6 Clever Uses For Flour You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
Updated: Sep. 25, 2018Flour is a staple in every kitchen, but did you know it can be put to work all around the house? These six new uses for flour will have you seeing this versatile ingredient in a whole new light.
1. Use Flour to Polish Brass and Copper
No need to go out and buy expensive cleaner for your brass and silver. You can whip up your own at much less cost. Just combine equal parts of flour, salt and vinegar, and mix into a paste. Spread the paste onto the metal , let it dry, and buff it off with a clean, dry cloth. Don’t miss these weird silver cleaning tricks that actually work.
2. Use Flour Make Modeling Clay
Keep the kids busy on a rainy day with modeling clay—they can even help you make the stuff. Knead together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup salt, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 1 or 2 drops food colouring. If the mixture is sticky, add more flour; if it’s too stiff, add more water. When the “clay” is a workable consistency, store it until needed in a self-sealing plastic bag. Once you’ve got the kids’ craft supplies out, check out these clever ways to put crayons to work all around the house.
3. Use Flour to Bring Back Lustre to a Dull Sink
To buff your stainless steel sink back to a warm glow, sprinkle flour over it and rub lightly with a soft, dry cloth. Then rinse the sink to restore its shine. Don’t miss these other brilliant DIY cleaning products for every room in the house.
4. Use Flour as a Safe Paste For Children’s Crafts
Look no further than your kitchen cupboards for an inexpensive, non-toxic paste that’s ideal for children’s paper craft projects, such as papier-mache and scrap-booking. To make the paste, add 3 cups cold water to a saucepan and blend in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until smooth and thick. Cool and pour into a plastic squeeze bottle to use. This simple paste will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, and cleans up easily with soap and water. Speaking of refrigerator, here are some clever uses for baking soda beyond keeping your fridge fresh.
5. Repel Ants With Flour
Sprinkle a line of flour along the backs of pantry shelves and wherever you see ants entering the house. Repelled by the flour, ants won’t cross over the line. Find out how pepper can also deter ants from entering your home.
6. Freshen Playing Cards With Flour
After a few games, cards can accumulate a patina of snack residue and hand oil, but you can restore them with some all-purpose flour in a paper bag. Drop the cards into the bag with enough flour to cover, shake vigorously, and remove the cards. The flour will absorb the oils, and it can be easily knocked off the cards by giving them a good shuffle. Next up, check out these 20 clever household uses for ammonia.