Eggcellent Ideas for Your Shells
I've stopped tossing our eggshells into the trash bin and started using them for plant fertilizer and pest control in the garden. Eggshells have many other practical uses besides gardening. You can use them for cleaning as well as for medicinal and cosmetics purposes.
How To Clean Eggshells
It’s a important to make sure your eggshells are clean and free from bacteria before reusing them. To sterilize your eggshells, rinse the shells inside and out and remove any residue or membrane that may be stuck to the inside. Then bake the shells at 250°F on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes.
I normally rinse my eggshells as I go and store them in a bag in the refrigerator. Once I've have a dozen or so, I sterilize them.
If you are using shells from hard-boiled eggs, then you can use your shells immediately. No cleaning is required.
1. Seed Starters
Because they are biodegradable, eggshells make excellent, no-waste seed starters. For this, reserve some of your deeper shell halves. Once the eggshells have cleaned and dried, use a sharp needle to poke a hole in the bottom of each shell to allow for water drainage. Place an eggshell in each carton divot. Fill each most of the way with soil. Place seeds into soil, according to seed-sowing instructions. Mist soil with spray bottle and keep carton in full sun. Water regularly and keep an eye out for sprouts. Once it’s time to transfer into a pot or garden, you can transplant as-is.
2. Deter Garden Pests
Sprinkle the eggshells around your garden to deter soft-bodied critters like slugs and snails. They don’t like crawling over sharp pieces of eggshell.
3. Wild Bird Treat
Feed them to the birds. They’re high in calcium and are great for birds in the spring when they are laying eggs– just make sure to sterilize them.
4. House Plant Booster:
Keep eggshells covered with water in a mason jar. Water your calcium loving plants. You will have the most magnificent plants imaginable.
5. Calcium Powder
Eggshells are commonly used as a calcium supplement for humans and pets. Just half an eggshell may provide enough calcium to meet the average daily requirements of an adult. Click here for instructions for making eggshell calcium powder.
6. Hummingbird Feeder Cleaner
All of that sugar water can make hummingbird feeders pretty yucky. Ground eggshells make a wonderful, non-toxic abrasive for those tough-to-clean hummingbird feeders. Mix them with a little soapy water for a powerful cleaning solution.
Check out these sites for more ideas and uses for your eggshells.
So stop tossing your spent eggshells in the trash—put them to work as supplements, pest control, art and more.
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