13 Surprising Uses for Mustard

Mustard’s history as a condiment probably dates back to Ancient Rome, where it was used to glaze roasted boar. It gained popularity in the French city of Dijon during the 13th century. And today, we best know mustard as the condiment popular at many a backyard barbecue. But mustard is so much more than a condiment! Mustard and, in its original form, mustard seeds have a number of great uses for health, personal care, gardening and cleaning. Got a cold? Mustard is great for that! Greasy dishes or achy feet, bring it on! Click through for some tips on other ways to use mustard.

Health

Soothe Sore Throats Gargle with this mixture:

• 1 tablespoon of mustard seed
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon clear honey
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water

Cover it and let it sit for about 15 minutes before gargling.

Fight Cancer Mustard is rich in the allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) compound, which researchers believe could prevent cancer from spreading or even cure it all together. AITC is particularly helpful in curbing bladder cancer.

Clear Chest Congestion/Treat Asthma Rub mustard on your chest. Soak a cloth in hot water and place it on top of the mustard. Lay back and relax.

Relax Muscles Draw a bath and add 2 tablespoons of mustard powder, a few drops of your favorite essential oil (for the ultimate relaxing benefits, try rosemary) and a few pinches of epsom salts.

Soothe Burns Get a mild burn in the kitchen? Ouch! Run the affected area under cool running water, and spread mustard over it. It instantly dulls the pain and usually prevents the formation of blisters.

Personal Care

Soothe Skin Mustard makes for a great face mask. Rub onto your skin and let it sit for a few minutes. Wash it off and take a feel the softness and look at the glow! You’ll want to test some on your wrist first, some people with sensitive skin/allergies won’t react kindly to a mustard face mask.

Deep Condition Your Hair All out of conditioner? Break out the mustard oil. It’s a top-notch conditioning treatment. For best results, massage into your hair and leave it in all day before washing it out.

Relax Your Feet On your feet all day and feeling it? Fill a basin with hot water and add a few tablespoons of mustard powder. Soak for about half and hour.

Cleaning

Clean Greasy Pans Mustard powder is a great way to absorb grease. Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of mustard powder onto a greasy pan. Using a brush, spread it around and wash off.

Remove Smells From Bottles If you want to reuse a bottle, but don’t want it to smell like what it did before, mustard powder is a great trick. Sprinkle a little inside the bottle, add hot water, and shake. Rinse the mustard/water out of the bottle, and — voila! — lingering smell gone!

Deodorize Smelly Dishes Make a paste with mustard powder and water, scrub the dish and wash off. It’ll take that nasty smell right out!

Other Tips

Prevent Weed Growth If your garden grows with too many weeds, one way to combat it is by planting mustard throughout throughout your bed. They contain a property that can prevent the growth of weeds. However, do your research on your existing plants — some will not take kindly to their new neighbor.