Eggs: The Many Uses of Eggs and Eggshells

Eggs aren't just for breakfast. There are so many uses for both eggs and eggshells.

Don't throw away those eggshells after you've enjoyed your breakfast! They have a multitude of uses still left in them.

Cleaning Drains

You don't have to use expensive, harsh, toxic chemicals to clean your drains anymore. Egg shells are excellent for this job, without any harshness to your hands, sink or drains. Just crush the shells as fine as you can and let them sit in the sink drain basket. Each time the water runs, the egg shells will make their way through to your drain pipes. Egg shells act as a safe, natural abrasive and will help to get rid of any grease or hair buildup, or whatever other unidentified refuse you've had accumulating. Be sure to save all your egg shells, enough to do all the drains in your home. You'll find that your pipes will be cleared and flowing smoothly.

Gardening

Crushed egg shells are excellent for the garden. Scatter them throughout your flower beds and/or vegetable gardens to keep cats from doing their business there. The shells are similar to crushed glass and irritates their delicate paw pads. This will deter them from entering and ruining your beautiful plants and vegetables.

They also help to deter slugs if you have a problem with those. Being organic, the egg shells won't harm your garden areas in the least, so there is no need for harsh insecticides.

Tea Stains

Put crushed egg shells into a tea pot or thermos (especially those stainless steel thermos that really hold the stains) that has been stained with tea. After letting them sit overnight, add a little water and swish around and empty into the sink (as not to waste them, they'll help the drain pipes). Rinse the tea pot or thermos and you will immediately notice how the tea stains have been instantly removed. Excellent for this job, as the shells won't leave an after taste or lingering chemicals in your next pot of tea like bleaching or other cleaning agents might.

Planting Seedlings

Eggs shells make excellent starter containers for seedlings. You can even keep them in the cartons they first came in, providing your cartons are made from recycled paper. This provides an easy way to set your seedlings on a window sill so they can absorb the sunlight. The eggs shells are the perfect size, and being that they consist of calcium carbonate, they assist the new seedlings in absorbing nutrients from the soil. Once your plants are sturdy enough to transplant, they are easily removed by just cracking the shells. You can do that right in your garden area and allow the egg shells to remain where they are.

Egg Art

If you happen to be artistic, you can make beautiful carvings from the egg shells. As you would with Easter eggs, poke a hole in the top and allow the insides to drain out. When the egg is dry, you can begin your carving. There are many excellent sites on the internet that can give you ideas for patterns, as well as directions and the tools you'll need (search for "egg art" or "decorative eggs").

Other fanciful egg art includes Ukrainian Pysanka eggs, where a multitude of dyes are used to color and beautify the eggs. You can also decorate them using something as simple as decoupage. They make wonderful elegant, yet quick and easy gift ideas.