They are usually used to trap coffee grounds when brewing filter coffee at home and are perfect for catching oily sediment from your cup of Java . But these lint-free , tear-resistant paper cones can be life-savers in many other situations , too . They can provide an inexpensive way to complete a range of household tasks , from being transformed into temporary dish covers and snack bowls , to cleaning varnish off your fingernails when you 've run out of cotton wool . Scroll down for video . They are usually used to trap coffee grounds when brewing filter coffee at home but paper filters have a myriad of other household uses . Here FEMAIL has rounded up the 20 unusual things you can do with coffee filter papers . 1 . As a makeshift lid . Worry not if your only microwave-friendly bowl has lost its lid . Simply turn a filter paper upside down and place it over the dish when you pop it into the microwave . 2 . To strain juices . Use them as filters when you are straining freshly squeezed citrus fruit juices such as lemon or lime juice . Or a bottle of wine which has bits of cork in it . 3 . As cupcake holders . Forgotten to buy baking tin liners for when you ’ re making cupcakes ? Line your cupcake tin with filter paper and start to pour your cake batter in . Lint-free and tear-resistant filter paper cones can be life-savers in many other situations , too . 4 . Disposable bowls for parties . Use them as disposable snack bowls for nuts , popcorn , and mini pretzels when you ’ re throwing a party where you don ’ t want to put out plates . 5 . To prevent rust . Place a filter on top of a cast iron pan so that it soaks up all residue moisture , preventing any rust from occurring . 6 . Vegetable crisper . Keep celery crispy by storing them with a coffee filter , which are far more absorbent than kitchen roll , and will absorb moisture from the vegetables . 7 . Butter cake tins . The next time you ’ re oiling a baking pan or cake tin , spread your butter or oil with a coffee filter instead of using a brush or a paper towel . 8 . Stop messy ice-cream spillage . Wrap a filter around the centre of an ice-cream cone to keep little hands clean from ice-cream mess . 9 . To hold your bouquet garni . Use it as a bouquet garni holder the next time you ’ re making soup or stews . Simply pop in the herbs you want into the bottom of the filter and tie with twine or string before popping it into your pot . Wrap a piece of coffee filter paper around your sticks of celery to keep them from going soggy and limp . A few drops of essential oils onto a couple of filter papers when drying will keep them smelling fresh . 10 . Quick and easy tea strainer . Looking to brew a cuppa with fresh leaves but misplaced your strainer ? Measure a teaspoon of leaves , and as with the bouquet garni , place leaves at the bottom before tieing the top ends of with string . Then put your DIY teabag at the bottom of the mug and top with hot water . 11 . When weighing wet foods . Weigh chopped wet foods without making a mess on your kitchen scales . Just place the ingredients in a filter on the scale . 12 . Instead of cotton wool . Need to remove nail polish but you ’ ve run out of cotton wool ? Simply dip them in your nail varnish remover and start gently scrubbing . 13 . Absorb nasty smells . Make your own odour-eaters by placing a heaped teaspoon of baking powder at the bottom of each filter , then gathering it up the top ends together and tying it up with string . Place in stinky shoes . 14 . Keep your face oil-free . They make inexpensive and absorbent face blotters . Place tea leaves and herbs in the middle of your filter cone and tie it up with string before brewing . Add a dab of shoe polish to a paper filter and use it to shine your shoes . 15 . Keep delicate crockery safe . Moving house and in possession of delicate crockery which absolutely can not break ? Simply place coffee filters between your china when packing to protect them . 16 . Keep clothes smelling fresh . Put a few drops of your favourite essential oil onto a couple of filter papers before chucking them in the tumble drier when you ’ re drying your clothes for an inexpensive way to scent them . 17 . Pot plants without soil spillage . When repotting a plant from the nursery , pop a coffee filter at the bottom of the new pot so that soil doesn ’ t leak out on the floor . This is especially useful for house plants . 18 . Composting . Place a filter at the bottom of your kitchen compost pot so that there are no leakages or spills . Simply empty the whole lot out the next time you are adding to your compost pile . 19 . Polish your shoes . Coffee filters are perfect for polishing leather shoes as they are lint-free and so won ’ t leave unsightly streak marks on your shoes . Apply a dab of your favourite shoe polish on the filter and use it as an applicator . 20 . Clean mirrors and glass . As they are lint-free coffee filters can be used to polish glass , and clean mirrors .
Lint - free and tear resistant filters are good for a range of household tasks . Wrap one wrap around celery flour when stored in boxes to keep crisp . use it to polish shoes , keep them smelling fresh and even as a snack .