22 Wacky Uses for
Jell-O® Gelatin

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Unclog a drain. Vinegar dissolves most clogs, but, unfortunately, if you pour vinegar down a clogged drain, the acetic acid will seep down your pipes before it gets a chance to eat away the clog. Instead, dissolve one small package of Jell-O in one cup boiling water. Let cool. In a measuring cup, mix 1.5 ounces of Heinz White Vinegar with 6.5 ounces of water. Add the vinegar mixture to the Jell-O mixture. Let gel in refrigerator until almost set, but liquid enough to flow slowly. Pour down the drain. Let sit overnight. The Jell-O will clog up the pipes, giving the acetic acid in the vinegar a chance to eat away the clog. Then flush the drain with water to wash away the Jell-O.
Style your hair. If you’ve got a hot date or big job interview and you’re all out of mousse, hair spray, and styling gel, go to your refrigerator and grab a bowl of Jell-O. A little dab’ll do ya. Just rub a drop of Jell-O through your hair and comb. It works just like mousse. Or use a teaspoon of Jell-O powder dissolved in a cup of warm water. Jell-O comes in plenty of flavors, giving you a nice variety to work with. (Topping the Jell-O in your hair with whipped cream is optional.)
Make marshmallows. Gelatin is the main ingredient in any cookbook for marshmallows.
Play a practical joke. On a cold night, fill a warm bath with Jell-O, then open the window to let it gel.
Make Wine Jell-O. The Joy of Cooking suggests boiling one cup water, mixing with gelatin powder in a bowl until dissolved, then adding one cup red wine. Stir well, then refrigerate for four hours or until mixture gels. Serves four.
Wrestle in Jell-O. Pour 2,347 boxes of Jell-O into an eight-foot-square padded box, add boiling water, and chill for two days.
Add a wonderful flavor and color to apple pie filling. Before putting the top crust on a two-crust apple pie, sprinkle one-quarter cup of your favorite flavor Jell-O powder over the apples. Cover with crust and bake.
Watch seedlings grow roots. For a great science experiment for children, grow seeds in Jell-O and observe the root structures. (Before planting the seeds in Jell-O, sprout the seeds. Cut a three inch strip from a sheet of Bounty Paper Towel, dampen, and lay it on top of a strip of Saran Wrap. Place the seeds on top of the paper towel at the intervals recommended on the seed packet. Cover with another strip of damp Bounty Paper Towel, then roll the paper and plastic together, place in a Ziploc Storage Bag, and store in a warm place. When the roots begin to sprout, plant the seeds in a clear cup or glass filled with Jell-O.)
Enhance martial relations. Empty seven to ten boxes of Jell-O powder in a bathtub, add just enough hot water to dissolve it, then add cold water until the Jell-O starts to get slimy, then get in with your loved one. (To clean the Jell-O out of the bathtub, simply run the hot water.)
Make an ice pack. Prepare Jell-O according to the directions on the box and let cool enough to pour into a Ziploc Freezer Bag until three-quarters full. Seal the bag shut securely, freeze, wrap in a sheet of paper towel, and you have a home-made, flexible ice pack. When the Jell-O melts, simply refreeze. Place around your eye for ten minutes to relieve the pain, reduces the swelling, and constrict the blood vessels to prevent discoloration.
Sow small seeds evenly and easily. Mix one package of Jell-O with just enough water to create a thick gel with the consistency of mustard. Mix small seeds into the gel, pour the mixture into a clean, empty Ziploc Storage Bag, seal securely, cut a small hole in the corner of bag, and then squeeze the bag to squirt a line of goop from the hole into even rows. The Jell-O keeps the seeds moist, the nitrogen in Jell-O enhances plant growth and hastens sprouting, and the sugar feeds the microbes in the soil, producing more nutrients for the plant. You can also squirt a line of the goop onto one-inch-wide strips of Bounty Paper Towel, let dry, then plant the paper strips in the garden.