Forget the age old debate of what came first, the chicken or the egg?
It’s time to focus on the many things you’re favorite breakfast food and baking ingredient can do in your home, garden, and even in your beauty regimen. Let’s get cracking on these eight amazing things you had no idea you could do with eggs…
1. Banish Garden Pests
According to the NaturalLivingIdeas.com, the average American eats about 200 eggs per year. However, what do they do with all of those eggshells? Throw them in the trash, or hopefully, the compost? Well, how about tossing crushed egg shells into your garden as a powerful pest deterrent for snails, slugs, and cutworms.
These slimy pests are put off by the abrasives of the shells and will go in search of easier garden eats elsewhere. And if deer are your garden’s folly, try scattering eggshells around your plants to deter wild munchers. Deer dislike the smell of albumin (in raw eggs) and will steer clear (just be careful eggshells don’t attack vermin).
2. Seed Starters
Just envision the shape of an empty egg shell. It’s perfectly round, the ideal shape for a seed starter. Simply poke a small to drain the edible bits from a half empty eggshell. You can use this perfect egg-shaped shell to fill with soil and seeds.
If gardening isn’t your thing, but DIY home decor is, use those brilliant white shells as candle holders. Again, poke a small hole in the top of an egg to drain the edible parts. You can make the whole wider by gently breaking away bits of shell. Use a bit of beeswax to fix a candlewick, surround the wick with more melted wax and voila…let there be light!
3. Scrub Pots and Pans Clean
We all love cooking mom’s famous lasagne, but the thought of scouring the aftermath of a sticky casserole dish can create awful indigestion. Luckily, the perfect, natural abrasive cleaner can be found in a few ground up eggshells.
So keep the eggshell remnants from your cooking and mix it with a bit of soapy water to create a non-toxic scouring abrasive for tough-to-clean pots, pans, casserole dishes, plates, and bowls.
4. Unclog Drains
Reader’s Digest recommends eggshells as a handy and natural way to unclog drains. Store a container of clean, ground eggshells by the sink. If slow drainage occurs, simply sprinkle a bit into your sink strainer.
Egg shell bit will literally trap bits of food and drag away food solids in your pipes gradually break down, thus naturally scouring your pipes on the long drain downward.
5. Mends Cuts and Wounds
2016 research from the National Institute for Health Research WoundTec Healthcare Technology Cooperative, an NHS organization based in the U.K., is testing eggs for their wound-healing superpowers. Studies confirm that the thin eggshell membrane contains a structure very similar to “the extracellular matrix of human skin”.
In addition, the study found that eggshell membrane is also sterilized and can protect exposed skin from bacteria, as it would the egg within it’s shell. Egg inner membrane is now being crushed into a powder and used as a dressing-type plaster for cuts and wound.
6. Perfect Pet Teeth and Bone Protector
Just like people, dogs require calcium in their diets to keep their bones and teeth strong. To supplement your pet’s food, simply rinse clean then dry a few eggshells (heat them for 30-minutes at 300-degrees in your toaster oven), crush the shells in a ziplock bag, and sprinkle the finely ground shells onto Fido’s food.
According to research from theBark.com, crushed eggshells provide a great source of calcium for your pet’s teeth and bones. Roughly one teaspoon of finely crushed shell equals 2,200-milligrams of calcium carbonate.
7. Lower Coffee Acidity
As we age, foods and beverages we love can often give us tummy troubles. Such is the case with me and coffee. Unwilling to give up my morning brew, I found a smooth solution in egg shells. By adding crushed shells to my French press, I find my coffee is smoother and less bitter.
To get a milder brew, Lifehacker.com suggests simply adding a few crushed shells (from a hard-boiled egg) in with your grounds. Brew your coffee as normal for a smoother cup, and fewer leftover egg shells in your trash can.
8. Beautify Your Skin
There’s a good reason why many do it yourself (DIY) face masks call for an egg among the ingredients. Egg yolks contain lecithin, a powerful emulsifier that can aid in skin suppleness and hydration.
Prepare your face mask using a few teaspoons of raw honey and don’t forget the egg yolk. Whisk your mask into a frothy paste and apply directly to your entire face and neck. Let your mask sit for 15-minutes and rinse away the remnants using lukewarm water. But don’t toss your egg whites! You can apply those to oily skin as an acne treatment and skin tightening agent. Simply whisk whites with a bit of lemon juice, and apply directly to your face.Allow it to dry and tighten for 10-minutes then rinse away with water.
