Just about everyone is familiar with chopsticks—regardless of whether they’re familiar with them because they’ve bought the best chopsticks available, or because they’ve received disposable ones with their Chinese food. Most people know the basics of how they’re supposed to be used, even though not everyone can use them properly. What few people actually realize, however, is that chopsticks can be used for a lot more than just eating Asian food. They actually have quite a few other uses that we’re going to look at in this blog post.

Chopsticks are tools that have been around for 3,200-years, if not longer. Contrast that with forks—tools that have been around since the 4th century but weren’t widely used until after the 16th century. Of course, the spoon has also been around for over 3,000-years, so really when you think about it, the fork is really the newcomer to the party.

But we’re getting off point a little point. What we want to discuss are the uses of chopsticks and that’s precisely what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to go over a brief history of chopsticks, then we’re going to move on to some practical uses that some people have thought up. Okay, let’s get rolling.

The History of Chopsticks

As we said earlier, chopsticks have been around for over 3,000+ years. One of the earliest sets of chopsticks that archaeologists have found was found in the Yinxu in the Henan province of China. Among these ruins, the archaeologists found not only some of the earliest forms of Chinese writing but also one of the oldest chopsticks known to be made. These chopsticks were made of bronze and were mainly used for cooking.

In fact, all of the early chopsticks weren’t made for eating but were made for cooking. Their design informs how they were used, too. They were long and thin so that the cooks could pull food out of boiling pots of oil or water, so they didn’t burn themselves. It would be another 1,600 years from their invention before they would be used for eating.

As chopsticks spread throughout Asia, their basic shape changed according to the culture they were used. Chinese chopsticks became blunt, while Japanese chopsticks were designed according to whether they were used by men or women. Men got chopsticks that were 8-inches long, while women’s chopsticks were typically 7-inches long. Chopsticks were also made using a variety of different materials—from the aforementioned bronze to bamboo, ivory, jade, coral, brass, or even agate.

Some Of the Best Uses for Chopsticks

Okay, now that we know a little bit more about the history of chopsticks, it’s time to turn our attention to finding some uses for chopsticks. And no, we’re not going to list picking up or cooking food with chopsticks in the following list. We feel that it already a well-known use.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Fixing A Screw Hole

Have you ever had a screw hole in a drawer or some other object get stripped out? Well, if you have, then you might want to keep the following trick in mind. If that ever happens again, then just dip the chopstick in glue and insert it into the screw hole. Allow the glue to dry completely and then break off the rest of the chopstick so that it doesn’t stick out of the screw hole. You’ll end up with a spot in which you can drive a new screw.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Use for Cleaning

Another use for chopsticks is for reaching those hard-to-reach areas so that you can clean them. This includes the area behind the faucet and the sinks’ backsplash, between AC vents, or in other areas that are too narrow to reach with your hands. Just attach a cleaning cloth to the end of the chopstick and you’ll end up with a handy cleaning tool that will fit in some very tight spaces.  Chopsticks can also be used for cleaning the mud out of tennis shoes’ soles.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Make Plant Labels

If you slap a sign on the end of a chopstick, it’s perfect for making a placard for your plants. This is handy for people who have planted a variety of different plants or flowers and want to make sure they know which plant is which.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Stirring Paint and Unclogging Bottles of Glue

Another thing that chopsticks can be used for is for stirring the paint. Just pop off the lid, and use the chopsticks to give the paint a good stir. You can also use the end of the chopstick to unclog bottles of glue or tubes of caulk.

[wc_fa icon=”star-o” margin_left=”” margin_right=”10″ class=””][/wc_fa]Use Them as Impromptu Food Skewers

Don’t know where you’ve placed your skewers? Well, if you don’t, then you can use your bamboo chopsticks as improvised skewers. Just soak them in water for approximately 15-20 minutes, then use them like a spear to snag meats and veggies.

Once upon a time, salad spinners were something that could only be ordered on late-night infomercials. We should know because we saw many infomercials touting these products, but they weren’t something that you could purchase in-store or even at major online retailers, yet. Fortunately, that has changed, and now just about anyone can buy these products to add to their kitchen. They’re a wide variety of different styles, and just about all of them work pretty well.

