We all know that potatoes can be cooked in dozens of delicious ways — and maybe that’s all. Yet it turns out this veggie can be used in for cleaning silverware, lightening underarms, and even creating some works of art.

Bright Side has made a list of 13 unexpected situations where potatoes can become your best friend. Enjoy!

1. Get rid of rust easily.

Well, this one happens to all of us. Metal rusts, and it’s totally normal, but the question is how to remove this thing from a tap or one of your frying pans. Surprisingly, a potato can help you out.

2. Treat your burns.

Hey, this one is pretty serious. Note that the method described below is more suitable for sunburns, but don’t worry: we’ll tell you how you can change it to treat other minor burns.

If you’re dealing with boiling water or similar burns, potato slices won’t do. Here the potatoes’ juice works like magic (and slices can hurt badly), so go for a raw potato mash — it’s the most delicate and “wet” way.

Gently apply the mash to the burn and leave it on until the pain disappears. It may take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours, so keep calm, and change the mash when it turns brown.

Remember: the faster you react, the better the result will be.

3. Kiss stains goodbye.

Yep, we’re absolutely serious. Potatoes may help you remove stains from different fabrics.

If you’ve stained your hands with berries, beetroot, or other food, simply cut a raw potato into halves and rub your hands clean. Perfect!

4. Keep your leather shoes clean and shiny.

Leather footwear looks and feels great. It’s both comfortable and long-lasting, but it can still get scratched or fade over time. A simple potato can fix it though. If your shoes look worn-out and dirty, try this:

5. Save blackened silverware.

Everyone knows that silver has an annoying tendency to become darker and blacker over time. It’s natural, but what if you want your shiny spoons back? Well, here’s what you need:

6. Lighten your armpits.

Summer is coming and we all want to look our best in tees and tank tops. If your underarms look somewhat dark, here are several ways to fix them with potatoes. Just don’t expect immediate results, because all home remedies take time to work their magic.

Way #1:

Way #2:

Both ways should be repeated twice a day for at least 4 weeks for visible results.

7. Make the headache go away.

Ah, these awful headaches! If you’re tired of living on pills, or are totally for natural remedies, check this one out:

8. Improve your health with potato juice.

Potato juice is packed with vitamins and minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C. Due to this, it strengthens your immune system and has a lot of other health benefits.

For example, the scientists from Manchester University have found that potato juice contains a molecule that cures ulcers and heartburn, and can even prevent the bacteria in your stomach from breeding. It can also lower your cholesterol, make you less prone to cancer, relieve constipation, and help you lose weight.

It’s also easy to make:

It may not taste like heaven, so feel free to add fresh juice from other veggies to mask the taste.

9. Make your skin glow.

As weird as it may sound, potatoes are great for your skin. The antioxidants, vitamin C, and starch found in them can moisturize your skin and feed it with the necessary nutrients. Here are some of the benefits to your skin and the ways to make use of them:

10. Say “no” to fogged up glasses.

If you’re a fellow 4-eyes, you know how irritating it is when you can’t even drink a cup of hot coffee or enter a warm room in winter without getting absolutely blinded for a couple of minutes. Don’t worry, potatoes will come to our rescue.

Simply cut a potato into halves, rub over your glasses, and wipe with a soft dry cloth. A cup of coffee anyone?

11. Make your windows squeaky clean.

No more chemicals on your windows, ladies and gentlemen. Rub a potato half all over your window and wipe with a dry cloth until it shines. As simple as it sounds!

12. Make hot and cold compresses.

It’s widely known that both heat and cold have incredible effects when applied as compresses: they can relieve cramps, muscle pain, improve blood circulation, relieve pain from bruises, and much more. Potatoes can perfectly be both the hot or cold compress.

13. Have fun with DIY stamps.

Alright, let’s finally change our focus from all this boring adult stuff. Do you remember playing with stamps in your childhood? You can make some DIY ones for your kid with a potato, a knife, and paint. Be creative and have some fun!

Use these colorful stamps to apply prints to your clothes, pillowcases, or to make colorful cards for your family — the sky is the limit when it comes to your imagination!

Which one surprised you the most? Have you tried any of these? Or maybe you know other awesome uses for potatoes? Share in the comments below!

Illustrated by Yekaterina Ragozina for BrightSide.me