What is beeswax
Beeswax is a beautiful natural product that is the foundation of the beehive. Young worker bees make it by converting sugar, from honey they have consumed, into the wax. This is secreted as wax scales through tiny pores on the lower side of their abdomen.
(Bee Fact) Bee must consume 225g of honey to produce 28g of wax
1. Beeswax wraps
Beeswax wraps are a great way to replace single-use plastics in your house/lunchbox. The only thing is you cannot store raw meats in them.
Common uses for beeswax wraps:
- Store leftover cut fruits and veg
Here is a video of a happy customer who started using beeswax wraps she bought from Goodwood Produce.
As you will see, she forgot about a banana she had cut in half, wrapped it with a beeswax wrap, put it in the fridge and left it for six days. You will love the result.
- Sandwiches
If you love fresh bread sandwiches, then you have to try beeswax wraps as they keep your bread lovely and fresh, so when you stop to have lunch, your sandwiches are as fresh as when you made them
I recommend 30cm x 30cm for your sandwiches (what I use for the kids’ lunchboxes) that have spreads on them like vegemite or jams
For your big sandwiches like ham salad or multiple sandwiches with spread on them, I recommend going a bigger size like the 35cm x 35cm
- Platters
A great way to keep your platters fresh for parties
One thing to keep in mind for places like us here in sunny Queensland, Australia, don’t leave wraps out in direct sunlight as it does get hot enough to melt the beeswax
These are just a few great ways to use them. Another awesome benefit is that you can make them as big as you need in any style you want, as long as you can get the pattern in 100% cotton. But if you are not crafty, you can always get someone like Goodwood Produce to make them for you.
2. Candles
Making candles can be a fun family activity that you can get the kids and their imagination involved in, with only the need of a few things
Beeswax
Coconut oil
Wick (these can be made yourself or bought premade)
Essential oils (if you want different scents)
Container (recycle glass jars can make your candles cheaper and more eco-friendly); if you have a bottle cutter, you can even make them out of old wine or beer bottles, but always be careful when cutting glass.
3. Metalwork, screws & nails
Having a block of beeswax in your workshop is excellent for many reasons, but here are a couple of uses for metalwork, screws and nails:
When cutting or drilling metal, use beeswax to stop the swarf flying around and to help lube the cut.
Put beeswax on your screws before screwing into the wood; this helps lower the chances of your wood splitting
Coating your nails helps make it easier to hammer them into wood
4. Caravan awnings
Being rained on when camping is never fun but what is worse is when your awning leaks, and a common place for this is in the stitching. So a great way to stop this is to waterproof the seam, and a cheap and effective way to do this is using beeswax. Some people suggest straight beeswax while others will say to use a mix like ones used in leather or rust protection. Make a paste with 1 part wax, 1 part turpentine, ½ part linseed oil, that you then apply. I personally like the mix as I use it for so many things in the workshop, so I have it on hand for things like awnings.
5. Sliding wood on wood
As you may know, a cheap way to make a drawer is a box that slides along a wooden tongue which can be great but can stick easily. A way to stop this is simple yet very effective. Simply rub beeswax along both surfaces which will not only protect the wood but make it slide like a dream.
6. Furniture polish
When making furniture polish, there are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind. Will it be applied to furniture such as a chair or will the surface come into direct contact with food, like a chopping board or cheese board? If it is for food, then I would recommend making a beeswax mix using 4 parts (food-grade) linseed/flaxseed oil and 1 part wax. For things like shelves or chairs, I like to use my workshop mix of 1 part wax, 1 part turpentine, and ½ part linseed oil mix mainly because I always have this on hand.
7. Lip balms
Make your own lip balms using beeswax which can be a fun family activity where you can get as creative as you would like with flavours and smells. This can be a great inexpensive Christmas or birthday present for friends/family.
8. Hand /face creams
If you like hand and face creams then making your own can be a great way to know exactly what is in it. So if you have sensitive skin, you can work out your own formula that not only works for you but does not react with your skin. But like all skincare when using it for the first time only apply a small amount and wait and see if you have an allergic reaction to it before continuing use.
9. Firestarters
Make firestarters using a 1:1 sawdust, beeswax ratio. Store them with your camping gear or wherever you need to have them on hand and you will never need to worry about the fire starting again.
10. Waterproof your shoes
You can waterproof your shoes with 1 part wax, 1 part turpentine and ½ part linseed oil which I find works well around the farm.
11. Grafting wax
You can use beeswax when grafting. It will protect your graft from infection and help it take hold.
12. Feet care
If you have dry cracked heels then you need to try making your own cream that will fix them right up. Use beeswax, coconut oil and magnesium to make the cream. I have found best results by using it at night, after I have showered.
Vapour rub
After a natural alternative for a vapour rub? Then you have to try making your own. You can do this by mixing:
Olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil
Beeswax
Eucalyptus oil
Peppermint oil
Rosemary oil
Cinnamon oil
Remember, like all skincare, when using it for the first time, only apply a small amount and wait and see if you have an allergic reaction to it, before continuing use.
14. Cooking
Beeswax can be used in cooking things like Canelé or cooking fish in melted beeswax.
15. Waterproof matches
Need waterproof matches and only have regular matches? Well, a mix of 3 parts mineral spirits to 1 part wax is great to dip your matches in and you will have dry matches ready when you need them.
16. Rust protection
Protect your tools from rust or protect freshly made metal projects by using the 1 part wax, 1 part turpentine and ½ part linseed oil mix.
17. Earplugs
Do you have a partner that snores, or you have a job that requires the use of earplugs, and you want to make your own? Try covering cotton balls in beeswax to make your own that will mould to your ears and protect them from loud noises or give you a better night’s sleep.
18. Leather protection
Leather in your workshop like leather aprons protect you when you are working, so it is only fair to protect your leather with 1 part wax, 1 part turpentine and ½ part linseed oil mix. Not only will it keep your leather looking good and stop it from going hard, it will waterproof it as well.
Conclusion
For such little animals, bees just keep on giving, from their raw honey to their beeswax, they never cease to amaze us. This is just a small list of things you can do with beeswax, and people keep finding new ways to use beeswax all the time. Just think, you might be the next person to come up with a use that changes the way millions of people worldwide do things. If you want some beeswax to start making or protecting things, Goodwood Produce is always happy to help, so contact us today.