photo by gypsygirl09

Reuse it instead of throwing it away. You hear this often, but you don’t want to save too many containers and create clutter. This is why it’s important to reduce the amount of packaging you buy in the first place. You pay more for items with excessive packaging, and you create more waste. So look for concentrated or refillable products, buy in bulk when possible, or buy larger items you can easily divide into smaller amounts. Also, don’t forget to aim for packaging that can be recycled.

Often, you’ll still have some disposable containers in your home. Fortunately, finding at least one additional use for everyday household items is easy. Pause before you toss it. Decide whether you can use it for another purpose or whether it’s recyclable. One common household item is dishwashing soap containers. They have the perfect little squirt nozzles that are just begging to be used again. Keep in mind that pump containers or a spray bottle filled with diluted dish soap will help you use less product. Also, dish-soap containers are not food grade, so they should not be reused to store food. One reader, Vail in Washington, shares: “I use one for putting Miracle-Gro on my plants. I mix the concentrate with water right in the soap bottle, and it’s easy to apply into those small pots without splashing.”
Here are a few more suggestions to reuse them.

TOY TIME: They make fun tub toys for kids. They can also be used to help rinse sudsy hair. Toss a couple into the kiddie pool for summer squirting fun. You can use it to remove grass on your child’s feet or to store homemade bubbles, too.

Homemade Bubbles

1 gallon water
2/3 cup liquid dish soap
2 to 3 tablespoons glycerin or corn syrup

Stir together. Test and adjust ingredients until desired results are reached.

CLEANERS: They are great small, portable containers to clean car windows or for laundry detergent for the laundromat. Or use them as containers for homemade stain cleaners.

Window Cleaner

2 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap

Combine all ingredients in a dish-soap bottle.

Homemade Laundry Stain Pretreater

1 clean, empty dish-soap bottle
1/8 of the bottle filled with lemon ammonia
1/8 of the bottle filled with liquid laundry detergent (Make sure that it is not the bleach-added version.)
cold water

Pour in ammonia, add laundry detergent, and then slowly pour in the cold water. Swirl gently until all ingredients are well combined. Use this on stained clothing except silk or delicate fabrics. Saturate stains. Leave pretreater on for a bit, and then launder in hottest temperature possible according to fabric-care label.

CRAFTS: You can buy bulk school glue and paint and reuse and refill dish-soap bottles to store them.

CONSERVE WATER: Fill larger containers with water, and put it in the toilet tank, to have less water needed to fill the tank.

PARK OR BEACH: Partially fill with water and freeze the night before your outing. Use to keep food and drinks cold in the cooler. Once the water has melted, use it to clean dirty hands, remove sand, cool skin or cool down hot benches or playground equipment.

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