Flour can be used for more than just baking. Depending on how you store your flour, it will last for roughly 6-8 months after the best before or best by date printed on the bag.
If the shelf life of you flour is coming to an end, don’t throw it away! Here are 11 other ways to put flour to use, and not toss money into the garbage.
1. Use It As A Natural Ant Repellant In Your Home
If you have ants creeping into your home, sprinkle a line of flour wherever you see them entering your home. Ants will not cross the line.
2. Make Playdough
PBS Parents has a great no-bake playdough recipe that uses 4 cups of flour, salt Canola oil, water, food coloring and glitter. Get the recipe.
3. Make Homemade Glue For Collages & Paper Mache
Cheaper and arguably easier to work with than rubber cement, making your own glue for craft projects is a great alternative to running out to the store at 10pm. Ingredients include flour, sugar, water, and alum powder for preservation if you plan to use it over a few weeks. Get the how-to instructions from Instructables.
4. Clean Your Deck Of Cards
If your playing cards get as much use as mine, then they’re pretty grimy. Simply put the cards into a sealable baggie, add a few tablespoons of flour, and shake shake shake. Remove the cards and wipe with a cloth. This helps take off the dirt and will make them easier to shuffle.
5. Use As An Organic Insect Repellent In Your Garden
Nothing is more frustrating than spending a lot of time (and money) to create a beautiful garden – only to find out chewing insects (like grasshoppers) from gobbled up your plants. Get tips and a how-to video on using flour as a natural insect repellent from Today’s Homeowner.
6. Save With Homemade Fabric Starch
If you love crisp shirts and sheets, this is a great time and money-saving solution to store-bought starch. For this hack, you’ll need rice flour. Get the instructions at thriftyfun.
7. Fight Pimples & Acne
Use flour and honey as an overnight pimple fighter. Apply directly to the little red bump, cover with a bandaid overnight and in the morning, the swelling should have gone down.
8. Restore The Shine To Stainless Steel Appliances & Sinks
This is super simple and makes a huge difference. Clean your appliances as normal, then sprinkle a bit of flour onto a clean, dry cloth and use it to buff the stainless steel.
9. Use It As A Dry Shampoo
You’ve probably heard about the trick of using baby powder as a dry shampoo. Well, guess what? Flour works too! A quick tip: If you have darker hair, try adding a little cocoa powder to darken the mixture.
10. Polish Your Copper
Over time, copper loses its luster. Mixing equal parts flour, salt and vinegar to make a paste. Scrub it onto your copper pots, pans, and more, then let dry. Once dry, buff with a clean, dry cloth.
11. Create A Refreshing Face Mask
All you need is 2 tsp. gram flour, 1 tsp. turmeric and 3-4 tsp. of yogurt. Simply apply to your face, let dry then rinse off for a brighter complexion. This mask is great for those with oily skin. Get the full instructions here.
