9 Surprising Uses of Rice That You've Never Heard Before

Over time, blender blades can become pretty blunt. To make them more effective than ever again, use rice!
Pour around half a cup of rice into your blender and pulse for up to 2 minutes. You'll soon notice a difference and there will be no need to buy a new blender!

If you need to stay warm, no matter how cold it gets, little handmade handwarmers will really come in hand. They're the perfect pocket accessory for those winter walks to school and you don't need much to make them - scissors, fabric, needle, rice, pins and thread. Not only practical but also pretty, they'd make gorgeous little homemade Christmas gifts too.
How to make? Easy!
SUPPLIES:
a fat quarter (or more) of this fabric or whatever fabric you have laying around the house
fabric scissors
pinking shears (optional)
sewing machine or needle
thread
long pins
rice
Directions:
1. Using fabric scissors, cut the pattern from our spoonflower fabric OR cut 2-3/4 inch squares from your choice of fabric. you’ll need two per hand warmer.
2. Place two squares of fabric wrong sides together and stitch a 1/4 inch seam around the outside, leaving a 1-1/2 inch opening and backstitching in the beginning and end. (if you don’t have pinking shears, place fabric write sided together, sew as instructed and then turn right side out.)
3. Fill 3/4 of the way up with rice.
4. Using a long pin, block the rice from falling out of the opening and sew closed.
5. Using pinking shears, trim the edges…. it will keep them from fraying.
To use, warm up int he microwave for 20 seconds (or so), but make sure they aren’t too hot before handing over to little hands!

Of all the uses for rice, this has got to be the one we're most grateful for - it's saved us a fair few times!
If you've dropped your phone in the sink or down the toilet, chances are you're panicking. Well, have no fear, rice is here! Fill up a bowl or sandwich bag with rice and place your phone in it. Leave it for a couple of days and then fish it out. The rice should have absorbed all the water and your phone will be back in business.

Sometimes vases and bottles have little nooks and crannies that are really tricky to reach. To make your glassware spotless again, put 2 spoonfuls of rice and some warm water into the vase and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Then, cover, shake well, empty and rinse with water. The rice helps scrub any stains away - how marvellous!

Add a few scoops of your trusty uncooked rice to a toolbox to absorb the moisture in the air. This should help to keep your tools dry and free from rust.

You really don't need to spend a fortune on a functional knife block - rice and a simple utensil holder can provide the perfect solution. If you've got a selection of different knives, try filling a large utensil holder with rice. This will fit lots of all types of knives sizes and it's a lot cheaper than buying a fibre cluster universal knife block.

If your coffee grinder or spice grinder has got very dusty or greasy then you can clean it by running some rice through it - it's much easier than taking it apart to clean. It will help to get rid of trapped grounded spices or coffee stale odours - just remember to wipe it afterwards.

No baking beans? No problem. If you've got some pastry that needs blind-baking then use rice instead! Line your pie crust with baking parchment and pour in enough rice to keep the pastry from rising. You can use the rice again and again, just keep it in a sandwich bag.

Want ripe fruit, fast? In a bowl of uncooked rice, submerge your fruit. The rice will help to trap ethylene and will help your fruit ripen quicker. Just don't forget to check on it - results can happen pretty quickly!