7 Uses for Onions
Onions are one of my favorite flavors to use in cooking but did you know they also come in handy outside the kitchen? When I started asking about uses for onions, I heard some really strange uses. We of course had to try some of the way out there ones…
Remove Splinters. Place a piece of tape or bandage over a slice of raw onion and completely cover the splinter. Keep the onion there for about an hour. Once you remove it, the splinter should be right at the surface and easy to pull out.
Polish Metal. Make a paste by crushing up a raw onion and combine it with equal amount of water. Using a damp cloth, rub the mixture on metal surfaces like faucets, fixtures, grill or metal picnic table until they shine!
Clean the Grill. Chop a large onion in half and stab it with a long grilling fork. Scrub the grill rack with a wire brush to remove as much of the burnt debris as possible before turning on the grill to medium high. Rub the onion over the grills until the remaining debris is gone.
Create a DIY Dye. Don't be fooled by their color, even yellow onion skins create a vibrant yellowish orange dye. Place your onion skins into a nylon bag (pantyhose/knee highs are great) and tie knot in the end to secure. Place bag of skins in pot of water and bring to a boil for at least 20 minutes; the reduced liquid is great for dyeing yarn or fabric. The longer you let it rest, the deeper the color of dye will develop.
Avoid Windshield Frost. Slice a raw onion in half and rub the cut side against the outside of your windshield. No frost will form on your windows or windshield. Do NOT rub this on the inside of your windows… just believe me when I tell you this!
Color Easter eggs. Place eggs in water with onion skins and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit covered for at least 20 minutes. The eggs will have a yellow/orange coloring to them. You can place them in the fridge in the liquid once cooled enough. This will enhance the color of the shells. We also place hard boiled eggs that had been shelled into the cooled liquid. The outside of the egg was colored and looked neat when used for deviled eggs or in egg salad. Of course you will need to monitor the onion flavor in your dish before adding additional chopped onion.
Keep unwanted animals out of your yard. That pesty raccoon, chipmunk, even the neighborhood cat will no longer hang out in your yard, flower bed or garden if you place onion slices around the edges. This one we had a hard time testing since our piglets kept eating the onion slices.
What non cooking uses for onions have you heard about?
I always find it interesting to read about unusual uses for common foods or other ingredients. I have heard of a couple of the unusual uses, but didn’t hear about them all. I’ll have to try some of them, like the garden pest repellent and also hanging in the pantry. My fiance has been buying all kinds of pantry stuff like cereals, rice, cake mixes, pasta, soups and a whole lot of other stuff for really cheap or free by couponing. I really would be sickened if a rodent got into any of it. Thanks for the info.
That no windshield frost one is really cool! I might just have to try it… I’m pretty sick of scraping all my windows :grumble: I also like the idea of using onion skin to dye stuff. Very interesting! And cleaning the grill? WAY better than using chemicals!! Thanks for all the neat ideas!
Oh my goodness, I’ve never heard of any of these suggestions, they sound so easy. We’re going to have to try these. Thanks!
I prefer lemon for the cleaning metal thing, but these are great tips. Who knew they created a bright dye? My favorite use for onions is eating them, of course, and hanging them in your pantry repels rodents (if you keep them suspended and separated, they don’t attract bugs, either).
Wow, I’ve never heard of some of these uses for onions. I’s too funny that your piglets would like the taste of them! =)
I am totally amazed. I had no ideal that onions could be used for so many things. I knew number seven. That is the only one. Can you use a red onion for dyes? Just wanted to know. It wasn’t mentioned. The only drawback I see to some of these is your house will reek of onions for a while.
Great article. For such a stinky little veggie, it is worth it’s weight in gold!
Good looking out for the uses of all the dead onions dying in the crisper tray in the bottom of the fridge.
love the info about 7 uses for onions
This is great information. I love stuff like this onion uses.
I wonder if adding a little vinegar to the dye solution would help the dye penetrate the eggshells better since the acid in vinegar will dissolve a little of the outer eggshell.
That might work.. I have been chilling the mixture and putting the eggs in the fridge for a while to get darker.
I’ve heard of slicing an onion in half and placing it in a bowl by bedside to help cure a cold.
I never knew that about keeping unwanted animals out of the yard…..very interesting!I will try and see if it works for the raccoons.
I had no idea that onions have so many uses. I love the keep the frost off the windshield tip, we scrape our window every morning before leaving for school. Will try this one for sure. Thanks.
WOW! I never knew half of these! Thanks so much for sharing I am sharing also.
We just eat them but I like the (Keep unwanted animals out of your yard.) one. Wonder if it works with Coyotes?
I’m going to have to try the egg coloring trick.
Sweetie just bought a bag of 15 onion bulbs; we’re soooo gonna test these tips out!! BB2U
I used to color Easter eggs with onions, too.
Did anyone ever try the onion slices on the bottom of your feet overnight as a cure for a cold? That was a weird one!(I DID NOT TRY 🙂 )
i will have to try some of these, like the windshield and the yard, however, worried my dog may try to eat and would get very sick. i really like the splinter one since i am always getting splinters in my hands working in the yard.
Alot of these I did not know about. Love the Windshield one.. and will take your advice to avoid the inside LOL
I will have to try the onion n the windshield. With all the snow we have been getting this will be one less thing I need to scrape!
I don’t have any new noncooking uses for onions, but I am sure going to try the onion slices on my Garden Tower to keep my cats from using it as a litter box, and oh how I hope it works!
Definitely gonna try the slices to keep the pesky neighbor cat away!
I did not know any of these things! I have read that onion can help get rid of the flu. Have not tried it though.
This is great information! I love cooking with onions and always have parts of them leftover that end up going to waste because I don’t know what else to do with them. I can’t wait to try some of these out!
Amazing! I never knew you could do so much with onions! I love onions! I love to cook with them. I’m going to try the Easter eggs and the dye! Thank you!
I love these 7 uses for onions! I am going to try the one for unwanted animals out of my yard!
Where was this info in the beginning of winter? Excited to try the windshield trick!