Although drinking it is probably your favorite thing to do with beer, there are many other uses for it that may surprise you. If you find yourself with more than you can drink, consider these options for putting that brew to good use.
Take a bath in it
Beer is great for your skin. It helps to hydrate it, soothing dry skin, and it can even help to eliminate acne and other skin conditions. Ancient Egyptians were said to have taken beer baths to hydrate their skin that was subject to the scorching heat of the desert. Dark beer works best – just pour some into your bath and relax.
Wash your hair in it
If your hair is limp and lifeless, using a beer rinse can help to restore bounce and body due to its vitamin B and natural sugars. Just pour one cup into a glass and allow it to become flat. Shampoo and rinse your hair as you normally would, and then pour the beer onto it, working it thoroughly through. Rinse well with cool water.
Get rid of stains
If you spill coffee or tea onto your carpet, beer can make that stain disappear. Test a small non-visible area first and let it dry. If it looks okay, pour some beer onto the stain and let it soak in; blot and repeat. Then, using a towel, wash with soap and water. Voila, your stain will be gone.
Polish your furniture
Beer is great for polishing wood furniture. Let it go completely stale and flat first, and then pour some onto a polishing cloth. Rub until a shiny luster appears and the wood color deepens. Follow up by using a dry cloth to finish.
Polish your pots
Just like wood furniture, beer can be used to polish up your kitchen pots due to its subtle acidity. It helps to improve shine without staining the metal like a higher-acidic liquid would. Test a small, inconspicuous spot first, dampen a soft towel with the beer and buff.
Marinate meat or mushrooms
Beer is an outstanding marinade for all types of meat as well as mushrooms. You can add other flavors if you’d like, such as soy sauce, fruit juice or jam. Just let it sit in the mixture for at least a few hours, the longer the better.
Eliminate garden slugs
Slugs can really tear up your garden. Instead of using chemicals to get rid of them, use beer. Bury a small bowl up to its edge in the garden and pour some beer inside. The slugs are attracted to the smell of the yeast and will crawl right in. After a while, you should have a bowl full of slugs and a much healthier garden. Just remember to refresh the beer each day.
Get rid of fruit flies
If fruit flies have invaded your home, beer can help get rid of them. Just put some beer in a cup, cut the corner off a plastic sandwich bag and place the cut corner into the cup. Fold the rest of the bag around the cup and secure it with a rubber band. Place the cup in an area the fruit flies have been drawn too, and you’ll soon have them trapped.
Make fluffier pancakes
For fluffier pancakes, just replace milk with beer. Its bubbles, along with the yeast, help to raise pancakes while making them thick and airy like a little breakfast pillow.
Banish brown spots in a lawn
If your lawn has ugly brown spots, you can use beer to banish them as it contains acid that helps kill off fungi and pests as well as fermented sugars and yeast that provide vital nutrients that can repair it and encourage healthy growth.
Clean your gold jewelry
You can use beer similar to the way you’d use a commercial gold jewelry cleaner. Just place your gold jewelry into a dish of beer and allow it to soak. Remove, rinse and gently polish with a dry cloth.
Trap cockroaches
Just place a piece of bread that’s been soaked in beer inside of a jar. Spread some vaseline around the rim of the jar. Roaches are drawn in by the scent of the beer, but once inside, they can’t get out.
Note: most beer is not gluten free – so for people with celiac disease or who are gluten intolerant, you will need to purchase a gluten free variety (they do exist).
-The Alternative Daily
