Reusing things around the house
January 14, 2019 9:22 AM Subscribe
I'm trying to reduce waste and save money by repurposing things. I'm saving containers before I have any idea what to do with them. Help me brainstorm?
I'm saving old food containers - parmesan cheese dispensers, glass olive jars, that kind of thing. I'm a bit of a minimalist and prefer a clean aesthetic but don't mind mismatched containers if they are the same color/clear. I need kitchen, hobby, lifestyle, and parenting purposes for my saved objects. Can you hope me?
I'm saving old food containers - parmesan cheese dispensers, glass olive jars, that kind of thing. I'm a bit of a minimalist and prefer a clean aesthetic but don't mind mismatched containers if they are the same color/clear. I need kitchen, hobby, lifestyle, and parenting purposes for my saved objects. Can you hope me?
When I was a kid, we used old glass jars to hold water for water color painting.
My mom washed the "plates" purchased meat comes on and used them to feed the dog.
And once when I bought a nice soapdish, my Mom asked why I couldn't just use a cottage cheese container lid instead. I'm not recommending that one.
posted by FencingGal at 9:38 AM on January 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
My mom washed the "plates" purchased meat comes on and used them to feed the dog.
And once when I bought a nice soapdish, my Mom asked why I couldn't just use a cottage cheese container lid instead. I'm not recommending that one.
posted by FencingGal at 9:38 AM on January 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
Mix hand soap (castile soap + water...) in a big container and put some by each sink.
Do meal prep weekly and use the containers to freeze/store meals for the week.
Sort random screws, nails, bolts, washers, and other parts, and that way you have them handy when you need to fix something.
Try to save containers that are the same size as ones you already have so that you don't have an overflowing drawer of pots and lids that you have to dig through every time you want to use one.
But also, think carefully about whether the flimsier containers are worth saving: some should not be reheated, some grow brittle quickly, some are weakened by sunlight.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:40 AM on January 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
Do meal prep weekly and use the containers to freeze/store meals for the week.
Sort random screws, nails, bolts, washers, and other parts, and that way you have them handy when you need to fix something.
Try to save containers that are the same size as ones you already have so that you don't have an overflowing drawer of pots and lids that you have to dig through every time you want to use one.
But also, think carefully about whether the flimsier containers are worth saving: some should not be reheated, some grow brittle quickly, some are weakened by sunlight.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:40 AM on January 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
Small produce items are sometimes sold in hard nylon mesh bags. Garlic and Shallots are common examples. Those nylon mesh bags make great pot scrubbers. They work much better than the pot scrubbers you can buy in stores. They last pretty much forever and they are easy to rinse out.
Note, make sure you get the hard nylon mesh bags. Lots of produce comes in soft mesh bags (e.g. avocados) that won't work at all.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 9:55 AM on January 14, 2019 [3 favorites]
Note, make sure you get the hard nylon mesh bags. Lots of produce comes in soft mesh bags (e.g. avocados) that won't work at all.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 9:55 AM on January 14, 2019 [3 favorites]
Rather than saving these items for yourself and trying to invent ways to use them, could you find a local school/daycare or arts organization that could use them? Keeps items out of the landfill but is less mentally taxing and disruptive to your minimalist aesthetic, as you just need a place to temporarily store them.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 10:15 AM on January 14, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 10:15 AM on January 14, 2019 [5 favorites]
If you do yarn crafts, you can poke a smooth-ish hole in the bottom of a plastic container so the yarn can poke out and the ball is contained in the container. This can make it easier for kids to pull the yarn and not get it everywhere. (If you poke the hole in the lid, the lid can more easily be detached.)
If you buy fruit in those Costco-style plastic clamshell containers that have a round containment for each individual fruit, you can poke a hole in each for multiple balls of yarn, which is good for a classroom or group setting.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:16 AM on January 14, 2019
If you buy fruit in those Costco-style plastic clamshell containers that have a round containment for each individual fruit, you can poke a hole in each for multiple balls of yarn, which is good for a classroom or group setting.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:16 AM on January 14, 2019
* pulls up chair and sits down *
I re-use glass jars for food storage all the time. As a space-saving measure in my pantry and fridge, as any food item runs slow in its original container, I decant it to a smaller container - this frees up space, and since I'm usually decanting it into a clear container I have the constant visual reminder of "oh yeah, I have [blah] that I can use" every time I open the cupboard or fridge. If you're worried you'll forget what an item is after you've put it in a jar, they make write-on wipe-off labels you can stick on containers, and then you can just write on what the new thing is with a whiteboard pen and wipe that lettering off when you change it up again.
