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 cannot 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 polish
lint free and tear resistant filters are good for a range of household tasks . wrap one sheet around celery stalks when storing in fridge to keep crisp . use it to polish shoes, keep laundry smelling fresh and even as a plate 