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Onions add so much flavor to any meal and they are very good for your health. But did you know that onions have many non-food benefits too? These seven handy hacks can help you in your home and garden. And the best part is that you probably always keep onions in your pantry.
Keep frost off your windshield
Onions can help you winterize your car, according to The Reader's Digest Canada. Save time scraping ice on a cold winter morning by rubbing an onion on your windshield the night before. The sugar in the onion juice creates a barrier between your car and the condensation in the air. The sugar also helps to break down ice molecules. Your morning commute just got easier.
Remove rust from knives
Cleaning rust off of knives usually requires using steel wool or chemical rust removers. But there is an easier way. Just plunge your knife into a large onion a few times and it will remove the rust. If the knife is very rusting, it may require a few more jabs.
DIY insect repellent
Keep pests out of your garden with this DIY insect repellent from The Elliott Homestead blog. The recipe is quite easy to make. All you need is one onion, a head of garlic, cayenne, water, dish soap, a cheesecloth, and a clean spray bottle. Bugs hate the pungent-smelling allicin found in onions. You can use this insect repellent on all of your produce.
Natural dye
You can use onion skins to DIY a natural dye – without any artificial and unsafe chemicals – for natural materials and even Easter eggs, according to The Spruce Crafts. There are step-by-step directions that are easy to follow. Onions dyed items come out yellow, warm orange, or brown.
Grease remover
You can remove built up grease on your grill by scrubbing the grates with an onion half, according to the Stutzmans Greenhouse & Garden Center website. For the best results, clean the grates when the grill is still a little warm but not hot. Wear gloves to protect your hands.
Gets rid of paint smells
If the smell of new paint is disturbing you and opening the windows isn’t cutting it. Rather than using air fresheners and adding more chemicals to the mix, just place a few slices of onion and a small amount of water in a dish and leave it in a freshly painted room overnight. The onions will absorb the odor of the paint. You can also use this method to remove the odor of burnt food.
Sooths a bee sting or burn
Onions have antibacterial properties that can keep a small burn from becoming infected, according to Reader’s Digest. Just rub a piece of onion over the wound. Raw onions can also remove the pain from a bee sting. Please note that this does not remove venom, so if you are allergic to bee stings, you must still seek medical attention.
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