Kitchen Hacks: Non-Culinary Uses for Your Favourite Ingredients
ByAcademy of Culinary NutritionLast updated onReading Time: 6 minutes
People are all about hacking these days: life hacking, cooking hacking, fitness hacking, work hacking and more – all in an attempt to make things more convenient, quick, easy and efficient.
That’s why we’ve decided to share some of our favourite kitchen hacks that will help you maximize the ingredients you have on hand. There are a ton of ingredients loitering in your kitchen right now that you can re-purpose for things other than cooking. Here are a few of our favourites that we repurpose in new ways regularly.
Coconut oil makes a fantastic moisturizer – its saturated fats keep our skin moisturized, healthy, smooth and supple, plus its anti-microbial properties help protect our skin from infections. And if you’re getting frisky in the bedroom, coconut oil is an ideal lubricant, so you can skip the ones with toxic chemicals (though it’s not latex safe!).
If you have a headache, mix a few drops of peppermint oil with olive oil, coconut oil, or any other oil you have on hand. Then rub the mixture into your temples for headache relief. Also, you can mix a few drops of peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle and use it as an anti-bacterial all-purpose cleaner.
Raw Honey
Culinary Uses
A natural sweetener for a wide range of sweet and savory dishes, beverages and desserts.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, lavender can help you relax and send you off to dreamland. Place a small pouch of dried leaves on your pillow so you can inhale it easily, or if you have lavender oil, add a few drops directly onto your pillowcase. You’ll be snoozing in no time!
Baking soda can be used in homemade toothpaste, deodorant and cleaning products, plus it can be mixed with water and used as a shampoo.
Lemon
Culinary Use
To add flavour and acidity to basically any meal.
Kitchen Hack/Non-Culinary Uses
Can’t get rid of that garlic smell after chopping up a few cloves? Rub the inside of half a lemon on your hands and you’ll be lemon-y fresh. Lemon can also be used in homemade cleaning products, as an exfoliant and to vanquish dark under eye circles.
Gluten-free baking, desserts and sweet treats, marinades and sauces, and to balance flavours.
Kitchen Hack/Non-Culinary Use
This makes an excellent sugar body scrub! Mix coconut sugar, coconut oil and a few drops of essential oils for a delicious-smelling and nourishing body scrub. You can also add oats to the mix!
Create a natural mouthwash with sea salt and baking soda, which helps to reduce inflammation and bacteria. Add salt to your toothbrush to exfoliate your lips, pour some into a hot bath, or use it to tackle stains. You can sprinkle some salt into smelly shoes to help deodorize them too. There are actually a TON of non-culinary ways to use salt you can experiment with.
Like reusing glass jars from store-bought products? Remove sticky label residue by soaking the jar in water for a few hours, then peel or scrub off the label. For any remaining bits, swipe with olive oil for a few minutes before washing. Use it as a wood polish, or to moisturize your cutting boards. It’s also great for beauty care – infuse olive oil for a salve or massage oil.
Reading Time: 6 minutes 
