Do you always have eggs every morning, but have a problem getting rid of the shells? Ever had problems draining your clogged up pipes only to find that there are a bunch of egg shells in it? Are egg shells a big part of your daily trash?

Well, if you find yourself agreeing to the above questions, then you're just among the millions of housekeepers who are at loss as to how to dispose of their egg shells. The good news is that egg shells are organic, so they're biodegradable. They're also brittle and easily break, so if you grind them up in a garbage disposal unit, you shouldn't have any concerns about them causing any problems to the machine. What's more, the egg shells help in keeping the disposal clean—the grains of the shell are abrasive enough to remove the stains. They also scrape away citric acid or pulp.

Before you go to the traditional method of just dumping the shells in a dumpster or a garbage disposal unit, however, why not make use of them? There are other ways of getting rid of egg shells, or specifically, making good use of them.

Other Uses for Egg Shells

Don't trash your egg shells right after you've had your breakfast. They can still be useful. How, you ask? Well, here are just some of the things you can do with your leftover shells.

• Use your egg shells as flower pots. Egg shells are great starter containers for your seedlings. You can even put them up in the egg carton trays they come in, provided that the trays are made of recycled paper. If you live in an apartment where space is an issue, then this is a very good alternative to growing your seedlings as they don't take up much space. The egg shells are a perfect size for them and the calcium carbonate assists the seedlings in getting nutrients from the soil. Once the plants are strong enough to be transplanted to a garden, all you need to do is just crack the egg shell and then plant them in the garden area. Since egg shells are biodegradable (and they are reputedly effective in keeping away snails), you can just keep them in the soil where they are cracked.
• Use them for flower arrangements. Hollowed-out egg shells are great as vases for tiny flower arrangements. Whenever you break an egg, just break the top part and then drain the contents out. Carefully rinse the inside. Fill then empty shell with room-temperature water and then place it on an eggcup for stability. Finally, insert small cuttings of your favorite blossoms, then place them as centerpieces on your coffee table.

• Use them as candle holders. After using the contents of the egg, wash the egg shell in soapy water and let it dry completely. Then, using your fingers, break off the edges of the shell so it'll be shallower, otherwise the shell will blacken if it goes over the top of a lit wick.
  Pour white wax into the egg shell; let it go near the top. Let it cool until it's partially hardened and then scoop out a crater in the center. Poke a hole through the center using a skewer and then insert primed wick that's already dipped in wax. Fill with melted yellow wax so it will look like an egg yolk. Trim the wick.
• Use them to clean the drains. If your drain is clogged up by egg shells, then you're not using them properly. Just crush the shells as fine as you can and let them sit on your sink drain basket. When the water runs through, the shells will go through the drain pipes, acting as abrasives. They will get rid of any hair or grease buildup. Just be sure to save enough egg shells for the job.
• Use them to remove tea stains. If you're a regular tea drinker, then this will be of use to you. Crush egg shells and then put them into a dampened pot or thermos that has been stained with tea. Let them sit overnight, then add water. Swish them around then drain them. Rinse the pot or thermos and you'll find that the tea stains have been removed. The upside with this is that the shells won't leave any lingering aftertaste or chemicals like what you would get if you use bleach.

• Use them in gardening. Apparently, finely ground egg shells can deter snails from going to your little plants and munch on them. Crush the shells and scatter them among your flower beds. The abrasive properties of the shells are a deterrent to them.
• They can be used for art decorations. If you're the artistic type, you can make beautiful carvings out of egg shells. You can also paint the egg shells to make fanciful egg art such as the Ukrainian Pysanka eggs. You can also decorate them using simple things like decoupage.
• They are great for composts. Egg shells are composed of calcium and carbon, and they are perfect additions to your soil. In addition, used egg shells don't stink up the place so you don't need to worry about washing them out when you put them in the compost pile.

As you can see, egg shells aren't just your average kitchen trash. They are still useful even if their contents have been consumed. Putting them in trash will not only increase the size of landfills; it will also rob you of a potentially useful household thing.