39 Unusual Uses for Cloves

Before I share all of the wonderful frugal living tips that we came up with for cloves, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for being so engaged in this series. As you know, this series began as a way to re-create my grandmother’s lost WWII Homemaking journal. The original quest was to gather as much information as we could remember and share this piece of my grandmother with our entire family. Throughout the past several weeks the series has morphed into more than what I had originally intended.
Week after week, more and more family members have joined in on the quest, offering their input on the topic of the week. It has become kind of a family reunion, all of us coming together to celebrate our family’s legacy. Without the help of my family this series probably would have fizzled out weeks ago. There were so many times when I just couldn’t think of a topic and thank goodness one of my family members would come to the rescue.

This series has also opened my eyes and made me look at things in a totally different way. Now, when I’m at the store and I need to purchase a product for a specific task, I ask myself two questions “Can this product be used for more than one task?” and “Is there a more frugal alternative?”. It’s amazing how much money you can save by asking yourself these two little questions.

Now let’s look at the multiple uses that you can get from a little jar of cloves.

Health
always consult a doctor before using cloves as a treatment

1. Bedsores – to reduce the risk, apply clove oil
   to the skin.
2. Bunions – to relieve pain, soak a rag in clove
   oil and apply to the area.
3. Burns – to relieve pain and avoid infection, immediately apply
   clove oil to the burn.
4. Circulation – to improve, rub the area with
   clove oil.
5. Congestion – to relieve, drink a tea made from 2
   cloves, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 crushed cardamom seeds and 1 black tea bag. This
   tea will help loosen mucus.
6. Cuts (minor)
   – to stop bleeding and reduce pain, immediately sprinkle with ground cloves.
7. Dry Socket
   – to reduce pain from tooth removal, apply the affected area with clove oil.
8. Earaches –
   to reduce pain and infection, dilute clove oil in olive oil, place on a cotton
   ball and place it in the ear.
9. Flatulence –
   to relieve, drink a tea made by steeping 5 cloves in 8 ounces of boiling water.
   Allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Drink 2-3 time per day.
10. Heartburn –
    to avoid, chew on a clove.
11. Hypertension
    – to help reduce, chew on cloves.
12. Indigestion
    – to prevent, drink a glass of water with a drop of clove oil before eating.
13. Libido – to
    increase, add a drop of clove oil in your beverage.
14. Muscles –
    to soothe aches and pains, rub the muscle with clove oil.
15. Nausea – to relieve, drink a glass of clove tea.
    To make the tea, add 1 tablespoon of ground whole cloves to 8 ounces of boiling
    water. Let it steep for up to 20 minutes. Don’t drink on an empty stomach.
16. Poison Oak or Poison Ivy – to relieve burning
    and itching, rub the affected area with clove oil.
17. Stomach Ache – to calm, put a drop or two of
    clove oil in your beverage.
18. Teething – to soothe teething pain, place a dab
    of clove oil on the gums.
19. Tension Headaches – to reduce pain, apply clove
    oil on a rag and place on your forehead or temples.
20. Toothache – to reduce pain, place a clove leaf
    on the area or apply clove oil to the affected area. Another option is to bite
    down on a clove.
21. Warts – to relieve pain, soak a rag in clove oil
    and apply to the area.

1. Acne – to stop breakouts, apply a facial mask to your entire
   face made from 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of honey and 3 drops of
   lemon juice. Allow the mixture to remain on your face for 20 minutes and then
   rinse with cold water.
2. Hair (Dark) – to enhance color and shine, pour 1 cup of
   boiling water over a mixture of 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   and ½ teaspoon ground cloves. Let the mixture steep for 30 minutes then strain
   and let it cool. Use as a final rinse after shampooing.
3. Breath – to freshen, chew on a clove.
4. Puffy Skin – to reduce puffiness, apply clove oil.
5. Skin – to moisturize dry skin, apply clove oil to your skin.
6. Stretch Marks – to lessen the appearance, apply clove oil to
   skin.