15 Surprising Uses for Eggshells

The next time you make breakfast or bake a cake, I’d encourage you to hold onto your eggshells instead of throwing them out. An eggshell has many other unique uses besides containing an egg yolk for cooking. Here are 15 surprising uses for eggshells in your home and garden. 

In case you missed this post, How to Freeze Eggs: Everything You Need to Know

1. Eat Your Eggshells 

If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t enjoy it that much when you crunch down on a small, unexpected eggshell while you’re eating a hearty breakfast. Yuck! But eating the entire egg offers several health benefits you may want to know about. Besides providing enough calcium for the day, eggshells improve bone density and help remineralize your teeth. 

It’s even speculated that they can be taken by people who often suffer from inflammation and joint pain. The best way to eat eggshells is to crush or grind them into a fine powder with a pestle, then add them to smoothies, juices, soups, or stews. Just remember to wash them first.  

2. Create an Eggshell Facemask 

It may surprise you, but you can nourish your facial skin with an eggshell. You will need to crush the shell into a fine powder, again, using a pestle. Next, whisk an egg white for a while, then add it to the eggshell. Spread the mixture over your face and let it dry. Once it does, wash it off with cool water and experience younger-looking skin. 

Grind eggshells into powder and mix with egg white to make a natural exfoliating mask. It gently removes dead skin cells, leaving your face feeling smooth.    

3. Eggshell Powdered Toothpaste 

There are hundreds of different ingredients that you can use to make natural homemade toothpaste, but eggshells will also do the trick to keep your teeth looking good. This homemade powdered toothpaste will save you money and is a great way to use eggshells.  

4. Whiten Your Laundry

For those who want to try something other than bleach to whiten their clothing, check this out. Adding egg shells and a few lemon slices into an old sock tied at the end will give you a cheap and effective (and natural) way to keep your socks and undies white. Using eggshells as a laundry whitener makes sense, since you already have them.   

5. Combine with Apple Cider Vinegar 

The next time you have acid reflux or minor skin irritation, try this for quick relief. Add a few dried eggshells to apple cider vinegar (with the mother). It can be taken orally or applied directly to the irritated skin. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

6. Add Eggshells to Your Bone Broth or Stock Pot 

Want to make dinner even healthier for your family? By throwing several eggshells into your pot of bone broth or stockpot, you’ll add several minerals besides calcium, including traces of zinc, iron, magnesium, fluoride, phosphorus, and selenium.  Some people view this as a calcium supplement. Unless you added them as a powder, ensure to screen them before serving. You can make an eggshell powder using a Magic Blender or by placing the shells in a bag and using a rolling pin to make them even smaller.

7. Gets Rid of Bitter-Tasting Coffee 

For all my coffee-drinking readers out there, pay close attention. Instead of throwing out that disgustingly bitter pot of coffee that sat far too long on the burner, try adding eggshells to lessen the acidity. One eggshell ground into a fine powder is enough to handle 4 cups of bitter coffee.

Before brewing, add a small crushed eggshell to your coffee grounds. The calcium carbonate helps neutralize acidity, giving you a smoother, less bitter cup.  

8. Scrub Your Stubbornly Dirty Pots and Pans 

Eggshells are an excellent abrasive for cleaning pots and removing gunk and stickiness from dishes when you’re cleaning them by hand. Add crushed eggshells and smaller pieces to your soap and hot water to get the job done. Mix crushed shells with vinegar and let it sit overnight. The resulting liquid can help scrub away stubborn stains on metal, glass, or ceramic surfaces.

Combine crushed eggshells with a bit of dish soap and water to make a natural abrasive cleaner. It’s perfect for scrubbing pots, pans, and sinks without scratching them.

9. Feed Your Chickens 

If you want to continue to enjoy eating healthier eggs from your chickens, don’t feel uncomfortable about throwing their eggs back at them alongside their feed in a regular feeder. When hens are busy laying eggs, they need extra calcium in their diet, which eggshells certainly have. 

Go ahead and crush the dried-out shells and scatter them on a baking sheet. Set your oven to (275°) = (135°C) and bake them for roughly 10 minutes. Then continue crushing and feed the shells to your hens in small amounts.

