Think Sugar Is Only for Sweets? These 31 Uses Will Prove You Wrong

Sugar’s sweet reputation hides a complex and fascinating history. Once considered a rare luxury, sugar was so prized in the 17th and 18th centuries that British colonists dubbed it “white gold.” 

Its value helped shape global trade routes and economies, fueling the rise of powerful empires. Unfortunately, this demand also drove the transatlantic slave trade, as millions of enslaved people were forced to work on sugar plantations across the Caribbean and the Americas. 

Over time, sugar changed from the tables of the elite to a common household staple, becoming a symbol of both indulgence and industrial progress. Today, while sugar is often criticised for its health impacts, few realise just how versatile and essential it still is, far beyond just sweetening our tea or baking our cakes.

31 Surprising Uses For Sugar

Let’s get straight into the many different uses for sugar. Many will surprise and astound you. We’re going to split them into different categories to make it easier to read. They include;

Health Uses For Sugar

We live in an age where we’re forever being told that sugar is bad for us but sugar is actually used in the medical profession in a number of ways like;

In Medicine

Sugar is used in the production of medicines to coat, add volume as well as flavouring. It is also used as a preservative and an antioxidant.

As A Cure For Hiccups

If you are suffering from a bout of hiccups that just won’t abate, try eating a spoonful of sugar. The texture of the sugar grains irritates the esophagus which causes the phrenic nerves to adjust.

Which leads to the hiccups disappearing altogether.

To Soothe Bee Stings

Bee stings and other insect bites can be soothed by applying a paste of sugar and water onto the affected area. Leave the paste on the sting for around 15 to 20 minutes to relieve the sting.

To Soothe Mouth Burn (after eating spicy or hot foods)

If you have ever burnt your tongue after sipping coffee that’s too hot or eating a pizza before it’s had a chance to cool slightly, you’ll know how painful it can be. Likewise eating anything containing hot chillies, to alleviate the heat all you need to do is suck on a sugar cube or a spoonful of granulated sugar.

This will quickly ease the burn and leave your mouth feeling relieved.

To Soothe A Sore Throat

Throat lozenges or boiled sweets are both made from sugar and will both ease the irritation of a sore throat. They work by causing your mouth to produce saliva which lubricates your throat and eases the pain and irritation of a sore throat.

To Pacify Babies

Recent scientific studies have shown that babies that were given a sugar water solution (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) before immunisation injections were far less likely to react to any pain inflicted than those who only received plain water.

To Heal Wounds

Studies have shown that sugar is an effective healer for wounds. Just in the same way as sugar can be used as a preservative, it can help in the treatment of wounds.

When sugar is applied to an open wound, it absorbs moisture which prevents bacterial growth. This technique has been used since 1700 BC according to archeologists.

One of the main areas in modern medicine where the application of sugar is having the most success is in the treatment of ulcerated legs and amputations.

Uses For Sugar In The Beauty Industry

It’s not just the medical industry that has multiple unconventional uses for sugar. Sugar is also used in the beauty world too. It is used in;

Cosmetics

Many cosmetics contain sugar due to its exfoliating and moisturising properties. Extracts from sugar cane are used in moisturisers and face masks.

Longer Lasting Lipstick

After applying your lipstick, sprinkle some sugar on your lips and let it sit for a minute or two. Then simply lick the sugar off. The sugar absorbs moisture from the lipstick which extends the colour of the lipstick making it last longer.

Lip Scrubs

If you mix a small amount of coconut oil or olive oil with sugar and a drop of peppermint essential oil and apply it to your lips it will scrub your lips clean. After application simply lick the mixture off your lips.

Body Scrubs

Before getting in the shower, apply a mix made from sugar and oil to your skin. You can use any oil that you have to hand but olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil or jojoba oil work best.

Gently rub this mixture on your skin and rinse off in the shower.

Uses For Sugar In The Home & Garden

So far we’ve covered how sugar is used in the medical and cosmetic industries, now let’s look at the many uses of sugar at home. They include;

Hand Cleaner

If your hands are greasy or dirty after working on your car, in the garden or from cooking, sugar could be your new go to cleaner. All you need to do is sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar into the palm of your hand and then rub your hands together.

Then wash your hands in the usual way with soap and water and your hands will be cleaner quicker. The sugar helps to cut through the grease or oil and works as an abrasive to scrub the dirt away.

Stain Remover

If you have clothing that’s stained, mix up a paste from water, white vinegar and sugar to pretreat the stain before washing. Apply the paste directly to the stain and let it sit for around 15 to 20 minutes.

Then rinse and wash the item in cold water and make sure the stain has fully gone before drying the item. This is because if the item is still stained and then gets subjected to the heat of a dryer, it can set the stain permanently. 

If the stain is still visible, apply the paste again and wait for 30 minutes before rinsing and washing in cold water.

Coffee Grinder Cleaner

To clean your coffee or spice grinder and remove any unwanted smells, pour ¼ of a cup of sugar into the grinder and run it for a few minutes. The sugar granules will break down and clean all of the oils that build up in the grinder over time.

When you’re finished, simply pour the sugar away and wipe the grinder with a clean, dry cloth.

Keep Cut Flowers Longer

To keep your vase of flowers looking fresh for longer all you need is sugar and vinegar. Mix 3 teaspoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 2 pints of warm water and then add the flowers.

The sugar feeds the stems while the vinegar helps restrict the bacterial growth. This sugar/vinegar water should be replaced every 48 hours.

Preserve Freshness In Baked Goods

If you want your baked goods like bread, cakes, biscuits or cookies to stay fresher for longer, place a few sugar cubes in the airtight container you’re storing them in.

