Certain ingredients never fail to amaze us with their versatility. Not only can they be used to make a wide range of yummy treats, but they also have other, non-food applications that come to our rescue. One such ingredient is a staple one that is found in most Indian households - rice. We all know rice has many uses while cooking, but uncooked rice can also be a lifesaver. You might have seen or heard of people putting their wet phones in uncooked rice. But there are also many other 'hacks' that you should know about. Check out some of them below:
Also Read: 6 Unique Ways To Use Potatoes At Home (Apart From Eating Them)
Here Are 5 Surprising Uses Of Uncooked Rice Around The House:
1. Keep tools rust-free by storing them in rice
Prevent your tools from getting rusted by storing them with rice. Photo Credit: iStock
Ever wondered why people would use rice to save their wet phones? Rice is actually great at absorbing moisture. This is also the reason why it can help keep your metallic tools free from rust. When these items are exposed to the air, moisture and humidity can cause corrosion. Placing them in a container of rice or adding some amount of rice to your toolbox can help you prevent them from tarnishing. Similarly, if you don't have a dedicated stand or rack for storing knives, place them in a jar of rice until the blade is covered fully.
2. Use rice to prevent sugar or salt lumps
Uncooked rice can help prevent the formation of clumps of salt as well as sugar. Photo Credit: iStock
If the weather is quite humid or if you're not storing your sugar in a completely air-tight jar, chances are you will see lumps forming. Sugar clumps can hinder you from making proper measurements while cooking and may also cause other problems. This is another instance in which you can take advantage of rice's moisture-absorbing properties. Place a small muslin/ cotton bag stuffed with rice in your sugar container and it will help keep your sugar granules separate. Similarly, you can also add a few grains of rice to your salt shaker to prevent lump formation.
3. Ripen fruits with the help of rice
Wondering how this is possible? It's not magic. Fruits naturally produce ethylene gas, which promotes ripening once they are picked from trees/ creepers. Now, if you keep your fruits submerged in a box filled with rice, it can help 'trap' this gas. This may help support quicker ripening.
Also Read: 5 Fruits And Vegetables You Should Never Store Together
4. Sharpen appliance blades using rice
You can sharpen your blender/ mixer blades with the help of rice
Have your blender blades become dull over time? No worries! Add a decent quantity of uncooked rice and blend it until it turns into a very fine powder. You can also use this technique for sharpening the blades of mixer/grinders or coffee grinders.
5. Add rice while cleaning vases and kettles
Certain utensils and household items have a narrow opening on top and thus are quite hard to clean. It is hard to reach the depths to properly scrub and remove all dirt/ stains/ leftover food or drink. Rice can come to your aid in this case. Uncooked rice grains, warm water and liquid soap are a powerful combination to help you clean such utensils. Make sure you swish around the mixture well inside the vase/kettle/ pot until you find it spotless.
6. Make a rice hot pack
A hot pack can come in handy when you have an ache/ sprain or whenever you need to apply heat to a particular part of your body. While readymade packs are easily available, you can also use household items to make them. You can fill a sock or any small cotton bag with rice, seal it well and heat it well in a microwave for a minute or so. Voila! Hot pack ready! So simple, right?
Try out these rice hacks and experience how they save your time, money and energy.
Also Read: 6 Easy Ways To Keep Rice Grains Separate And Prevent Them From Sticking