32 Clever Uses for Coffee Filters Other Than Making Coffee

This post comes from Sarah Lipoff at partner site POPSUGAR.

Coffee filters are for making coffee, but a stack has other clever uses that might surprise you. Made from small particles of superabsorbent disposable paper, the filters are great to have on hand for so many reasons.

• So flavorful. Simmer flavor into soups, stews and sauces without having to dig out stems of herbs by using a coffee filter to make a bouquet garni.
• Fresh scent. If you love the smell of an apple pie baking, use a coffee filter to simmer spices, which will have your house smelling amazing in minutes.
• Quick fix. Need a strainer in a pinch? Reach for a coffee filter.
• Soil saver. Keep soil where it belongs by placing a coffee filter at the bottom of pots. It keeps soil from leaking out with the water.
• Happy plates. Place a coffee filter between plates when packing or storing to protect from scratches when stacking.
• Clean your car. Filters are lint-free and so great for cleaning the inside of your car. Just dab the filter with a bit of olive oil, buff your console, and you’ve got a clean car in no time.
• Pack it up. Crumpled coffee filters make great packing material.
• Oil-free. Because coffee filters are superabsorbent, use them for soaking up oil after frying foods. Simply lay a filter flat on a plate and place your freshly fried goodie on top. Let rest for a minute, and all that excess oil will soak into the filter.
• So steamy. Keep your dumplings from sticking by lining your steamer with a coffee filter. Works great when steaming fish, veggies and other goodies, too.
• Cup of tea. Hankering for a cup of tea? If you’re without a tea ball, use a coffee filter for containing loose tea. Or fill the filter with loose tea, orange peels, sliced lemon and fresh mint, and tie together with cotton string for a tasty sun tea.
• Polish helper. Reach for a coffee filter instead of a paper towel for polishing leather shoes and furniture.
• Shine-free. Coffee filters are great at absorbing oil. Cut a filter into small squares and use as a face blotter during your busy day.
• Stop bleeding. No one loves razor nicks, but you can stop bleeding fast by tearing off a small section of a coffee filter and pressing over the cut until the bleeding stops.
• Snack fix. Coffee filters work wonderfully as a portable boil or snack holder.
• Mess catcher. Cover your food while in the microwave with a coffee filter to contain any potential mess.
• Smell great. Use for making scented sachets that keep things smelling amazing.
• Polish remover. Instead of reaching for cotton balls, use a coffee filter to remove nail polish. Because they’re made up of small particles of paper, they have a bit more texture to help take off that polish fast.
• Make homemade dryer sheets. Coffee filters make great dryer sheets. Here’s how to make them.
• Dampen ashes. Toss used coffee filters over ashes in fire pits or fireplaces to dampen ashes and remove the stale smoke smell.
• Get clean. Because they’re superdurable, use coffee filters instead of paper towels for making homemade wipes.
• Cute bowl. Get crafty with used coffee filters and DIY this supercute bowl.
• Fresh greens. After rinsing your fresh greens, wrap in a coffee filter before storing in your fridge. They’ll keep your fresh stuff nice and crisp.
• Scratch-free pans. Place a coffee filter between your cast iron pans to keep them from scratching and rusting.
• Save your carpet. Uh-oh! Cover a spill with a coffee filter before cleaning; it quickly absorbs the liquid.
• Press leaves. Use a coffee filter instead of sheets of paper when pressing flowers. The filters absorb moisture from the flowers and leaves quicker.
• Soothe eyes. Soak with water and pop in the freezer to use as a cold compress or for depuffing eyes.
• Broken cork fix. No more party foul. Cover the top of the wine bottle with a coffee filter and secure with a rubber band to strain wine from a bottle with a broken cork.
• Bye-bye, bugs. Cover food outdoors with coffee filters to keep the bugs away.
• Camera solution. Stop red-eye and overexposed close-ups and diffuse your camera flash with a coffee filter. Instant soft light!
• No more sticky fingers. Stop sticky fingers and stuck-on paper napkins when eating barbecue and reach for a coffee filter instead. It will absorb the oil from those delicious ribs without sticking to your hands.
• Pulp-free. Use a coffee filter to make fresh orange juice that’s free of seeds. Wrap a filter around the orange, twist the top and squeeze. It works with lemons, too.
• Shining windows. Because coffee filters are lint-free, reach for one instead of a paper towel when cleaning windows.

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