8 Surprising uses for Cheesecloths

8 Surprising Uses for Cheesecloths

For sure, a cheesecloth work wonders in straining homemade cheeses, but did you know that there are many more uses for cheesecloths? It’s definitely worth having even if DIY cheese isn’t your thing. This gauzy, lightweight, woven cotton fabric is inexpensive plus it’s durable.

Back in the day, this kind of fabric were referred as “cheesecloth” because cheese-makers came to a realization that it doesn’t just protect the cheese, but also allowed it to breathe while it aged. In the 60’s, cheesecloths were a popular choice of fabric for blouses and shirts. Today, this fabric has a variety of uses and functions ranging from cooking to arts & crafts.

Here, we list eight surprising uses of cheesecloths that you will surely love.

Makeshift Coffee Filter

Attention coffee addicts! This one’s for you. Place ground coffee on a small portion of the cheesecloth, form it into a small sack, tie it off, then let it simmer in hot water. This works on loose tea leaves too.

Keep Herbs Together

Making a heartwarming stew? Power it up with a bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, pepper and some garlic, or customize it according to your preference. Simply, tie all together in a cheesecloth and toss into soups, broths or stew. Once done, you can easily remove the bouquet with a slotted spoon.

Store that Fat in your Fridge

There’s one thing you should never do after pan frying and that’s discard the grease down the drain! Those precious fats are bursting with rich flavors. Before storing those precious fat in the fridge for later use, grab your cheesecloth and strain the left over fat in your pan. What’s left is nothing but pure fat that’s free from sediments.

Baste your Bird

To seal in the juice and keep your roasted bird plump and juicy, soak your cheesecloth in your preferred oil mixture and drape it over the bird. Place it on with a few minutes of cooking left to achieve that crispy golden brown skin.

Eco-friendly food covers

For the love of mother-earth, you can use cheesecloths to cover your food. Plastic wraps are good but they are unattractive, plus as we know, it harms the environment. Use cheesecloths to cover your dips, barbecues and so on.

Wrap Injuries

Another surprising use of cheesecloth is that you can use this as an emergency bandage or wrap due to it’s “gauze-like” nature. Also, the cloth will absorb the topical cream, so it can be applied loosely over tissue injuries that cannot be wrapped tight like burns.

Iron Delicates

Here is a simple hack you can do when ironing lace and silk - incorporate cheesecloth into your ironing routine. Place cheesecloth in between the exquisite fabric and a hot iron. This will definitely protect your beloved fabric and prevent those iron scorch marks.

For Cleaning, Wiping and Polishing

Because of its non-abrasive capabilities, cheesecloths can be used to clean windows, polish silverware and other delicate valuables, which you can wash and reuse after.