Emergency Coffee Filter And 7 Other Uses For Paper Towels
Keep Herbs Fresh
If you want to keep fresh herbs in your refrigerator, store them in a resalable plastic bag with a damp (not wet) paper towel. The paper towel will keep the herbs from drying out.
Soften Brown Sugar
If your brown sugar wasn't stored airtight and has hardened into a solid mass, place it in a bowl covered with a damp paper towel (at room temperature) over night. The moisture from the paper towel will reintroduce just enough moisture into the brown sugar, making it usable again.
Freeze Bread
Anyone who has ever tried to freeze bread knows that when it thaws out again, it can be a soggy, unusable mess. If you won't have time to warm the bread in the oven after it thaws, wrap it in a dry paper towel before placing it in a large resalable plastic bag or container in the freezer. When the bread thaws, the paper towel will absorb the moisture (instead of the bread) and you'll be able to eat the bread right away.
Clean Your Sewing Machine
If you notice oil or grease on the needle of your sewing machine and don't want to unthread it to clean it, simply stitch a few rows into a clean paper towel. As the needle moves up and down through the paper towel the grease will be absorbed and the needle will be cleaned. Just make sure you don't clean your needle this way on a regular basis as it can dull the point over time.
Clean Your Can Opener
Opening some cans leaves your can opener a mess and cleaning in the small parts around the blade can be difficult. Try "opening" a paper towel; simply clamp the can opener onto the paper towel and twist as if you were opening a can.
Remove Wax Stains
Crayon marks and candle drippings can quickly and easily be removed from cloth or carpet. Place a paper towel over the wax and then gently iron the paper towel with a warm iron until the wax is full absorbed into the paper.
Emergency Coffee Filter
If you run out of coffee filters, try a paper towel instead. This works best with a durable brand of paper towel. If you're not sure your paper towels are strong enough, try a double layer. And, use a paper towel that's processed without chemicals or chlorine if you're brewing coffee this way more than once or twice.
Remove Corn Silks
A damp paper towel is all you need to remove pesky corn silks when you're husking corn. Just rub the paper towel along the ear of corn (in the opposite direction of the corn silks) and be amazed at how quickly they're removed!