Simple Ways to Repurpose Household Items
I love finding out that an item I use all the time can serve another purpose. All it takes is a fresh eye to see that a desktop paper organizer can also store cutting boards and baking sheets, or that a rubber band will keep a wobbly taper candle from tipping over. I’m convinced that you don’t have to have a huge cabinet of cleaning supplies or organization tools to get a job done, so I’ve become a collector of tips for using everyday items in new ways. Here are a few that stand out as totally useful, multipurpose items.
What clever ways do you reuse household objects? I’d love to hear!
Line the bottom of a flower pot with a coffee filter to prevent soil from leaking out the drainage hole.
Slice a lemon in half to scrub a cutting board. Or drop the rind down your disposal to freshen up your drain.
Sprinkle grounds on plants that love nitrogen: tomatoes, blueberries, roses, rhododendrons...
Rub a sheet against a staticky skirt or wipe down a dusty TV screen.
Use a clean soup can in place of a cookie cutter for biscuits, sugar cookies, pastries...
I like to spray paint old cupcake baking pans to store jewelry or as a drawer organizer for an office desk. It is great for separating earrings or for use in the office to separate rubber bands, paperclips, etc.
I like to use old dryer sheets to dust. Also, soap/lotion pump dispensers usually dispense more than I (or my kids) need to wash or moisten. To solve this, I put a zip tie between the head of the pump and the bottle so a smaller amount of soap/lotion is dispensed.
…Use a drinking straw to hull a strawberry 🙂
Used, dried coffee grounds are good sprinkled around the outside foudation to keep ants away from your house.
Boiling water is a greener way to kill ant hills.
Turn a clean, empty tuna can into a pin cushion. Larger cans can be turned into pretty utensil organizers or pencil holders with a little fabric. Add pockets around the outside and this works great in the sewing room!
Egg shells dried, smashed into tiny pieces and sprinked in the garden add calcium for a good yield.
Turn store gift type bags (you know the ones with the store name on them) into a pretty gift bag with a little ribbon and some glue to cover the store name.
I love these ideas!