Cornstarch is a kitchen staple. It’s commonly used as a thickening agent for soups, gravies, marinades, sauces, and casseroles. Cornstarch, however, has varied uses ranging from medicinal to cleaning to beauty and gardening.
Kitchen
Thicken sauces: Simply mix cornstarch with a little bit of water or milk and stir into the sauce to thicken it.
Get crispy chicken: Coat your crispy chicken or fish with cornstarch instead of flour. Cornstarch absorbs more moisture and helps prevent gluten formation, all of which help make the meat crispier. Lifestyle: 5 Chicken Recipes That You Need To Try Out
Vegan baking: It can be used as an egg substitute when baking. Mix 1 tablespoon together with 3 tablespoons of warm water and whisk. Next time you run out of eggs, you got this.
Soft cakes: When baking, take out two tablespoons of your baking flour and replace it with cornstarch. This makes for softer cakes because it reduces the amount of gluten.
Medicinal
Skin relief: It can be used to soothe sunburns and reduce skin itchiness from things like insect bites. Mix cornstarch and a few drops of water until it forms a paste. Apply it to your skin and let it rest until it dries then rinse off with warm water. For more widespread sunburn, sprinkle cornstarch on your sheets. Its silky texture cuts down on the friction between your scorched skin and the fabric.
Athlete’s foot powder and blister relief: Mix one cup of cornflour with 15 drops of tea tree oil. Sprinkle the mix on to treat your athlete’s foot. It does a great job of keeping your feet dry which helps.
Blisters worsen in moist environments and when they are rubbed against. Sprinkle some cornflour on the blister to keep it dry and reduce friction. Don’t apply it to an open wound or open blister though because it could lead to infection.
Chafing prevention: If you chafe when wearing certain clothes or during hot summer days, it works as a great chafing remedy and prevention. Just sprinkle some powder where you usually chafe.
Fun and beauty
Make finger paints: Mix ¼ cup of cornstarch and two cups of cold water. Bring it to a boil and keep boiling until it becomes thick. Pour it into several small containers and add different food colouring to each. This simple finger paint recipe will keep the kids happy for hours.
Create matte nail polish: While most nail polishes are shiny or pearlized, matte is not shiny making it increasingly popular. Mix the cornstarch with your nail polish on a small plate then apply it immediately.
Blush and bronzer: Say goodbye to buying expensive make-up. Mix cornstarch with hibiscus powder or cinnamon to make DIY blush or bronzer. Arrowroot powder also works great as a cornstarch substitute.
Deodorant: If you’re out of deodorant or prefer to make your own stuff, you can use it to make deodorant. It acts as a natural deodorant to decrease sweat and odour. Mix coconut oil (2 tbsp), cornstarch (3tbsp/16g), and baking soda (2 tbsp/28g) and apply to your underarms. 5 Natural Deodorant Alternatives That You Should Try
Dry shampoo: Dry shampoo is a product that absorbs dirt, oil, and grease from the scalp without washing it. It’s commonly used to freshen hair between washes and by people who work out or have a humid commute. Dust some cornstarch along the roots of your hair then brush it out. Unfortunately, this is only for people with light-coloured hair. It works on pets as well. Give your pet a dry bath by brushing some cornflour into their fur a few days before their bath. Apart from freshening them up, it can help detangle their fur.
Detangling agent: If you have a large knot in your hair, apply some cornflour to the area. It helps reduce friction and lubricate the hair fibres which makes detangling the knots easier.
Cleaning
Freshen carpet: Sprinkle some cornflour on your carpet and allow it to sit for 30 minutes then vacuum as usual. This also works for cleaning fabrics and stuffed animals. Just sprinkle some powder on them, let it sit for a few minutes then gently remove with a damp cloth.
Refresh books: Sprinkle some cornstarch between the pages of old books that have a musty smell. Let it rest for a while, Brush it off and the smell will be gone as well.
Glass/window cleaner: It is naturally abrasive and granular which makes it effective as a window cleaner. Make windows sparkle with your own cleaning solution. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ ammonia and ½ white vinegar with 3-4 litres of warm water. Mix well and pour into a spray bottle. Spray it on windows with warm water rinse then rub with a dry paper towel. Say hello to sparkling windows.
Remove mildew: It can be as effective as baking soda in clearing mildew on walls. Mix some lemon juice and cornstarch, grab a brush and start scrubbing.
Remove oil stains: Spread a generous layer of cornflour on fabric that has oil stains. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes or overnight then wipe it away. This also works for bloodstains.
DIY dry-cleaner: Looking for that crisp clean dry-cleaned shirt feel? Make your own starch from scratch. Spray the fabric a day before with a mixture of cornstarch and water and let it dry overnight.
Polish silverware: You can bring back the sparkle if it’s gone from your good silverware. Make a paste of cornstarch and water and using a damp cloth, apply it to your silverware. Let it dry then rub it off with a soft cloth to reveal that old shine.
Gardening
Pre-germinate: If you want your vegetable seeds to grow faster, dip them in cornstarch gel before burying them in the soil. The gel keeps the seeds warm and helps them sprout faster. Make the gel by heating a mixture of water and cornflour until it thickens and has a gel-like texture.
Repel garden pests: Sprinkle some cornflour on the leaves of plants to get rid of worms. It suffocates them and makes it difficult for insects to crawl on stems and leaves. 6 Natural Remedies For Household Pest Control
Improve sandy coastal soil: Adding corn starch, corn stalk, or cotton meal improves the soil structure and boosts root growth.
Reduce water usage: Adding some cornflour to container plants helps in restoring moisture and minimizes the frequency of watering. Add two tablespoons to a 5 kg pot and a quarter cup of the powder to 20-kilo pots.
Effective against ants: This one’s a bit morbid. Ants are attracted to cornstarch but can’t digest it, so they eat it and then slowly die. They also have this habit of taking food back to their colony which means they kill their family too. Yay or nay?
Fertilizer: It contains 10% nitrogen which makes it a great lawn fertilizer. Spread about 10 pounds of cornstarch on a 1000 sq ft area. Water well and enjoy a lush lawn.
Treat powdery mildew on plants: Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and ½ teaspoon of non-detergent liquid soap in 4-5 litres of water. Spray the mixture generously on your plants. It gets rid of mildew and prevents any future occurrence of the same.
Make the most of that box of cornstarch in your pantry.
Check out
7 Reasons Why Sweet Corn Is Good For Your Health
Lifestyle: 22 Different Uses Of Baking Soda Around The House
Lifestyle: Different Uses Of Toothpaste In The Home
7 Surprising Uses Of Aspirin You Should Know About
