Have a Lot of Rice on Your Hands? New Ways to Use the Pantry Staple

Rice is not only a side dish on the dinner plate! It also serves many uses around the house. Here are just a few.

Rice in a clean sock makes a perfect compress. For cold to relieve swelling or soothe a headache, place it in the freezer. For hot to help a sore neck or aching back, microwave it for 90 seconds.

If you spill water on your cell phone, immediately submerge it in a tub of uncooked rice to absorb the water … but it doesn’t work for spilled soda, juice or other sugary liquids.

To hold flowers in place or make a colorful “sand art” container, color rice by placing it in a zip lock bag, adding enough rubbing alcohol to coat, then squirt in food coloring. Spread onto wax paper or a baking sheet to dry, then fill any glass vase or jar. Add flowers or a votive or tealight candle and you have an instant party decoration.

There’s a reason many restaurants put a little rice in their shakers — it absorbs moisture and prevents the salt from clumping up.

To help fruit ripen faster, put it in a paper bag with ½ cup of uncooked rice.

Love freshly ground coffee? You’ll love this shortcut — grind 1⁄4 cup of rice to remove oilyresidue, then wipe the grinder with a damp paper towel.

Remove residue and stains from coffee pots and vases by adding a tablespoon of rice and a squirt of liquid soap to a cup of hot water. Shake and swirl until clean.

When the blades become dull, pour in ½ cup rice and run for a few minutes! They’ll sharpen up in no time. But be careful not to reach down and cut your fingers.

Make hard-drying, nearly transparent rice glue by boiling a cup of sticky rice in three cups of water, then simmer for 45 minutes until it has the consistency of oatmeal.

Put some uncooked rice in a container with a lid for a child’s toy or quickie celebration noisemaker.