However, we have the feeling that not everyone is enthusiastic about salad spinners. Many people think that these products are only good for spinning salads dry—which to be fair, is their purpose. But we feel that they can be used in a number of different ways. Want to learn how? If you do, then come with us as we think about some ways that salad spinners can be used.

Drying Pasta

We don’t know about you, but we often have a hard time getting excess water out of our pasta. If we let the pasta sit long enough in the colander to allow all of the water to drip out of it, then our pasta is already on its way to becoming sticky and less appetizing. Fortunately, a salad spinner solves that problem by removing water from the pasta quickly so it can be plated immediately. It works with all types of pasta but works exceptionally well with tubular pasta.

Removing Seeds From Canned Tomatoes

You might not believe this, but you can actually remove seeds from canned tomatoes. Notice that we said canned and not fresh, as this trick won’t work with fresh tomatoes at all. With canned ones, however, it works like a charm. Break those canned tomatoes up a little bit, throw them in the salad spinner and spin all of those bitter seeds out of it.

Getting Fresh Herbs Ready For Use

Another thing that salad spinners can be used for is getting fresh herbs ready to be used. Fresh herbs are much like lettuce in the fact that they need to be rinsed before they’re used. Place the herbs in the salad spinner, rinse them off, and then give them a good spin. Just remember that you don’t need to remove the bands that hold the herbs together to use this method of rinsing and spinning them.

Use It To Wash Berries

Berries can also be used in a salad spinner to give them a bit of a bath before they’re used. This method works exceptionally well with those modern salad spinners that are equipped with a storage bowl. Just fill it up with water, place the strainer part of the spinner with the berries in it in the water, and allow them to soak for a few minutes. If you want, you can dump out the water and give the berries a spin, or if you’re afraid they’re going to bruise, just use the strainer part to drain them.

Use It To Proof Dough

This only works with models with a removable strainer and a clear storage bowl. Just because it’s a salad spinner doesn’t mean that it actually be used for spinning anything. You can simply remove the clear bowl from the spinner and use it to cover bread dough as you wait for it to rise. This is a great tip because how many of us have looked high and low for a clear bowl that we could cover our rising dough with as we’re waiting for it to be proofed? Quite a few we imagine.

Use It To Clean Other Vegetables (Other Than Lettuce)

You can use salad spinners for just about any vegetable you can imagine. We’ve washed and spun broccoli, leeks, and a whole lot of other veggies in our salad spinner to great effect.

Use It For Rinsing & Draining Canned Beans

Although we guess that people could use the serving bowl of a salad spinner to soak dry beans, the real magic of these devices is what they can do for canned beans. You can open a can of beans, give them a quick rinse and then spin them—all in the salad spinner. It’s a quick and easy way to squeeze out excess sodium from canned beans.

Use It For Defrosting Frozen Shrimp

We’re not sure where we heard this tip, but it’s been an absolute lifesaver for us. It allowed us to defrost our shrimp a lot faster than it ordinarily takes. All you have to do is place the frozen shrimp in room temperature water and then place it in the salad spinner. Give it a good spin, then toss out the water and redo the procedure. When you’re done, give the shrimp a spin to dry them, and they’re good to go! Quick, easy, and very convenient.

Use It To Make Crispy Seasoned Fries

Here, come closer. Want to know a secret? You can use your salad spinner to make crispier French fries. How is that possible? All you have to do is to use the salad spinner twice in the French fry creation process. Let’s go into further detail.

After you have finished soaking the cut potatoes for your fries, you can use it to remove the extra moisture from them. Then, once you’ve fried them, you can use the salad spinner to remove excess oil to prevent them from becoming soggy. Doing those two things will result in crispier fries.

If you want to take your French fry making game to an even higher level, you can also use the salad spinner to season fries. Simply toss in some fine rosemary, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, fine oregano, fine dried basil, or black pepper with your finished fries, and give them a good spin. The salad spinner will more evenly distribute the spices than you ever could by hand.

Some Final Non-Food Salad Spinner Uses

To conclude this article, we’re going to talk about some of the other things that salad spinner can be used for—such as handling clothing. What do we mean? We mean that water can be easily removed from swimsuits by throwing them for a quick spin in a salad spinner or even using the salad spinner to wash delicate clothing. Didn’t we say that the salad spinner was versatile? Well, now you know, too.