Parmaesan dispensers - you're talking about the things with shaker tops, yeah? There are a lot of recipes for cakes that call for a dusting of powdered sugar instead of frosting; turn one of the parmaesan dispensers into a powdered sugar shaker. Rinse it out pretty carefully, make sure it's dry and then decant in powdered sugar. (Cover it with a pretty patterned wrapping paper too.)
Big glass jars can also be used as display-able cookie and candy storage for the holidays.
Will come back as I think of more.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:21 AM on January 14, 2019 [6 favorites]
I re-use glass jars for food storage all the time. As a space-saving measure in my pantry and fridge, as any food item runs slow in its original container, I decant it to a smaller container - this frees up space, and since I'm usually decanting it into a clear container I have the constant visual reminder of "oh yeah, I have [blah] that I can use" every time I open the cupboard or fridge. If you're worried you'll forget what an item is after you've put it in a jar, they make write-on wipe-off labels you can stick on containers, and then you can just write on what the new thing is with a whiteboard pen and wipe that lettering off when you change it up again.
Parmaesan dispensers - you're talking about the things with shaker tops, yeah? There are a lot of recipes for cakes that call for a dusting of powdered sugar instead of frosting; turn one of the parmaesan dispensers into a powdered sugar shaker. Rinse it out pretty carefully, make sure it's dry and then decant in powdered sugar. (Cover it with a pretty patterned wrapping paper too.)
Big glass jars can also be used as display-able cookie and candy storage for the holidays.
Will come back as I think of more.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:21 AM on January 14, 2019 [6 favorites]
Hardware, paperclips, pens, rubber bands, candy, spare change, certain toys with small parts, give away as gifts with pre-mixed cookie dough ingredients inside.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:30 AM on January 14, 2019
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:30 AM on January 14, 2019
Garden uses:
Gardeners often keep of a stack of yogurt containers for covering new plants at night during a late frost
Start new seeds in egg cartons
Any container can be useful for starting clippings into new plants to give away or swap. It's a perfect thing to do with vine houseplants like pothos or wandering jew, since the vines need to be pinched off regularly anyway.
posted by veery at 10:56 AM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
Gardeners often keep of a stack of yogurt containers for covering new plants at night during a late frost
Start new seeds in egg cartons
Any container can be useful for starting clippings into new plants to give away or swap. It's a perfect thing to do with vine houseplants like pothos or wandering jew, since the vines need to be pinched off regularly anyway.
posted by veery at 10:56 AM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
Drawer dividers. Separate the box or jar from its lid; lids have just enough depth to divide very shallow drawers. Nothing has to look fancy or match because the whole thing will be hidden by the drawer itself, and by the stuff you keep in it.
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 11:21 AM on January 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 11:21 AM on January 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
For the "pre-mixed cookie dough" category - there are scores of "[blah] in a jar" recipes on line that let you make up soup mixes, dip mixes, cake mixes, instant coffee mixes, spice mixes, etc. and these are good for DIY gift options.
I got this book recently that has a lot of ideas for how to repurpose jars for things; it says "mason jars" but they have projects for the clasp-lid jars, recycled food jars, etc. There are food craft options, but also instructions for making small-item storage, candles, potpourri canisters, vases, drink tumblers....there are instructions for how to gussy up jars with paint, decoupage medium, fabric, and the like as well, so you can adapt to your own aesthetic.
Speaking of which - I also find that cardboard-with-a-plastic-top cylindrical containers, like pringles cans, are good. Coffee tins also work (like the old-school metal coffee tins). These can be repainted or covered in paper to decorate them in keeping with your aesthetic as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:26 AM on January 14, 2019
I got this book recently that has a lot of ideas for how to repurpose jars for things; it says "mason jars" but they have projects for the clasp-lid jars, recycled food jars, etc. There are food craft options, but also instructions for making small-item storage, candles, potpourri canisters, vases, drink tumblers....there are instructions for how to gussy up jars with paint, decoupage medium, fabric, and the like as well, so you can adapt to your own aesthetic.
Speaking of which - I also find that cardboard-with-a-plastic-top cylindrical containers, like pringles cans, are good. Coffee tins also work (like the old-school metal coffee tins). These can be repainted or covered in paper to decorate them in keeping with your aesthetic as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:26 AM on January 14, 2019
I try to buy in glass jars whenever possible: peanut butter, mayo, bouillon and occasionally salsa. These are especially useful for homegrown or bulk herbs, making yogurt and keeping sauerkraut and kimchee but line the lids with wax paper or plastic wrap for the last two so they don't rust. I have larger jars, about one quart that hold beans, dried vegetables, etc on purpose-built shelves. Instead of a label on the outside (I hate trying to get off label glue) I write a label on paper and tuck it in the jar so it shows from the outside. A few bottles are useful for homemade salad dressing.
