12 Surprising Home Uses for Wax Paper \Kitchen

12 Surprising Home Uses for Wax Paper \Kitchen

This pantry staple is handy in and out of the kitchen

A trusted workhorse in the kitchen, wax paper helps you out with everything from rolling out dough to storing cookies. But we discovered 12 new ways to put this multi-purpose paper to good use.

1.Buff faucets and other metal fixtures. A few rubs of wax paper gives metal surfaces a water-deflecting coat that repels beads of moisture and temporarily minimizes water spots.

2.Release waffles from the iron. While the waffle iron is heating up, place a piece of wax paper in between the plates. Once the iron is heated, the wax will have coated the iron, meaning you can remove waffles easily and with no mess. Repeat every few batches.

3.Prevent snow from sticking to the shovel. Rub a piece of wax paper along the edge of the shovel to keep snow from sticking to it.

4.Protect candles in storage. Does this sound familiar? You store different-colored candles together and before long, the dye from one bleeds into the other. To stop that from happening, wrap candles in wax paper before stashing them away for the season.

5.Store fragile fabrics. Delicates are prone to light and moisture damage. To keep yours in tip-top shape, wrap fabric in wax paper before storing. It'll help block light, prevent color bleeding and lock out moisture.

6.Decorate a cake like the pros do. Cut a piece of wax paper to the same size of your cake pan. Using icing in a pastry bag or plastic bag, write out a message or create a design on the wax paper. Once you’re done, put the wax paper in the freezer. When the icing is completely frozen, peel it off and place it on your cake.

7. Remove stubborn dirt. Cut a piece of wax paper to the size of your wet or dry mop and attach. Run it along your floor and baseboards to snag stubborn dirt and scuff marks. 

8.Line top shelves or drawers. Placing wax paper in tough-to-reach shelves or drawers saves you from having to clean them. Instead of dusting or wiping down, just replace the wax paper. 

9.Keep cutting boards clean. Porous, wooden cutting boards are bacteria magnets, especially when raw meat is involved. Keep yours squeaky clean by lining it with several layers of wax paper and cutting on top of that. When you're finished handling the raw meat, throw away the paper.

10. Fix a leaky faucet. Don't have any caulk handy? Try placing a strip of wax paper around a leaky nozzle to stop drips.

11.Clean small garden tools. Crumple up a ball of wax paper and rub it against any tools with buildup. The rough texture of the wax paper will clean the tools, while the waxy coating helps prevent future buildup.

12.Coax a stubborn zipper. Running the waxy side of the paper over the teeth on a zipper track will help it slide easier.