The sugar will absorb any moisture keeping your baked goods fresher for longer.

Stop The Moulding Process In Cheese

Cheese gets mouldy when moisture is present. So to prevent your favourite cheeses from going mouldy, place a sugar cube into the airtight container the cheese is stored in.

The sugar cube will absorb any moisture, preventing mould from forming on the cheese.

Barbeque Lighter

If you’re about to have a barbeque only to discover that you’ve run out of lighter fluid, reach for the sugar. Once sugar gets exposed to a naked flame it decomposes at a rapid rate and releases a chemical that burns easily.

All you need to do is sprinkle some sugar over the charcoals before lighting them.

Pest Controller

Sugar works for indoor and outdoor pests. In the garden, sugar is a great way to get rid of nematodes. Simply sprinkle the plants and the soil all around them with sugar.

The sugar feeds microorganisms which increases organic matter in the soil which makes it a hostile place for nematodes.

In the home, mix equal amounts of sugar and baking powder and sprinkle the mixture anywhere insects are present or you suspect they might be present.

Sugar attracts the insects and the baking powder kills them. If wasps are a problem in your home or garden, you can use sugar to make a wasp trap.

All you need to do is make a syrup from sugar and boiling water. Pour the mixture into a jar and wait. The wasps will be attracted to the sweet syrup and become trapped in the jar.

You can even make a fly paper to trap bothersome house flies. All you need to do is mix equal amounts of sugar, honey and water in a saucepan and boil the mixture until it thickens.

Then cut some brown packing tape and dip it in the mixture. Hang it up to allow the excess to drop into the pan. Once the mixture forms a sticky layer, hang the fly papers up and watch those pesky flies get stuck.

Industrial Uses For Sugar

Sugar isn’t just used in the home and garden; it also has many applications in industry as well. Including:

Bioplastics

Sugar cane is used in the production of bioplastics and can make a wide range of products including food and drink packaging, acoustic panelling and airplane parts.

Electric vehicles are being fitted with body panels constructed from sugar cane. Particularly electric vehicles constructed in the Netherlands.

The toy company Lego is even using sugar cane based polyethylene to construct their toy leaves, bushes and trees.

Building Materials

As well as bioplastics, sugar cane pulp is used to make particle board (or chipboard).

Cement & Glue

Sugar is also used in a compound to slow down the setting process of cement and certain glues.

Paper Products

Sugar cane pulp is used to make copy paper, envelopes, card stock and take away containers. It is an eco-friendly alternative to polystyrene.

Electricity

The pulp from sugar cane is used to make electricity for sugar mills and refineries. In many cases, these factories even supply local towns and villages with electricity.

Food & Medicinal Ingredients

Sugar molasses is used to make ingredients for food and medicines. Lysine for example is an essential amino acid found in sugar that is used in compounds for treating and preventing cold sores. It is also used in many food supplements as well.

Lactic acid is another form of sugar that’s used in foods as a preservative and flavouring agent. It is also used to cure certain types of foods.

Citric acid is also used as a preservative and flavouring agent. While yeast is used in the baking and brewing industries. 

Organic Compounds

Sugar along with ethanol is used to make furfural which is an organic compound used to make various cements, adhesives, coatings and weed killers.

Cleaning Products

As we touched on earlier, sugar is used as an ingredient in body scrubs. It is also used to make some types of detergents and other cleaning agents.

Animal Feeds

Many products produced in the production of sugar are used as food supplements for farm animals and livestock.

Ethanol

Sugar is used to make ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and is used to produce beer, wines and distilled spirits. Sugar is used in the fermentation process to produce ethanol in alcoholic drinks.

Ethanol is also used as a solvent, mixed with other organic chemicals and as an additive in biofuels for cars.

Biofuels

Sugar is used to produce biofuels like ethanol which is added to biofuel. Acetone-Butanol-Alcohol is produced from molasses.

What Not To Do With Sugar

While sugar has many surprising and helpful uses, there are a few situations where it’s best left in the pantry. For example, never use sugar based scrubs on broken or irritated skin, as the abrasive grains can cause further damage or introduce bacteria. 

Similarly, avoid applying sugar to deep or infected wounds without medical guidance,  while sugar can promote healing in minor cuts, improper use may worsen more serious injuries. In the home, do not use sugar based cleaners on electronics or delicate surfaces, as the granules can scratch screens or seep into crevices, causing long term damage. 

And when using sugar for pest control, keep it away from areas prone to attracting ants unless that’s your intended target, sugar can inadvertently lure in more pests if not used carefully. As with any DIY solution, it’s important to understand the limits of sugar’s versatility and use it thoughtfully to avoid any unwanted unfortunate consequences.

Rethinking Sugar: A Sweet Staple With Serious Potential

Who knew that a humble bag of sugar sitting in your kitchen cupboard could be such a multi-talented powerhouse? From soothing sore throats and healing wounds to cleaning stubborn stains and powering industries, sugar proves it’s far more than just a sweetener. 

Its natural properties make it useful in health, beauty, home care, gardening, and even sustainable manufacturing, bridging the gap between tradition and innovation. While it’s wise to be mindful of our dietary sugar intake, it’s equally wise to recognise its value beyond the spoon.

Ready to see sugar in a new light? Try one of these unconventional uses at home and discover just how versatile this pantry essential can be. Don’t forget to share your favourite sugar hacks or new discoveries, you might just inspire someone else to sweeten their routine in unexpected ways!

SEE ALSO: Sugar Cravings Taking Over? You Might Have an Addiction Without Realising It!

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