Parmesan containers make good shakers as mentioned above. I keep baking soda in them in the bathroom and kitchen for cleaning. I don't find opaque plastic containers very useful as I forget what's in them but if they can't be recycled i put in wet, greasy trash which keeps fats and oils out of the septic system and the trash can cleaner.
posted by Botanizer at 11:40 AM on January 14, 2019
Parmesan containers make good shakers as mentioned above. I keep baking soda in them in the bathroom and kitchen for cleaning. I don't find opaque plastic containers very useful as I forget what's in them but if they can't be recycled i put in wet, greasy trash which keeps fats and oils out of the septic system and the trash can cleaner.
posted by Botanizer at 11:40 AM on January 14, 2019
Oh, glass jars are also good for DIY container candles. All you need to make the candle proper is some wax, some wicks (they make wicks pre-stuck on the anchor-thing that you stick to the bottom of the container) and if you want it to have a color or scent, some color or scent. All of which can be found at craft stores.
Once you've got all that, then melt the wax, put some wicks in your jar (if it's a fat jar, maybe use three) and then pour in the wax. Presto - candle.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:45 AM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
Once you've got all that, then melt the wax, put some wicks in your jar (if it's a fat jar, maybe use three) and then pour in the wax. Presto - candle.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:45 AM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
I haven't tried this yet myself, but the next time I empty one of those Lysol wipes containers, they are apparently pretty good for plastic grocery bag storage and containment.*
I also use Birchbox containers as drawer dividers and those little glass French yogurt jars as like thumbtack/paperclip containers.
Not sure if you do much camping, but if you have the paperboard egg cartons, you can pour melted wax from soon-to-be-spent candles and old dryer lint into the cups to make some killer low-cost campfire starters.
If you've got some spare fabric and some glue, I followed this tutorial for making a larger fabric covered drawer organizer more than a decade ago (here is mine!) and it's still going strong.
*I do try to use reusable bags most of the time, but I also have two dogs, so having plastic bags on hand is often a necessity.
posted by helloimjennsco at 12:24 PM on January 14, 2019 [3 favorites]
I also use Birchbox containers as drawer dividers and those little glass French yogurt jars as like thumbtack/paperclip containers.
Not sure if you do much camping, but if you have the paperboard egg cartons, you can pour melted wax from soon-to-be-spent candles and old dryer lint into the cups to make some killer low-cost campfire starters.
If you've got some spare fabric and some glue, I followed this tutorial for making a larger fabric covered drawer organizer more than a decade ago (here is mine!) and it's still going strong.
*I do try to use reusable bags most of the time, but I also have two dogs, so having plastic bags on hand is often a necessity.
posted by helloimjennsco at 12:24 PM on January 14, 2019 [3 favorites]
I keep a jar by the stove to decant used cooking oil. When the jar is full, toss it and pull out another. No fatbergs clogging up my pipes!
posted by basalganglia at 4:20 PM on January 14, 2019
posted by basalganglia at 4:20 PM on January 14, 2019
A lot of my household storage is done in reused containers:
- 1 gallon and half-gallon milk jugs full of grains, beans, and peas
- 5lb yogurt tubs for dry goods like flour and sugar, and as bulk tupperware for meal prep
- round 1L and 0.5L Redditainer tupperware from liver and take-out, as everyday tupperware
- grocery bags, as wastebin liners but also in many applications where one might otherwise use a ziplock bag.
+1 to wenestvedt who pointed out the value of standardizing on a few sizes of containers. I have one size of round Redditainer lid that fits either the 0.5L or 1L Redditainer bottom, and then the 5lb yogurt tub and lid.
Shoeboxes are great for organizing things in the freezer, because they let you group related containers into a regular and stackable shape. E.g., you want to buy nuts in bulk but you don't want the oil to go rancid, so you put them in the freezer. Now you've got 8 floppy bags of nuts sliding around every time you open the door. Instead, put them all in a shoebox, and you can even stack other stuff on top.
Also, I know you're asking about re-using things, but sometimes a small purchase can enable greater savings later. For example, I bought a bunch of 12 oz squeezy bottles, and now I can buy dishwashing detergent, soy sauce, and vinegar by the gallon. Did you know that canola oil comes in 32lb jugs? Get yourself a pump so you can aliquot out a manageable portion without lifting the jug, and that's a lot of 0.5L bottles saved.
