Hand Warmers to Air Fresheners: 7 Handy Ways to Use Rice That Doesn’t Involve Eating It

Rice has been cultivated for thousands of years, with evidence in China dating back to 9,000 years ago. To this day, 90 percent of the world’s rice is produced in Asia, with the famous rice paddies of Indonesia and Vietnam changing the face of the landscape. Half the population in the world—far beyond the boundaries of one continent— relies on rice as a staple food.

There are so many delightful dishes that feature rice. Of course, we can adventure into East Asia with its bibimbaps, sushi rolls, and rice cakes. We can delve into Indian cuisine and pair our rice with curries and dals. The Cajun food of Louisiana loves to put rice with gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans. We put rice in burritos, risotto, and pilaf. We know it as cereal, noodles, and even alcoholic beverages. So many countries have special rice puddings. Suffice it to say, this little grain is renowned the world over.

Rice is a great to eat, no doubt, but there are also other useful ventures to be taken with this much-appreciated grain. While we all know that it is a delicious addition to a meal, here are some other ways to put a little rice in your life.

1. Homemade Hand Warmers

Source: TheCraftyGemini/Youtube

For those with rudimentary sewing skills, homespun handwarmers are an easy way to stay cozy on a winter’s day. Just create a basic square pouch, folding a piece of cloth in half and sewing the sides shut. Before sealing the pouch, fill it was raw rice. The handwarmer can be heated in the microwave again and again.

2. Sticky Salt Shakers

Source: ehow/Youtube

Rice is amazing at absorbing moisture, which is why we boil it with twice the amount of water as we have dry rice. A classic use for rice is putting it in salt shakers. The rice will absorb the moisture in the shaker to help prevent the salt from clumping together.

3. Saving Wet Electronics

Source: JMG ENTERPRISES/Youtube

But, salt isn’t the only useful means of taking advantage of rice’s absorbent nature. Another life hack with rice is to use it to help with saving a wet phone or similar electronic. There are other things more absorbent than rice, such as kitty litter or silica gel, but rice can be a good option for using what’s around the house.

4. Rust Preventer

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Rice can also be used as a rust preventer, taking moisture out of toolboxes and similar such things. Rice rust preventers can be constructed to size specifications, making tiny pouches such as with the above-mentioned handwarmers or filling large socks or even larger pouches to stow on metal objects to prevent them from staying too wet.

5. Clean Coffee Grinders

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A spoonful of rice grains can also be quite abrasive, which makes them useful for cleaning, particularly with spots that are hard to reach. For example, rice is a fantastic way to clean a coffee grinder. The rice will get into places fingers and brushes can’t, and it will absorb the residue oils in the grinder.

6. Baking Blinds

Source: Kirsten Tibballs/Youtube

While this involves rice and may result in something extraordinarily tasty to eat, it won’t be rice on the menu. When pie crust or pastry needs to be blind-baked before adding the filling, rice is a great weight for doing so. Cover the pastry with some parchment paper and pour some rice in before baking. The crust will bake up great, and the filling can be added.

7. Air Fresheners

Source: Amber Ali/Youtube

Harkening back to rice’s absorption attribute, the same quality makes it a good medium for air fresheners. Rice can be coated with nice-smelling essential oils and scooped into sachets to tuck around the house for freshening up. This—with a bit of lavender or other calming aromas—can also be a thing to stick on a nightstand or beneath a pillow to help with sleeping.

As if we needed more reason to stock extra rice in the pantry! It’s already has a long shelf life and provides quality calories. Now, we know how to use it for so much more.

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