8 surprising uses of eggshells

No matter how you use the yolks and whites of an egg, there's one part of the egg that most people are wasting: the eggshell. According to experts, eggshells have many 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, fragile vase that's stained in hard-to-reach corners or crevices, try using eggshells to clean it. Crush the eggshells and put them in the vase along with lemon juice, then leave it for a few days, shaking it occasionally. The acid in the lemon juice will attack the grease, while the eggshell fragments scrape away the stains from the glass or porcelain.

Finally, empty all the lemon peels and juice from the jar, wash it with hot soapy water, and let it dry completely.

2. Wash white clothes

Eggshells are porous, so they can easily absorb stains. A good trick is to crush the eggshells, put them in a small muslin bag, and place it in the washing machine with your white clothes. Be sure to seal the bag tightly to prevent the eggshells from falling into the washing machine drum. As the warm water loosens the stains, the eggshells will absorb them, protecting your white clothes from turning yellow.

Eggshells can clean white clothes.

3. Protect your crops from snails.

You can prevent snails from damaging your garden plants by sprinkling crushed eggshells around their base. According to experienced gardeners, snails hate moving across uneven and sharp surfaces, so they will leave your plants alone.

4. Soothe insect bites

Soak eggshells in apple cider vinegar for several days, then apply this mixture to insect bites or itchy rashes. This method is actually effective 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, similar to creams made from zinc oxide and iron oxide, which can help soothe, harden, and protect delicate skin.

The mixture of eggshells and apple cider vinegar has a shelf life of about one month if stored in the refrigerator.

5. Increase tomato plant productivity

Place a handful of crushed eggshells in the hole before planting the tomato plant. They will provide the necessary calcium for the plant's growth and development. A lack of this nutrient can lead to flower stalk rot, causing the tomatoes to turn brown and become waterlogged.

Eggshells provide a source of calcium for plants.

6. Make the coffee taste better.

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

7. Calcium supplementation for people

One way to utilize eggshells is to turn them into a source of calcium. To do this, first bake the eggshells in an oven at 180°C 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 once a day to supplement your body's calcium intake.

Processed eggshell powder can be used for up to one month if stored in the refrigerator.

Eggshells provide 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 and pestle. Mix some of this eggshell powder into the chicken feed. This is a great, inexpensive alternative to calcium supplements made from shellfish, often sold in livestock and poultry stores. You can also use this eggshell powder to feed birds.

According to Discovery