Many of us own several hundred of them and use them every morning -we're talking about coffee filters! But did you know that those inexpensive paper bowls have lots of other uses around the house besides just making coffee. I don't drink coffee ~ AT ALL.......but I still use the filters
1 - No one wants a dirty microwave. So if you want to keep your splatters to a minimum, use a coffee filter to cover whatever it is you're going to cook. Then pop it in and nuke away.
2 - Have a dirty window or mirror to clean? Well, a crumpled up coffee filter, because it doesn't have any lint, will make a great cleaning rag. It's also good for the chrome on your bumper or my favorite, motorcycle pipes.
3 - Want to make it a block buster night but you don't want to fight over the bag of popcorn? Use coffee filters to make individual snack bowls. That way everyone gets an equal amount of buttery goodness.
4 - How about keeping your nice china from getting chipped? A well placed coffee filter between plates will keep it looking pristine and perfect to ensure you can pass it down from generation to generation.
And here are a couple of beauty tips.
5 - Do you have a stinky gym bag or smelly pair of shoes? Grab some baking soda, a rubber band, a coffee filter and make a little pouch. Throw it in your shoes and that should take care of the problem.
6 - Ever nick yourself shaving? Instead of tissue or toilet paper use a coffee filter to stop the bleeding.
7 - And my personal favorite. do you ever feel shiny at the end of the day? Grab a coffee filter to blot up that oil instead of buying those expensive blotting papers. For a hundredth of a penny apiece, they'll take care of that problem.
Here are some more tips courtesy of my friends at TipHero.com:
8 - Filter broken cork from wine: If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
9 - Protect a cast-iron skillet: Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
10 - Apply shoe polish: Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
11 - Recycle frying oil: After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
12 - Weigh chopped foods: Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
13 - Hold tacos: Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
14 - Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot: Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
15 - Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
16 - Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.
17 - Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, french fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
18 - As a sewing backing: Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquéing soft fabrics.
19 - Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
20 - Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
21 - Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
22 - You can use them to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. It saves on having extra bowls to wash.
23 - Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
24 - Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
25 - Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
26 - Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
27 - Homemade Greek Yogurt: Put a coffee filter into a sieve over a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the yogurt drain for up to three hours in the refrigerator. For a lot less money you have a batch of Greek yogurt.
28 - Scent your dainties: Just add some fragrant flowers to the middle of a coffee filter and tie with a pretty ribbon to give dainties a delicate and long-lasting fragrance.
29 - Dryer sheets: Grab a coffee filter and put a few drops of fabric softener on it. Use as normal in the dryer.
30 - Flash filter: Soften the harsh glare of the camera flash by covering it with a bit of coffee filter. Use a brown-paper filter for a more diffused glow.
31 - Tea bags: Getting all those little, wet leaves out of a tea ball is a pain. Instead, wrap loose tea in a coffee filter, twist tie it together and dunk. Remember to compost the filter and tea leaves when you're done.
32 - AND THE BEST IDEA EVER!! Potty Liner: Changing diapers was bad enough, but toilet training kids on a free standing toddler potty is equally messy. Line the potty with a coffee filter so you can just lift out the number two and deposit in the toilet.