8 surprising uses of eggshells

No matter how you use the yolk and white of an egg, there's one part of the egg that most people waste: the shell. According to experts, eggshells have a wide range of uses, from cleaning clothes and protecting plants to treating insect bites and enhancing the flavor of coffee.

1. Polish the vase

If you have a delicate, breakable vase that has stains in hard-to-reach corners or crevices, try using eggshells to clean it. Crush the eggshells and place them in the vase with lemon juice, then let them sit for a few days, shaking them occasionally. The acid in the lemon juice will attack the grease, while the eggshells scrape the stains off the glass or porcelain.

As a final step, discard all the lemon peels and juice from the jar, wash it with hot soapy water, and let it dry.

2. Clean white clothes

Eggshells are porous, so they absorb stains easily. A good tip is to break them up, put them in a small muslin bag, and put it in the washing machine with your whites. Be sure to seal the bag tightly to prevent the eggshells from getting into the drum. As the warm water loosens the stains, the eggshells will absorb them, protecting your whites from fading.

Eggshells clean white clothes.

3. Protect plants from snails

You can prevent snails from destroying your garden plants by sprinkling crushed eggshells around their bases. Experienced gardeners say that snails hate moving across irregular and sharp surfaces, so they will leave your plants alone.

4. Soothe insect bites

Soak eggshells in apple cider vinegar for a few days, then apply the mixture to insect bites or rashes. This method works because when soaked in apple cider vinegar, the eggshells begin to decompose, allowing the calcium carbonate in them to react with the vinegar to form calcium acetate. This is an astringent, like zinc oxide and iron oxide creams, that can help soothe, firm, and protect delicate skin.

The eggshell and apple cider vinegar mixture has a shelf life of about 1 month if kept in the refrigerator.

5. Increase the yield of tomato plants

Place a handful of crushed eggshells in the hole before planting your tomato plants. They will provide a source of calcium needed for growth and development. A lack of this nutrient can lead to blossom end rot, which causes your tomatoes to turn brown and watery.

Eggshells provide a source of calcium for plants.

6. Makes coffee taste better

Add a teaspoon of crushed eggshells (5ml) to your plain coffee before brewing. The calcium carbonate in the shells will neutralize some of the acidity in the coffee, which can make it bitter.

7. Calcium supplements for people

A good way to use eggshells is to turn them into a calcium supplement for you. To do this, first put the eggshells in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes. Then, let the eggshells cool and grind them into a fine powder. Add a spoonful of eggshell powder to soup or smoothies to use once a day, to provide extra calcium for the body.

Processed eggshell powder can be used within 1 month if stored in the refrigerator.

Eggshells supplement calcium for humans.

8. Help hens lay more eggs

Another amazing benefit of eggshells is that they help hens lay more eggs. First, dry the eggshells and grind them into a powder using a blender or mortar. Mix some of this eggshell powder into your chicken feed. This is a great, free alternative to the calcium supplements from oyster shells that are often sold in pet stores. You can also use this eggshell powder to feed your birds.

According to Discovery