Rice is crazy cheap and can last for-ev-er. You can never go wrong with some delicious cooked rice, but don't forget about the benefits of uncooked rice! These 16 rice hacks are going to have you singing a happy little tune.
We are big fans of rice around here! It's such a versatile ingredient, is super cheap, can bulk up pretty much any meal, the leftovers are easily reused, and it's really easy to be substituted in a recipe. But have you ever thought about all the uses for uncooked rice, too?
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These rice hacks will have you singing “rice, rice baby…” every time you use it. Get ready to be amazed! Put that cheap goodness to work and make your life much easier while also saving a few buckaroos. Let's get to it!
A FEW NOTES ON UNCOOKED RICE
Before we get started, there are a few things that need to be said. First and foremost, don't plan on cooking any of this rice once it's been used!! It may be tempting, but just promise you won't. We're talking pinky promise level, so no take backs! (Okay, moving out of 3rd grade…)
You can use pretty much any type of rice that you have for these rice hacks. White rice is always your best choice because of how cheap it is, but if you're in a bind, you can use any type!
RICE HACKS TO ROCK. YOUR. WORLD.
Alright, are you ready to see what all the hubbub is about?! We're not messing around when we say these hacks may just make you want to keep a giant 10-lb bag of rice in your pantry at all times. (We suggest having it as a kitchen staple, anyways.) So, let's get to it!
RICE HACKS FOR AROUND THE HOUSE
- Remove Water from Electronics – This is probably the biggest rice hack and definitely the one that will save you the most money! For those unfortunate times when you drop your phone in the bathtub or your tablet in a puddle of water, rice comes to the rescue. Grab a large baggie, fill it with rice, turn your device off, and shake as much water out as you can. Shove it in the middle of the rice (preferably standing up so gravity can do its thang) and let it work its magic. This will save your bacon (well, your iPhone, anyway)!
- Skincare – Rice has amazing benefits for your skin. Japanese women have been using it for centuries to keep their skin looking flawless and youthful. Take 3 teaspoons of boiled, cooked rice, and then strain and mash until you get a smooth paste. Add 2 teaspoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of milk and mix well. Apply the mask to a clean, exfoliated face and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse off and apply face cream to lock in that moisture!
- DIY Hot or Cold Pack – Sore muscles be gone! Add rice to a clean tube sock, tie in in a knot, and you have the perfect heat pad or cold pack. Heat it up in the microwave or keep it in the freezer until you need it. You can also make hand warmers by pouring rice into kid-sized socks
- Go Away, Rust! – Tired of your nice tools getting rusty in the garage? Put some rice in a small, open container and place it in the toolbox. If you don't have a toolbox, you can also store tools metal-down in a jar or can of rice.
- Keep the Tarnish Away – If you have sterling silver jewelry or kitchenware, then you've probably had to deal with tarnish at some point. Much like with the tools, put an open container or mesh bag of rice in with your jewelry or serving ware and it should help prevent them from tarnishing anymore! Change the rice out, depending on how humid the environment is that they're in.
- Absorb Those Bad Smells – Much like baking soda, rice can also get rid of bad odors! You can leave it in an open container or mesh bag in any stinky place and it'll be smelling fresh in no time.
- Dry Your Favorite Flowers – Sometimes you wanna keep the flowers from a special time in your life, whether it's from a big occasion or something that your cute kids picked for you. Put an inch of uncooked rice in a container and lay the flowers out. Cover them completely with rice, seal, and keep closed for a week. Gently pour off the rice and you'll have beautifully pressed and dried flowers to keep forever.
Pro Tip: Store your rice in airtight containers versus just leaving them in their bag or box. It'll keep those pesky bugs out!
RICE HACKS IN THE KITCHEN
- Rice in a Salt Shaker – Shake that salt shaker easily by adding rice! It'll absorb any moisture and keep your salt shaking like normal.
- Prevent Sugar Clumps – This works for both brown and white sugar! Add rice to a cotton bag and put it in the canister with the sugar. It'll absorb all the moisture, keeping your sugar clump-free and ready to go at a moment's notice.
- Ripen Fruit – Have some avocados or bananas that you really need to ripen quicker? Stick them in some rice! It traps the ethylene gas that the fruit puts off to ripen the fruit faster.
- Use as Pie Weights – Trying to summon your inner Great British Baking Show baker? Put your raw crust in a pie dish, cover with parchment paper, and add rice for blind baking. (You can also do this with uncooked beans!)
- Clean Narrow Openings – There are some gadgets that are just plain hard to clean! Luckily, you can use uncooked rice and soapy water to clean narrow openings, such as a teapot spout, bottle, or skinny vase. Just shake it up a few times until it's had time to scrub clean.
- Clean Coffee Grinders – Run some rice through your coffee grinder and it'll clean it and get rid of any weird smells, especially if you used it to grind up fresh spices.
- Sharpen Blades – Rice can also sharpen the blades of your favorite kitchen gadgets! Add some to your blender, food processor, or coffee grinder and pulse for 2 minutes.
- Check the Temperature of Oil – Sometimes it's hard to know if your oil is hot enough to start cooking! Rice to the rescue…again! Throw some rice in, and if it pops up to the top and starts cooking, the oil is ready.
- Make Your Own “Knife Block” – Lots of knives and no knife block? Fill a wide mouth jar or utensil holder about 3/4 full with rice, then stick knives blade-side down so they'll stand up and be ready to go. Not only is it also great kitchen decor, but it'll also keep them from getting rusty!
Pro Tip: If you find your raw brown rice goes bad quicker than your white rice, store it in the freezer and it'll last much longer.
Alright, well there you have it! Those are some of our favorite rice hacks. Do you have any that you would add? Let us know in the comments!
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Looking for more great hacks?
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