A Wellness Mama blog post by founder Katie Wells lists household and craft uses for items she describes as “junk food” pantry staples, including flour, sugar, vegetable oil, rice, oatmeal and cola—ideas aimed at reducing waste while changing eating habits.
Katie Wells, founder of the Wellness Mama website, laid out her approach to clearing out what she calls “junk” pantry items in a post titled “7 Practical Uses for Junk Food,” dated January 28, 2011.
In the post, Wells writes that when her household “switched to a real food diet,” she donated unopened non-perishable foods but looked for alternative uses for opened packages of items such as flour, sugar and oatmeal.
Flour: play dough, papier-mâché paste, and stainless-steel polishing
Wells recommends using flour to make homemade play dough. Her recipe calls for two cups of water, one cup of salt, two cups of flour, two to three tablespoons of vegetable oil, and an optional tablespoon of cream of tartar, with Kool-Aid suggested for color. She says the mixture should be cooked over low heat until it thickens and forms a ball.
She also suggests making papier-mâché paste by mixing equal parts flour and water into a glue-like paste, and recommends rubbing flour onto stainless steel after normal cleaning to reduce visible fingerprints and water spots.
Sugar: a scrub or an ant bait
For sugar, Wells suggests a simple exfoliating scrub by mixing about a half-cup of sugar with enough olive oil to moisten it, with essential oils optional.
She also describes an ant bait made by combining two parts sugar with one part borax and placing it where ants can access it. Wells writes that borax is poisonous to ants and that the mixture can be carried back to the nest.
Vegetable oil: hardwood floor cleaner
Wells recommends using vegetable oil as part of a hardwood floor cleaner rather than consuming it. Her recipe calls for mixing one cup of vinegar with one tablespoon of vegetable oil, or using lemon juice in place of vinegar.
Rice: drying wet electronics — but experts caution against the practice
Wells says she has used rice to help dry wet electronics, writing that placing a wet device in a tightly sealed jar of rice can pull out moisture over days, and sometimes longer.
However, major consumer guidance in recent years has increasingly advised against the rice method for phones. Apple has explicitly warned users not to put a wet iPhone in rice, citing the risk that small rice particles can damage the device, and recommending air-drying steps instead. The Associated Press has similarly reported that rice is a common myth and that silica gel is generally a better desiccant option.
Oatmeal and cola: skin and toilet-cleaning tips
Wells writes that she does not recommend eating oatmeal, but suggests using powdered oatmeal on the skin—either as part of a facial paste mixed with warm milk or in an oatmeal bath for sunburns or itchy skin.
For cola, Wells recommends pouring a can into a toilet, letting it sit for about an hour, then scrubbing and flushing. She also lists other uses she says work with cola, including loosening gum in hair and cleaning grime from car batteries, grout and clothing stains.
The post closes by encouraging readers to get rid of, or repurpose, pantry items Wells considers unhealthy—such as wheat-based flours, certain fats and sugar-containing foods—and invites readers to share additional ideas in the comments.
