Welcome back to 40 Ways to Recycle Household Items! In the first post in this series, I discussed ways to re-use everything from apple peels to junk mail. If you just get creative, you can find many additional uses for just about anything. In this post, We will look at 10 more items that are commonly seen as worthless and find new ways to re-use them!
1. An old small coffee can: Store used oil in it. Drain bacon grease into it and store in the fridge. When you want to add flavor to a dish, just use a teaspoon or two.
2. Banana Peels: Did you know you can use the inside of a banana peel to polish silver? It’s true! It will remove tarnish easily!
3. Old prescription bottles: Store spices in them when you buy in bulk. Also, use them for storing quarters or the laundry mat. Another great use for them is storing the extra buttons you get with blouses and other garments.
4. Broken plates: Use the small pieces as fillers in the bottom of pots to allow your plants to aerate. You can also use them for art projects and create tile mosaics with just a bit of plaster of Paris.
5. Butter wrappers: Save them in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge and use them to butter your baking pans. You can also use them for rubbing on your fingers to remove rings that are stuck.
6. If you have a green thumb with house plants and a fish tank, you have the best water for the plants right under your nose. When you clean your tank out, use the water and you will have amazing results. The natural growing algae in the fish tank will nourish your plants.
7. Old Mattress pads: Cut them up and use as traveling changing pads for your baby. You can also use them for placing down under a highchair to catch what baby drops.
8. Roll-on deodorant containers: Pry off the ball, clean them out and put watered-down tempera paint in them. They make great painters for toddlers and pre-school aged children.
9. Old children’s socks: Turn them into cat toys. Fill with catnip and tie off the ends. Kitty will play with them for hours.
10. Old Toothbrushes: They make amazing detailers for all kinds of cleaning projects. Clean grout with them, shoes and soles or shoes, around the bottom of the toilet and even cleaning your rings and other jewelry.
Be sure to come back next week for 10 more ways to recycle household items!
Check out all the posts in this series
