy toothbrush to scrub and remove mold and hard water stains. Simply toss the toothbrush in the dishwasher after using, and it's ready for another cleaning.
• Jewelry brush: Turn your old toothbrush into a jewelry cleaner by scrubbing with dish soap — making sure to plug your sink first! Using dish soap won't harm your favorite jewels and will help remove dirt and oil buildup.
• Cleaning small appliances: Transform your toothbrush into a crumb catcher for your toaster or a blade cleaner for your blender.

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Valentine's Day is such a romantic holiday, but it can also be a very wasteful one. For one, people keep buying flowers as a token of their affection even though most of these flowers go into the trash can a few days later. Let's not waste these pretty bouquets this year and use one of these ideas to reuse them:

• Potpourri: Potpourri can be just as pretty as flowers, and it's a good way to turn the flowers into a keepsake. Dry the petals for a great-smelling potpourri, and you can even throw in a few herbs, like mint, that you think will smell nice or look good with the flowers.

Source: Etsy user lizbethsgarden

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