The Magic of Expired Milk: 7 Reasons to Keep it Around

Throwing away expired milk is wasteful. This ingredient can be utilized in a myriad of alternative ways.

18 December, 2024

Fresh milk is a nutrient-rich product, especially calcium, essential for physical development and strengthening bone joints. Families often buy a certain amount of milk to stock up and use gradually. However, in case you don’t pay attention to the expiration date, many people forget, and the milk expires and cannot be consumed, or the opened milk is not finished and spoils. Most people will choose to discard this milk, but doing so is very wasteful.

You can take advantage of expired milk or leftover milk that cannot be consumed to solve many problems around the house.

Watering plants and flowers

Milk contains many nutrients and is very beneficial for plants. Milk provides moisture and calcium for stronger plants. In addition, it is also effective in combating wood rot.

However, you should not pour expired milk directly into the soil but dilute it with water at a 1:1 ratio, pour it into a spray bottle, and spray it on the leaves. This solution can also be used to water around the plant’s base to allow the roots to absorb more nutrients.

Expired milk can be used as a liquid fertilizer for plants.

While milk is nutritious, it should only be used a few times a month and not overused. Using too much milk to water plants can cause damage due to rapid bacterial growth and an excessive amount of bacteria. The fat in the milk can also produce an unpleasant odor when it breaks down.

Skin Care

Although expired milk cannot be consumed, in the short term, the fat in the milk is still intact and can be used as a skincare product. Additionally, fresh milk past its expiration date will produce lactic acid, which helps soften, brighten, and moisturize the skin.

You can combine fresh milk with other natural ingredients to create face masks suitable for your skin type. It is recommended to use unsweetened, low-fat milk to avoid clogging pores. The homemade masks should be applied for about 15-20 minutes and then rinsed off with clean water.

Mix unsweetened milk with honey and apply it to your skin. Honey has antibacterial, moisturizing, and skin-brightening properties, and when combined with milk, it will help achieve smoother and younger-looking skin.

Milk mixed with cereal grains such as oatmeal, adzuki bean powder, or rice bran can be used to cleanse, exfoliate, and brighten the skin.

Blending milk with avocado creates a creamy mixture rich in nutrients that moisturize and provide antioxidants to the skin.

Conditioning Leather Shoes

Milk will help clean and soften leather shoes. You can use a brush to scrub away any dirt or stains on the shoes. Then, use a cloth dampened with milk to wipe down the surface of the shoes. Wait a while, and then wipe them down again with a clean cloth. Doing so will make your shoes shine like new.

Expired milk can also be used to clean leather items and other household goods.

Cleaning Household Items

Metal items like spoons, knives, and scissors tend to rust and discolor over time. Simply soak them in a mixture of expired milk, with a bit of lemon or vinegar added, for a few hours. Then, remove the items, rinse them with clean water, and dry them off. They will look as good as new.

You can also use milk to clean wooden surfaces, painted surfaces, and marble. The lactic acid in fermented milk will make your furniture shine.

Removing Ink Stains from Clothing

When clothes are stained with ink, you can pour expired milk onto the stained area and gently rub it in. The ink will gradually fade. Repeat this process a few times until the ink is completely removed. If the ink stain is stubborn and difficult to remove, you can also soak the garment in milk overnight and then wash it with clean water the next day.