We eat a lot of eggs which means we're left with a lot of egg shells. Usually they go right into the compost pile but recently we decided to take a look into other uses for them. Here's what we've gathered up:

1. Finely crushed, they help keep your drain clear.
   
2. Eggshells in the garden have many uses. Moderately crushed shells placed around your plants discourage cats from using your garden as a potty and they also keep slugs away. Mixed into the soil that surrounds tomato or pepper plants, they're an excellent fertilizer.
   
3. To remove stains from a tea pot, thermos or water bottle, fill it with a mixture of crushed egg shells and a little bit of water, shake vigorously and let sit overnight. You can also use the same technique in your kitchen or bathroom sink.
   
4. Crushed eggshells added to a greasy pan helps remove stuck or baked on food.
   
5. Don't toss the water that the shells have been sitting in. Use it to water your plants.
   
6. Use a half shell for starting seedlings. It not only makes a great container but the calcium carbonate in the shell provides the growing plant with some extra nutrition. Crack the shell to remove it when your plants are big enough to be moved to your garden.
   
7. Mix crushed eggshells with your coffee grounds for smooth coffee. The calcium in the eggshell helps to reduce the acidity of coffee and will also help any loose grounds sink to the bottom of the cup.
   
8. Dry them out by placing in a low oven for a half hour. Crush them finely and add them to your dog's food for a boost of calcium.

(Image: Flickr member cursedthing licensed under Creative Commons)