People, despite getting teary-eyed, enjoy the numerous culinary uses of the onion. The gas containing vegetable is both a primary ingredient and a flavor enhancer in many dishes. If you think its list of uses end at the kitchen, you better think again. It is proven to be a medicinal wonder, as well as a metal polisher and an insect repellent. With its number of alternative uses, the onion may induce tears of joy to any DIY pundit. Here are seven of its tearfully - pleasing uses.
1. Insect Bite Treatment - The onion’s enzymes are known for their anti-inflammatory effects, which makes the vegetable an unusually effective treatment. Rub some onion to a bee sting, mosquito bite or any insect bite. After a few hours, the pain, itchiness and swelling will subside.
2. Odor Remover - Chemical solutions, like pain and varnish, have strong odors that can adversely affect your health when inhaled. Instead of purchasing a pricey deodorizer, you might as well apply a mixture of onions and water on the smelly areas. The onion’s scent won’t completely eliminate the chemical stench, but it will surely bring the fumes to a more tolerable level.
3. Reliever for Burns - Burns sting and are prone to infection. Treat those inflammations by mixing onion slices with a little water. Apply the mixture to the affected areas and within a few hours, your burns will subside. Just reapply whenever necessary.
4. Insect Repellent - The gases emitted by the onion, when sliced, have strong odors and are known irritants. Naturally, household pests will shy away upon detecting those gases. Gather your onion waste and put it in a bowl. Place the bowl where you often see your much despised creepy-crawlies. Pretty soon, those insects will find other venues to terrorize, probably those without onion-based repellents.
5. Wart Remover - Mix onion slices with crushed aspirin and a little water. Apply the solution to the wart. The onion’s chemical content and the aspirin’s active ingredients will gradually soothe the wart and make it subside. To maximize the solution’s effect, apply some to a piece of duct tape. Stick the tape on the wart. After several hours, the lesion will be nothing more than a distant memory. (For other wart removal alternative, learn how to remove warts with duct tape)
6. Metal Polish - Mix several crushed onion slices with some water. Apply the solution to a dull metal object using a piece of cloth. The results may not come as quickly as commercial polishers, but the onion-based polish is good enough to be a worthy substitute.
metal polish
7. Acne Remover - Just like with burns and warts, an onion solution can be used to remove acne. The vegetable’s chemical components are harsh on zits, erasing them gradually upon application. Mix crushed onion slices with water and apply the mixture to your face. It is pretty effective, however it will probably do a number on your eyes. Just apply if the your eyes sting in the process.
Onions are among the vegetables known for their medicinal properties. Having them around keeps you safe from many skin conditions. Make sure you buy extra-bulbs for its non-culinary uses.