10 extraordinary ways marshmallows can make your life better

If you're working on a pipe and need to plug a slow drip while you're soldering a joint or gluing two pieces together, stick a large marshmallow in the pipe. "It will block the water for a few minutes until you can complete the job. Once the joint is soldered into place and checked, you can turn the water back on and the marshmallow will dissolve completely, advised this Reddit user. I gave it a shot and the tip worked perfectly.

If you seem to never be able to get the birthday boy or girl to blow out candles before wax drips down onto the cake, marshmallows are your answer. Push each birthday candle into a marshmallow and then place them on the cake for lighting. The marshmallows will catch any wax drips before they make it to the icing.

OK, now this one sounds like it totally wouldn't work, but this Reddit user recommended it, so I gave it a shot. To clean out your garlic press, put a whole, large marshmallow in the press and squeeze it like you would a garlic clove. The marshmallow pushes out all the little bits of garlic. But now you have a sticky mess, right? Nope. The marshmallow dissolves in a little hot water. My garlic press never looked cleaner.

I hate the little cloud of dust that rises up when I empty a vacuum canister. You can prevent a dust plume by adding a marshmallow to the canister before you vacuum. The marshmallow attracts the dust so there isn't a big poof of grossness when you open the canister. Just remember not to leave the marshmallow in the canister or you may attract ants.

You know how marshmallows tend to burst into flame when you try to roast them? Well, harness that crazy flammability and use them for torches when you go camping. Just stick a couple fat marshmallows on a stick and light it up. Your torch will last long enough for you to make it from the campfire to the latrine and back. Just make sure not to hold the torch too close to your head or you may become a human version of this tip.

Another way to harness the mallow's burning capabilities is to use it as a safety lighter. Everyone I know uses way too much lighter fluid when starting the grill. Lighting that fluid with a lighter gets your hands, and eyebrows, way too close to the action. Next time, light a marshmallow and throw it in your grill to light the lighter fluid.

The next time you are mailing food items, use marshmallows as packing material. They will keep your baked goods, candies and other yummy treats safe with the added Earth-friendliness of being biodegradable. Only use this trick during cold weather, though, or your package may be full of melted goo when it arrives.

Big clumps in your brown sugar can put a halt to your baking endeavor. To keep it clump-free, just plop a marshmallow in the bag or container. The mallow adds just enough moisture to the bag or container to keep the brown sugar from drying out.

Transporting cake can be a struggle. Keep your icing pretty by placing a few marshmallows on the cake before you cover it in plastic wrap. The marshmallows will hold up the plastic wrap so that it doesn't cling to the icing. Make sure to place the marshmallows on parts of the cake with the least decoration for the best results.

Marshmallows get really cold, but are still pretty soft when they're frozen. This makes them perfect for homemade ice packs. Just put a few into a freezer bag and then toss the bag into the freezer for about three hours.