12 Clever ways to reuse eggshells

If you have chickens you probably dispose of a lot of eggshells. I know I was throwing out dozens and dozens a week until I started looking for ways to reuse them. Luckily there are a lot of ways to reuse eggshells. The shell of an egg is made of calcium, so they make a great calcium substitute for animals, plants and people. They can also be used as pest repellent, cleanser and even toothpaste!

In all I have a dozen different ways you can reuse those eggshells instead of throwing them out!

Cleaning:
Clean your hummingbird feeder: because of their narrow opening hummingbird feeders are difficult to clean, but when they're filled and sitting in the sunlight for days they can grow mold and lots of other bacteria. To clean, empty feeder and rinse with warm water. Add a tablespoon of crushed eggshell and fill halfway with warm water then shake vigorously for a few minutes. Rinse well.

Scrub pots and pans: mix powdered eggshell and water into a paste and use it like soft scrub cleanser.

Toilet rings: if you have lime rings in your toilet you can also use the eggshell paste to scrub the ring away. Just drain the water from the toilet and rub the paste into the stain with a rag.

In the garden:
Calcium supplement in plants: in Feed your garden we talk about using eggshells under the roots when planting vegetable starts as a calcium supplement. You can hand crush them but grinding them to a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder will help them be more easily absorbed.

Add to the compost: adding eggshells to your compost adds calcium and trace minerals to everything you grow.

Seedling cups: start seedlings in eggshells and just plant the whole thing when it's ready for the garden! Just crush the eggshell slightly before planting so the roots can find their way out. You can even let the kids draw faces on them first making funny egghead planters.

Deter pests: imagine you're a small soft bodied slug. Would you want to crawl across sharp eggshells? Crush eggshells by hand and place around plants to deter slugs. Cat's don't like stepping on the sharp shell pieces either so if you have a problem with cats and slugs you can get rid of them both with some crushed eggshells!

Indoor plants: put a few eggshells in a mason jar and cover with water. Use to water houseplants for a calcium boost. Store in a cupboard or other dark area.

As a calcium supplement:
For your hens: feed crushed eggshells back to your hens instead of buying expensive oyster shell supplements. Complete instructions here. 

For you: soak the shells for a few seconds in warm soapy water then rinse clean. Bake at 350 till dry. Grind to a fine powder and add to smoothies or fill empty capsules. Take 1 teaspoon a day.

For your pets: as a calcium boost, a pinch of powdered eggshell can be added to your dog or cats food. 

For your teeth: I've read you can add eggshell powder to your toothpaste but I haven't tried it yet!

Here's an interesting thought: an egg shell is made of calcium carbonate, which is also the main ingredient in some antacids. So, does that mean that powdered eggshell would work for an upset stomach or heartburn? 

I don't know...but I plan on finding out!

Related reading: How raising chickens saves you money!

~L 

Want information on raising chickens sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published ... plus, you'll also get the free download '25 Ways to save money raising chickens'.

This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.