Don’t toss those milk jugs just yet
photo by Paul Mayne
Channel your inner MacGyver. Why throw out common household items if they can be reused? Recycling is wonderful. Maybe you recycle what you can and then move on. But if you can reuse your ordinary stuff, that’s even better. Finding a second use for items such as milk jugs is simple. That’s why I’m here. And you thought they were only good for watering plants, and as bird feeders, seed starters and funnels.
HOLIDAY OR PARTY LIGHTS: Save a few or save a lot of jugs and fill them with sand to weigh them down. Using a string of 25 multicolor C9 lights, insert every other bulb on the string into the top opening of each jug. Or use low-wattage strings of lights (smaller bulbs), slit the side of each jug and insert approximately 30 lights per jug. Thread lights through the slit on each jug. It makes festive party lights. You can use a black permanent marker and acrylic paints to draw faces on the milk jugs, too. If you don’t want to use electric lights, insert a votive candle into your jug, which should be partially filled with sand.
YARN HOLDER: Cut off the top of a jug to the point where a skein or ball of yarn can fit through. Place the yarn inside. Pull the end of the yarn through the handle. When you’re working with the yarn, it won’t get tangled. If you have a cat, this holder is kitty-proof.
PLASTIC BAG HOLDER: Haven’t converted to cloth bags yet? Cut a hole or slit the side of a plastic milk jug and store your plastic grocery bags.
DRYER-LINT HOLDER: Place a jug with a hole cut out of the side in the laundry room. Each time you empty your lint trap, place the dryer lint into your plastic jug.
BEACH TOYS: Cut a jug in half. One side is a scoop, and the other side is a bucket or sand mold. It can work for snow, too.
OUTDOOR HAND-WASHING: Poke a small hole in the bottom of a jug. Block the hole with a golf tee. Fill with water and hang the jug in a handy spot. Remove the golf tee to release a stream of water. You can attach soap to the handle of the jug by placing it in a spare nylon and tying on the nylon. It’s great for a quick wash-up if the kids have been playing in the sandbox.
SEPARATOR: Cut out a few circles or squares from jugs, and use them as meat-patty dividers when making burgers to store in the freezer.
BATHROOM USE: Use a plastic jug with a section cut out to hold your toilet brush or plunger.
HOT WATER: In the summer, fill a few and let them heat up outside in the sun. You can use the water to hand-wash dishes.
KITCHEN ORGANIZERS: Cut the tops of jugs until you’re left with a shallow container. It can be used on pantry and refrigerator shelves to organize. You can fill a jug with rice or popcorn for easy dispensing. A spare jug makes a shatterproof change jar, too.
How do you reuse plastic milk jugs?
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Posted by Sara Noel
on June 7 2008. Filed under Frugal & simple living, Home & family.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with United Media. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook.
I reuse my milk jugs or laundry detergent containers as a clothes pin holder that hangs right on the clothes line. I cut about a 1 inch slice out of the handle towards the bottom (to hook over the clothesline). Then I cut out an opening on the front side, about half-way up and to just under the lid opening. I’ve had the same pin holder for over 10 years!
21These comments are so interesting! I didn’t know about the milk in one liter bags. I wish they did that here.
22Rhiana from A Frugal Life´s last blog ..Blog Giveaway: The Couponizer
I store my bulk grains and staples(popcorn,sugar,cornmeal,barley,etc.)very easy to fill and pour out.
23Another good use is like an OLLA.Poke holes on all sides,bury in my garden and raised beds with just the neck poking out,plant veggies and flowers around jugs and fill with water,waters only the roots.
Another use is fill jug 3/4 with water ,freeze.In summer,put in rabbit hutch when hot out to keep rabbits cool.They will lay between two frozen jugs and stay cool.
Sue
We use our milk jugs for scoops, cut out the top area around the handle and there you go.Works for getting birdseed ,dogfood and catfood out of the coolers(where we store food so rodents cant get in,and uses the space when we dont need. We also use them for ice blocks, keep the blocks in the jug and far less mess(no watered down cheese)Our Girl Scout troop loved the outside hand cleaner( we use nylon to hold the soap so it doesnt drop).
24dryer lint makes a good fire starter
25Those plastic coffee jugs work well also.
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