Recycling, Reusing, Reducing and Repurposing

Those liquid soap dispenser pump bottles are great in the laundry room. If you aren't going to refill with some more hand soap, fill it with liquid laundry detergent instead. Keep it in the laundry area for spraying an extra bit of detergent on any stains you have. Just put one pump's worth on the stain, rub it in with your fingers; and, wash as usual.

Use an old toothbrush to pretreat those deep-down, stubborn grass stains or any other stubborn stain. Place a small amount of liquid detergent on the stain and work in with the toothbrush.

Toothbrushes make excellent scubbers for those hard-to-clean areas such as where the sink meets the counter.

Going away for awhile? Here's a great idea. Leave all your important information - where you'll be, emergency telephone numbers and the like - in that old picture frame you have kicking about. Hang it in a place the pet/house sitter can be sure to see it - above the telephone, for example.

Got an old plastic milk crate? Boy, are they great! They have so many uses. Here's just one. Keep the stuff you store in your car's trunk - motor oil, windshield wiper fluid, ice scrapers, whathaveyou - together, organized and easy to find.

A small dab of vodka or gin on an insect bite will stop the itch dead in its tracks.

Slick Tricks

Photo courtesy: caloriecount.about.com

Cooking liquids are one of the most valuable, wasted commodities in the modern kitchen. "Experienced" water contains a lot of taste and nutrition that many people just pour down the drain once the cooking process is finished.

Stop wasting this resource and save some money replacing some OTC (over-the-counter) products as well.

Asparagus - clear up blackheads, pimples, and other facial sores by dabbing them with asparagus water twice a day. Toothpaste dabbed on the blemish works well too. Put on at night, wash off in the morning. Good-bye expensive drugstore remedies.

Eggs - clean pewter by immersing the objects in egg water and letting them sit for a few minutes. Then dip a soft cloth in the water and rub your treasures clean. Rinse with clear water and wipe dry. Good-bye dangerous, toxic OTC cleaners.

If you are a gardener (no matter how big or small), egg water is a wonderful tonic for your plants. Give them a couple of good drinks of egg water throughout the year to help them remain healthy and hearty. Cut back on your fertilizer bill.

Peas - relieve the itch of poison ivy and other rashes by sponging the skin with pea water. Repeat as often as necessary.

Potatoes (unpeeled) - put glistening highlights in brown hair by dipping a pastry brush in potato water and saturating your hair (being careful not to get any water in your eyes). Wait 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Repeat every few weeks to retain the highlights.

Do you bake your own bread? I do and I have never found anything that makes a moister, lighter loaf than potato water. I save my potato water (usually with a potato blended into the liquid) and use it as the liquid in my bread dough. Try it once - you'll be hooked.

Of course, there is also the option of keeping a container in your freezer and using it to hold the liquids until you are ready to make a soup or stew. When I am saving the liquid, I simmer it down to just a small amount and let cool. Then I add it to the container in the freezer. When it's time to make a soup or stew, I already have an excellent starting point for the broth that comes pre-loaded with loaded with flavour, vitamins and minerals.

Slick Tricks

Flower pots are great for all kinds of things - not just babysitting. Photo courtesy: delightfulchaos.com

I am a hopeless gardener. Life has no meaning if I'm not gardening. In the winter, I content myself with my indoor plants; and, planning next year's garden, of course. Besides, satisfying my craving for dirty hands, these uses for pre-owned flower pots recycle, reduce, reuse and repurpose pots that otherwise would have landed in the landfill.

The small, plastic conjoined pots that bedding plants come in make great containers in which to start next year's seed.

Use old pots to store your gardening tools - snippers, trowel, twine, whatever.

Flower pots make great gifts when decorated by hand. They don't have to be filled with a plant - put in anything you like. Photo courtesy: familyeducation.com

Old clay pots take very well to decorating. Cover them with paint, fabric, buttons, glitter - whatever is on hand. Fill pot with garden-themed items - seeds, gardening gloves, hand tool, etc. or a lovely plant.

This is so creative, it deserves a space where everyone can enjoy it. Photo courtesy: just another ragbag

Clean out plastic flower pots (decorate if you want) and place them under your bathroom sink to organize items such as bushes and combs, q-tips, and sponges.

Under the kitchen sink, they can hold all the small items that need a home - plastic pot scrubbers, j-cloths, etc.

Old flower pots do not need to go the landfill. Nurseries will always take back clean plastic pots.