It has happened to all of us.  You purchase a brand new granite countertop because you were assured that it was all but indestructible. That superman himself could come down and the countertop wouldn’t yield to his attack. Okay, perhaps we’re being a bit hyperbolic, but it’s only so that we could underline our point. Our granite countertops were supposed to be almost indestructible and that didn’t prove to be exactly the case.

Sure, granite countertops are probably one of the most enduring and toughest counters a person can equip in their kitchen, but they aren’t indestructible. We found that out after a few years when we ended up with a counter that looked a bit lifeless and dull. It was at this point that we wondered not only what we did wrong but how we could salvage the countertop.

Although not all damage to a granite countertop is reversible, there are many things that a homeowner can do to “fix” their counters. We’re going to share some of our tips that will help our readers access and hopefully repair their countertops.

Access Your Countertops

First, take a good hard look at your counters and assess the damage. In our opinion, there are three different states that your counter might be in: Light, Medium, or Heavy damage states.

Light Damage

If you look at your granite countertop and notice that it’s dull, then you might want to consider if it’s actually the surface of the counter or if something is obstructing the real surface of the counter. Soap film can buildup on counters and that can give them a dull look. Another thing that can make the counter look dull is hard water. Hard water will leave a deposit of minerals on the counter that will make the counter look lifeless.

To solve these problems, you will want to get a soap scum remover. These remove soap film so that the counter is restored back to its former glory. It will also deal with mineral buildup on the counters.

When using a soap scum remover, just be sure that it’s safe to use with your granite counters. It’s important to read the label on the product so that you don’t do any inadvertent damage to the granite.

Medium Damage

If your counters don’t have soap scum or hard water buildup and they still look dull, then they might have light etching that gives them a dull appearance. Etching can occur from the acids in food eating away at its surface. Acidic foods include pineapples, oranges, lemons, limes, tomatoes, soda, tea, coffee, wine, or vinegar.

To fix light etching from granite, you’re going to need to use a polishing powder that’s specifically designed for use with natural stone countertops. Although different polishing products are used in different ways, they are usually a powder that’s mixed with water to form a paste. It’s this paste that’s then used to polish the counter using a soft cloth.

When using a polishing powder, you should know that it’s very important to follow the directions on the product. It’s also important to know that most polishing powders are extremely abrasive, so if they’re not used properly they can do more damage than they remove. Therefore, be careful, and if you’re not comfortable with the process, then hire a professional.

Heavy Damage

Let’s say that you’ve tried to remove grease, soap scum, and hard water stains from your counter, have tried to polish it out, and it still has damage. If it does, then you might need to refinish the granite counter. If the counter is severely damaged, then there’s nothing that can fix it then it will need to be resurfaced.

Unfortunately, resurfacing isn’t something that should be accomplished by the average person. It needs to be done by a qualified professional who has experience resurfacing granite. The logical choice to look for a professional would be the company that installed your granite counter in the first place, but if they can’t do it, then look for a stone restorer in your area.

Maintain Your Granite Counter

If you have new granite counters or have just had them resurfaced, then you’re going to want to make sure that they remain in good shape for many years to come. To keep your granite in good condition, you’re going to want to make sure that take care of your granite. Below are some tips to consider when you’re thinking about the best way to keep your granite in tip-top condition.

Make sure that you use a stone care cleaner on a daily basis. It’s also a good idea to give the counters a proper deep cleaning using a product that’s capable of removing grease, hard water, and soap scum buildup. If the counter has stains, it’s important to treat them with a polishing compound as needed.

When using granite care products, it’s important to avoid household cleaning products that aren’t specifically designed for granite. That means no bleach, vinegar, ammonia, or products that are abrasive like most of the scouring products that are available.

It’s also a good idea to keep acidic foods off of the counter. Some of the most common culprits include tomatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, tea, wine, and alcohol. Make sure to promptly wipe up stains as well and use cutting boards for cutting, and hot pads for placing hot pans instead of using the counter for those purposes.

Don’t Forget To Reseal

The last thing that we’d like to recommend is that you reseal your granite counter every once in a while. Ask your granite installer what’s the best granite sealer for your counter, or check out some of our reviews. Resealing your granite counter will keep it in good condition for a long time to come. Resealing, and following all of our other tips, will ensure that you always have a beautiful granite counter to use.