Rice is one of those pantry staples most of us buy for dinner and never think twice about. But uncooked rice has a few qualities: it’s absorbent, slightly abrasive, inexpensive, and able to hold both heat and cold.
Some of these ideas are practical, others are a little unusual, and a few may have you wondering why you’ve never tried them before. Here are 16 interesting ways to put a basic bag of rice to work around the house.
Clean a Coffee Grinder
Coffee oils and tiny grounds can build up inside a grinder where they’re difficult to wipe away. Running a small amount of dry rice through some blade-style grinders can help pick up residue, though it’s smart to check your manufacturer’s cleaning instructions first.
Clean Narrow Bottles and Vases
When a bottle brush can’t reach the bottom of a skinny vase or container, add a spoonful of uncooked rice, warm water, and a little dish soap. Shake it around, and the grains act like tiny scrubbers against grime you otherwise couldn’t reach.
Keep Salt From Clumping
Humidity can turn a perfectly good salt shaker into a solid block. Adding a few uncooked grains of rice helps absorb some of that moisture so the salt continues to shake out easily.
Make a Homemade Heating Pad
Fill a clean cotton sock or sewn fabric pouch with uncooked rice, secure the end, and microwave it briefly for a reusable warm compress. Start with short heating intervals and check the temperature carefully before placing it against your skin.
Turn It Into a Flexible Cold Pack
That same rice-filled pouch can go in the freezer instead of the microwave. Unlike a solid ice pack, the grains stay flexible enough to mold around knees, wrists, ankles, and other awkward spots.
Keep Hand Tools Drier
A container of uncooked rice can hold small hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers while helping absorb surrounding moisture. It won’t replace proper rust prevention, but it can be a handy storage trick in humid workshops.
Use It Instead of Pie Weights
You don’t necessarily need specialty pie weights when blind-baking a crust. Line the dough with parchment paper, fill it with uncooked rice, and reserve that batch afterward strictly for future baking, not eating.
Freshen a Closet or Drawer
Mix dry rice with a few drops of your favorite fragrance or essential oil and place it in a breathable fabric sachet. Tuck it inside a drawer, closet, or linen cabinet for a subtle scent rather than an overpowering air freshener.
Help Fruit Ripen Faster
Place underripe fruit in a container of dry rice and the enclosed space can help trap some of the ethylene gas the fruit naturally releases. Check it frequently, because fruit may ripen faster than you expect.
Dry Flowers
Rice can be used as a drying medium for sturdy flowers you want to preserve. Carefully surround the blooms with dry grains inside a covered container and leave them until much of their moisture has been drawn out.
Related: Banana Peels Might Be the Most Underrated Natural Boost for Your Garden
Give Rice Water to Plants
Instead of automatically pouring plain rice-rinsing water down the drain, let it cool and use it occasionally on plants. Stick with unsalted, unseasoned water and don’t assume it replaces a plant’s regular fertilizer needs.
Help Protect Stored Silver From Moisture
Moisture contributes to tarnish, so keeping a small open container of dry rice near stored silver can help absorb some humidity. It won’t eliminate polishing altogether, but it’s an easy pantry trick worth trying in a closed cabinet.
Make Reusable Hand Warmers
Sew tiny fabric pouches, fill them mostly with uncooked rice, and you’ve got pocket-sized warmers for chilly days. Heat them gradually in the microwave and always test them with your hand before putting them into a pocket.
Related: I Stopped Using Dryer Sheets in the Dryer—Here’s Where I Use Them Instead
Make Homemade Laundry Starch
The cloudy, starchy water produced when rice is cooked can be repurposed as a traditional fabric-stiffening solution. Strain it well, allow it to cool, and test it on a small section of fabric before treating an entire garment.
Use Rice as a Decorative Filler
Clear jars, candle holders, faux-flower arrangements, and seasonal displays can all be filled with inexpensive dry rice for added weight and texture. It works especially well when you need something neutral that won’t compete with the rest of the display.
Test Frying Oil in a Pinch
A grain or two of uncooked rice dropped carefully into warming oil can give you a rough indication of whether the oil is beginning to fry; the rice should bubble rather than simply sit motionless. A kitchen thermometer is still the safer and far more accurate way to know the actual temperature.
