10 Brilliant Uses for Sugar

Simple ways the sweet staple saves the day

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1 STOP ANNOYING HICCUPS—FAST

The next time you’re saddled with a long-lasting case of the hiccups, try sprinkling a bit of sugar on the very back of your tongue. The sweet granules stimulate the vagus nerve in your throat—which is causing the hiccups—ending the spasms in a flash. Problem solved!

2 Easily clean a litter box

Fluffy keeps ripping holes in the plastic liner in her litter box, causing her pee to accumulate in the pan itself. The result? A wet mess that's hard to clean. To avoid this, sprinkle sugar in the box before adding a new liner. The sugar will soak up any dampness that seeps through the liner. (Note: The litter will mask the sugar's scent, so it won't attract ants.)

3 Extend the life of flowers

Few things make you smile quite like a vase filled with fresh garden blooms. The problem? They always die so quickly! To help the flowers last longer, add 1 Tbs. of sugar and 1 Tbs. of vinegar to the vase before adding flowers. The sucrose content in the sugar provides nourishment for the blooms while the vinegar kills bacteria that could cause them to become faded and wilt.