Finally, I think this is less true for women, but a lot of men's clothes can be mended a few times and eventually down-cycled as patches, rags, rugs, or quilts. (Women's clothing is more likely to be a flimsier fabric that just melts away uniformly instead of suffering discrete tears.) This is definitely well into hobbyist territory, and I'll be honest that I have a lot of mending piled up on my sewing table, but if you get any entertainment value out of sewing, that's a great way to make things last longer and reuse them when they do eventually die.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 11:41 PM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
- 1 gallon and half-gallon milk jugs full of grains, beans, and peas
- 5lb yogurt tubs for dry goods like flour and sugar, and as bulk tupperware for meal prep
- round 1L and 0.5L Redditainer tupperware from liver and take-out, as everyday tupperware
- grocery bags, as wastebin liners but also in many applications where one might otherwise use a ziplock bag.
+1 to wenestvedt who pointed out the value of standardizing on a few sizes of containers. I have one size of round Redditainer lid that fits either the 0.5L or 1L Redditainer bottom, and then the 5lb yogurt tub and lid.
Shoeboxes are great for organizing things in the freezer, because they let you group related containers into a regular and stackable shape. E.g., you want to buy nuts in bulk but you don't want the oil to go rancid, so you put them in the freezer. Now you've got 8 floppy bags of nuts sliding around every time you open the door. Instead, put them all in a shoebox, and you can even stack other stuff on top.
Also, I know you're asking about re-using things, but sometimes a small purchase can enable greater savings later. For example, I bought a bunch of 12 oz squeezy bottles, and now I can buy dishwashing detergent, soy sauce, and vinegar by the gallon. Did you know that canola oil comes in 32lb jugs? Get yourself a pump so you can aliquot out a manageable portion without lifting the jug, and that's a lot of 0.5L bottles saved.
Finally, I think this is less true for women, but a lot of men's clothes can be mended a few times and eventually down-cycled as patches, rags, rugs, or quilts. (Women's clothing is more likely to be a flimsier fabric that just melts away uniformly instead of suffering discrete tears.) This is definitely well into hobbyist territory, and I'll be honest that I have a lot of mending piled up on my sewing table, but if you get any entertainment value out of sewing, that's a great way to make things last longer and reuse them when they do eventually die.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 11:41 PM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
In a rare case of me being trendy before it's trendy, I've always had large jars stuffed with battery fairy lights dotted around the house -- in the pantry, between books in the bookcase and so on. They can look lovely and children are always delighted to see them.
posted by humph at 4:31 AM on January 15, 2019
posted by humph at 4:31 AM on January 15, 2019
Chinese pears come with a styrofoam "net" thing to protect them from bruising. I save these for protecting glass tumblers/ wine glasses when transporting them/ moving.
Takeout containers have come a long way. "Plate" and "bowl" type plastic containers I'll save a bunch of them to use as a microwave splash guard (turn them upside down, use as a dome over food, if it splatters, it splatters the cover, not the microwave).
I also save these (or the crappier varieties) for use as "safety ashtrays" - fill them with water, it makes sure the cigarette gets put out and keeps the ash from blowing everywhere. When full, apply lid, put inside an airtight plastic bag (saved from the grocery store), tie shut, discard.
I keep a ziplock bag for saving rubber bands from the grocery store. I have another to save "good" twist ties from purchased goods with cables/wires. Fantastic for cable management, and other random uses around the house.
Sometimes takeout food comes with "good" bamboo chopsticks - I save them (sorting by length) and re-use/ wash them for cooking/ eating. Once a year, I'll throw them all away and open the collection of the other length for use.
posted by porpoise at 2:04 PM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Takeout containers have come a long way. "Plate" and "bowl" type plastic containers I'll save a bunch of them to use as a microwave splash guard (turn them upside down, use as a dome over food, if it splatters, it splatters the cover, not the microwave).
I also save these (or the crappier varieties) for use as "safety ashtrays" - fill them with water, it makes sure the cigarette gets put out and keeps the ash from blowing everywhere. When full, apply lid, put inside an airtight plastic bag (saved from the grocery store), tie shut, discard.
I keep a ziplock bag for saving rubber bands from the grocery store. I have another to save "good" twist ties from purchased goods with cables/wires. Fantastic for cable management, and other random uses around the house.
Sometimes takeout food comes with "good" bamboo chopsticks - I save them (sorting by length) and re-use/ wash them for cooking/ eating. Once a year, I'll throw them all away and open the collection of the other length for use.
posted by porpoise at 2:04 PM on January 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by soren_lorensen at 9:33 AM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]