Reusing Expired Flour

8 Easy Tips for Reusing Expired Flour

Flour is one of the dry foods that are often forgotten at the bottom of the cupboard. When you prepare your savory or sweet dishes, it is then that you realize that the date has passed or that your flour was not properly stored. Useless for your pastries, your expired flour can be recycled and used for other purposes instead of being thrown away. Obsolete flour, whose use as food is compromised, is still handy in other areas. It can be recycled for cleaning, crafts, hair, and ant control. Here are 8 tips for reusing expired flour and avoiding waste.

1. A cleaner for stainless steel, copper, and brass

For taps and cookware, used flour degreases and shines. Mix equal amounts of flour, coarse salt, and white vinegar. Apply the solution to the areas you want to clean and leave it on for a few moments. Rinse with clean water.

2. A frying oil degreaser

Cleaning a deep fryer is no small task. Stale flour is a great help in absorbing grease and making washing easier. Sprinkle your expired flour on the walls full of frying oil. Let the powder work for a good ten minutes. Then remove the flour and grease with a cloth. Then wash your fryer with soapy water.

3. A dry stain remover for surfaces and textiles

In the same way, as grease, stale flour acts on stains by absorption. You can use it on parquet floors or textiles that cannot be machine washed, such as sofa seats. Sprinkle a handful of flour on the stain and leave for several hours before sweeping or vacuuming.

4. A natural glue

Children are always very fond of crafts and manual activities of all kinds. No risk of toxicity with this natural glue. You keep your mind at ease, and the children have the pride of making their own assemblies of paper, cardboard, or light wood. Scrapbooking fan? This glue recipe is not just for kids and saves you money!

Prepare 2 parts water to 1 part expired flour

Pour the water into a saucepan and heat over low heat

When the water starts to cool, gradually add the flour

Stir continuously with a whisk to avoid lumps

The mixture will thicken slowly

Remove the pan from the heat when the consistency is sufficiently homogeneous.

Let cool, and place the glue in a container labeled with the current date

Your natural glue is ready for use with a brush. It will keep for about 4 days in the refrigerator.

5. Homemade modeling clay

Reusing Expired Flour

You had planned to prepare a cake with your family, but the flour is out of date. Change the activity and suggest that the children make homemade play dough.

Pour 1 cup of expired flour, ½ cup of salt, and 2 teaspoons of baking soda into a saucepan.

Add 1 cup of hot water and 1 teaspoon of oil

Heat over low heat while stirring

The mixture will form a coarse paste that will pull away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Sprinkle old flour on the work surface so the mixture does not stick.

Knead the dough by hand to give it a smoother appearance

Then make small pieces of dough to which you will add the natural coloring of your choice.

Your modeling dough is ready to be used by children and adults alike! After use, place in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for several weeks or months.

6. Ecological paint

For interior or exterior woodwork, flour-based paint is healthy, environmentally friendly, and resistant for years. So your kilo of expired flour won’t go to waste. To make this wood paint DIY, you’ll need a few more ingredients: water, coloring soil, iron sulfate, linseed oil, and liquid black soap.

7. Dry shampoo

Dry shampoo absorbs oil and allows you to space out your shampoos. Flour is far less toxic than big box hair products, even when it’s past its average shelf life. Mix a little cocoa with the expired flour for brown to dark hair. Then apply the fine powder to your roots with an old makeup brush and massage your scalp. After a few minutes of standing, brush your hair to remove the excess flour.

8. An ant repellent

Looking for a natural insecticide to fight ant invasions in your home? Place a small pile of flour where the ants appear or where they pass through. They usually follow the same path. Stale flour is highly effective, environmentally friendly, and less dangerous to small children and pets than commercial poison discs. You can also use it in your vegetable garden or at the foot of your flowers.

How do you know if your flour is still good to eat?

Fresh products have a “use by” date. Dry grocery products such as pasta, rice, and flour have a Date of Average Durability. These mentions give indications without determining if your flour is still consumable. Indeed, once the date of average durability has passed, the nutritional qualities are no longer guaranteed, but the products do not constitute a danger to health. The flour can, therefore, still be used. However, the taste and consistency may be altered. The final texture of your culinary preparations is no longer guaranteed.

But that’s not the only thing to look for.

Check the smell and general appearance of your flour, regardless of whether or not it is past the date.

If you forgot to put it in the cupboard, check to ensure no food moths have lodged in your package. First, pour your flour into a separate container to inspect it thoroughly before including it in your savory or sweet preparation.

Finally, proper storage of flour also helps reduce waste. Use airtight containers and limit flour contact with air, heat, and humidity as much as possible.

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Ecological Paint To Limit Pollution

When it comes to painting the exterior wall of the house, the choice of paint is more or less complicated. Unlike the interior walls, the facades require special attention since they are always exposed to the weather. Also, you must take into account the weather conditions of your region to choose the paint color to use.

Also, note that in the context of a construction or a renovation, the Local Urbanism Plan (PLU) defines the authorized colors for the façade. Therefore, you should check with the town hall, especially if your home is located in a protected area. In any case, we recommend you choose ecological paint, which is non-toxic and accessible to all budgets.

Why do we talk about organic paint?

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Natural paints are environmentally friendly and less toxic than natural paints. Unlike the latter, they are made with natural and biodegradable elements such as lime, casein, or silicate. That’s why they are generally used for interiors, especially in bedrooms and babies’ rooms. Indeed, although these types of paint have a low amount of volatile organic compounds, they do not give off bad odors that cause headaches. Be aware, however, that not all paints that are labeled “VOC-free” are necessarily environmentally friendly.

To qualify as organic, they must contain 95% natural ingredients. There are also natural bio-based paints that are 95% plant and animal-based. To find out, be sure to check the box where the components are listed. You can also rely on the advice of the professionals of the company you hired to do the painting or buy the paint only in stores specializing in the sale of ecological products.

How to choose your eco-friendly paint?

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There are different types of ecological paints. In fact, you can easily make paint from lime since you need to get lime and mix it with water. Although no chemical components are used in this type of paint, protect yourself with a mask anyway because lime is a more or less harmful product. In any case, lime-based paint is suitable for any surface and is very aesthetic. However, it is not washable with water.

Therefore, it is not really recommended for bathrooms and kitchens. Choose instead the silicate one, which can be used for both indoor and outdoor use. It is resistant to steam and washout and is easy to maintain. There is also clay paint which is suitable for all types of support and which comes in a wide choice of colors.

However, it is preferable not to use sharp objects or too hard when washing your walls. Silicate paints are particularly sensitive to scratches. However, it is essential to underline that ecological paints do not produce a rendering as satisfactory as that of traditional paints. They are difficult to apply, and the drying time is very long because of the lack of solvent in their composition. In addition to this, they do not offer a wide choice of tints and colors as conventional paints.

Dress for the job

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Painting is messy, so we don’t recommend putting on your Sunday best to do this specific job. Put on a long-sleeved shirt, old work pants, a pair of old tennis shoes, and a cap to protect yourself from the paint that will eventually drip or fall on you.

After all, you will always get paint while painting; no matter how careful you are when painting and handling the paint, it’s the nature of the job. By covering yourself properly, you won’t have to rub the paint off your skin at the end of the day. Also, line your floor with plastic or old newspapers to protect your floors from paint drips.

Sound off in the comments section below and tell us what you want to read next and if you want to read more about painting.