Cornstarch a magic ingredient that can make a big difference. Did you ever use it for gardening or as a dry shampoo? Check out the following awesome cornstarch uses that can make your life simpler.
1. Untangle Pesky Jewelry Knots
Gah! You go to put on one of your favorite necklaces but find it got tangled up in stubborn knots in your jewelry box. The easy save: sprinkle the knots with cornstarch, then use tweezers to gently pull them apart. Brush away any excess powder. The slippery cornstarch particles act as a lubricant so you can easily pull knots apart and wear your beautiful necklace again.
2. Uncover Radiant Skin for Pennies
Reveal your stunning complexion with a two-ingredient face mask. Mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with one egg white and beat until thickened. Rub the concoction onto your face and let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it off. Cornstarch will draw oils and dirt out of pores while the astringent egg white will shrink them for beautiful skin.
3. Ward off Blisters from New Shoes
If winter boots or new sneakers are causing painful hot spots on your feet, try this: pat cornstarch on your feet where the shoes are rubbing before slipping them on. The powder will help absorb perspiration that would otherwise cause uncomfortable friction between the skin and the inside of the shoe. You’ll be able to wear the pair pain-free every time.
4. Smudge-proof your Furniture
Lately, you’ve been noticing stubborn fingerprints on your coffee table even after polishing it. The likely culprit? Oil residue. To help prevent this nuisance, sprinkle cornstarch on the surface and buff with a soft cloth right after polishing. The cornstarch will absorb the leftover oils that make smudges and dust more noticeable. Problem solved!
5. Give a Dog a Quick “Bath”
Your pup has been looking — and smelling! — less than fresh, but it’s too cold to give him a full bath. Instead, rub half a cup of cornstarch into his fur (less for smaller dogs), then use a brush to work it in. The kitchen staple will act as a dry shampoo to soak up oils and odors from fur.
6. Guarantee Stiff Whipped Cream
For homemade whipped cream that keeps its shape, whip heavy cream into soft peaks. Then add one tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of cream used and beat until the peaks are firmer. Cornstarch will stabilize proteins in the cream so the end result stands tall.
7. Easily Roll-out Cookie Dough
You’re ready to start making cookies, but the dough keeps sticking to the rolling pin. What can help: dusting your cutting board and rolling pin with cornstarch instead of flour. The silky powder absorbs the moisture and oils that make the dough sticky, so rolling it out will be a cinch. And since cornstarch is gluten-free, it won’t make the dough heavy or tough.
8. Rescue a Musty Book
You were thrilled to find a box of your mother’s favorite books tucked away in the basement. The only problem: after years in storage, the classics have taken on a musty smell. To deodorize them, fan out the pages and lightly sprinkle them with cornstarch. Let sit overnight, then use an old blush brush or your hands to brush the pages clean. The absorbent granules will draw the odor-causing dampness out of the paper.
9. Stop a Nick From Bleeding
10. Make Pillows Look New Again
11. Remove Oil Stains
Did you just spill oil on your new shirt? Don’t let one mistake ruin your favorite shirt. Scatter a generous layer of cornstarch over the stain, keep it for an hour and you have your shirt back again!
12. Hair Care
In our busy days, we hardly find time for a shampoo, do we? If you can relate with me on this, then this hack is going to be a lifesaver for you.
Use a makeshift cornstarch shampoo and blow it into your roots with a brush, focusing more on your hairline. The dry shampoo helps in absorbing dust and dirt and can help your hair look way better in just a few minutes. For brown hairs, you can mix it with cocoa powder to provide a matching look.