Backyard chickens can also enjoy the benefits of crushed, baked eggshells. They’ll recycle that calcium right back into producing stronger eggshells of their own.

10. Sprinkle in With Your Bird Feed 

Eggshells can also benefit the wild birds in your backyard, especially during the spring when they’re laying eggs. Follow the above steps and add them to their usual birdseed in your yard bird feeder.  

11. Start Seedlings Indoors 

You can start your seedlings by planting them in eggshell pots a few weeks earlier. Fill about half of each eggshell with dirt, plant your seeds, and place them back in the original egg carton. Once ready to be transplanted, place the plant and the egg into the ground. The eggshell will eventually break, providing calcium and other nutrients for your new plants. 

Use halved eggshells as mini seed pots! Fill each half with soil and plant your seeds. Once your seedlings sprout, plant the entire shell directly into the ground; the shell will break down naturally and nourish the soil.    

12. Fertilize Your Garden 

It may come as a surprise, but your garden could also benefit from what you had for breakfast this morning. Go ahead and save your eggshells, and let them dry out in a sealed container over time. Mash them into tiny pieces, then sprinkle them into your garden’s soil once springtime rolls around. They’ll benefit your garden, including less soil acidity, while adding more calcium carbonate.

You can also add eggshells to your compost bin as an ingredient to benefit the health of your plants when the compost is used in the garden.   

13. Deter Pests in Your Garden

Broken-up eggshells are an excellent fertilizer and mulch for your garden plants, and they can also work as a pest repellent. All you need to do is break your eggshells into tiny pieces and scatter them around your plants. This brilliant tactic will keep snails, slugs, and even deer from munching on what you’ve worked so hard to grow.

Crushed eggshells create a sharp barrier that slugs and snails hate crawling over. Sprinkle them around the base of your plants to keep pests at bay without chemicals. 

14. Nourish Tomato Plants 

You can place eggshells beneath your tomato plants to provide them with an extra calcium boost. Nourish other vegetable plants in your garden this way, including peppers, squash, broccoli, and cabbage. Now, this is one of the most surprising uses for eggshells.

Grind eggshells into a fine powder and work it into the soil to help reduce acidity and improve structure. Your plants will love the mineral boost!

15. Add to Your Compost Pile 

A compost pile thrives when a variety of biodegradable materials is added, including eggshells, as mentioned above. You can add calcium boosts to your garden instead of tossing them out.  

Add eggshells to your compost bin to increase its mineral content. They decompose slowly, improving your compost’s overall nutrient balance.

Frequently Asked Questions About Eggshells

1. Can you eat eggshells?

Yes, but only if they’re properly cleaned and ground into a fine powder. Eggshells are high in calcium, but make sure they’re sterilized (baked at 250°F (121°C) for 10 minutes) before consuming.

2. How do you sterilize eggshells?

Wash the shells thoroughly, remove any membrane, and bake them on a tray at 250°F (121°C) for about 10 minutes. This kills bacteria and makes them easier to crush or grind.

3. Do eggshells really help plants grow?

Absolutely! Eggshells add calcium and trace minerals to the soil, helping prevent nutrient deficiencies in plants like tomatoes and peppers.

4. How long do eggshells take to decompose?

In compost, eggshells can take several months to break down fully. Crushing or grinding them speeds up the process.

5. Can I use eggshells in indoor plants?

Yes! Mix crushed eggshells into the potting soil or steep them in water to create a calcium-rich “eggshell tea” that nourishes your houseplants.

Other Posts on Eggs

• How Fresh Eggs Are Different From Store-Bought Ones
• What You Need to Know About Farm Fresh Eggs

Final Word

These 15 surprising uses for eggshells could benefit you around your home and garden. So, the next time you make eggs for breakfast, hold on to the eggshells instead of throwing them out with the trash. Which of these surprising uses for eggshells did you find most unexpected and valuable? Eggshells are one of those everyday items that most people overlook. Yet, with a bit of creativity, they can serve dozens of practical purposes around your home and garden. From improving soil health to reducing waste, eggshells prove that even the smallest scraps can make a significant impact. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Eggshells AdobeStock_318344917 by Chamillew