Innovative Uses For Things Normally Thrown Away

Alternate Use 1: Scrubbing tool
Alternate Use 2: Apply hair dye

We’ve all been there, scrubbing furiously at the dirty corners in our sinks, bath and kitchen area until we have gone blue in the face but still haven’t managed to get to the grime. We’ve tried all kinds of different tools, scotch, sponges and washcloths and nothing works!

Old Toothbrush @family_handyman / Pinterest.com

This idea is a stroke of genius, take an old toothbrush and scrub! It will reach into all the little corners and with a little elbow grease your bathroom and kitchen will be just like new. Even Colgate would approve of this upcycling!

The official advice is to change out our toothbrushes every three to four months, but what do we do with the old ones? Approximately one billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away in the United States, which amounts to 50 million pounds of waste. By upcycling your toothbrush you are not only cleaning better but also making the world a greener place.

Alternate Use 1: Pill puller 
Alternate Use 2: Remove paint from clothes

Razors are usually something we would dispose of as soon as they are even a little blunt, there’s nothing quite as unpleasant as being chafed by a blunt razor. Next time your razor is not quite sharp enough for the body, don’t throw it away! 

Disposable Razors @ginsfirst / Pinterest.com

The razor can be used to shave away pills on woolly jumpers, scarves or even carpets! How frustrating is it when your lovely, soft jumper gets full of little balls of wool, making it look scruffy and old? All you need to do is gently swipe the razor along the wool and voila! Good as new. 

This has a two fold benefit, not only are we able to keep our wooly goods fresh and new meaning we don’t need to consume as much when it comes to clothes. But we also reuse old razors, of which approximately 2 billion are thrown away annually in the US.

Alternate Use 1: Planter 
Alternate Use 2: Lamp

If you’ve ever tried your hand at repurposing household items as planters, you will know that some things might look great but not be functional. The reason for this is that planters need to have holes at the bottom so that the water and oxygen can flow through.

Flour Sifter @danielizabeth / Pinterest.com

That’s what makes these old flour sifters perfect planters! Not only do they have a unique, rustic aesthetic, but they are also fully functional. Of course flour sifters of any kind can be used to match your personal taste. Remember to put them on a base of some kind in order to prevent leaking when watering the plants.

Making planters is a fantastic DIY project at home. It’s so satisfying to create a planter from an unused household item and watch a plant thrive within it. If the object you’d like to use doesn’t have holes at the bottom you can use a drill to create some. All you need is three or four holes to create oxygen and water flow.

Alternate Use 1: Cable organizer
Alternate Use 2: Close unfinished snacks

These ties are so useful, basically, the idea is to never throw them away. How many times have there been a mess of cables lying around that needed sorting? Coffee bag ties are great for holding them together for perfectly neat and orderly cables. They can be used for so many household items, like bags of food that have been opened and unfinished or to close the kids’ unfinished snacks. 

Coffee Bag Tie @family_handyman / Pinterest.com

They are incredibly useful to sort out messy drawers too. Don’t we all have that one drawer that is full of odds and ends, like string and keys and all the other random items that can be tied together using coffee bag ties. 

This is another motivation for skipping on the Starbucks and making your coffee at home. Not only does it save you money (think about how much a coffee a day adds up to per year) but it is also better for the environment, avoiding those takeaway cups.

Alternate Use 1: Sneaker scent absorber
Alternate Use 2: Car window defogger

The silica gel pack is grossly underrepresented and since it clearly states ‘throw away’ on the pack, that is what we do. But it is actually super useful, so much so that you will never throw one away again after reading this! The gel is a desiccant which means it absorbs water from the air.

Silica Gel Packets @guncelkal / Pinterest.com

This is useful for any area which is humid or wet and you would like to remove the humidity. For instance, you can stick them into running shoes after you’ve had a run, or they could be used in the car to defog the windscreen. Or perhaps best of all you can put them in a ziplock with a phone that got wet instead of the old bag of rice trick. 

That isn’t where it ends though, it will also prevent your silverware from tarnishing. It is also a gym bag necessity, absorbing excess moisture from your post workout clothes and towels or even as a car window defogger. Who would have thought these little bags would be so useful!

Alternate Use 1: Waterproof shoe coverings
Alternate Use 2: Waterproof hair covering

Depending on where you live, you might be used to leaving the house with a raincoat and boots at all times. Or perhaps it hardly ever rains so you don’t even think about it when you leave. At some point in our lives we have all been caught off guard by the weather. 

Grocery Bags @family_handyman / Pinterest.com

It’s moments like those where we can be thankful to Target and pull out two of their grocery bags to use over our shoes as water protection. Now this might not be the most glamorous look around, but it will work and your shoes and socks will be dry. And let’s face it, that’s more important than looking good, right?

Grocery bags have become such an environmental issue that whenever possible it is advised to skip the plastic and go for the reusable bag. The average family in the US takes home 1500 bags a year and only recycles 1%. So next time you end up recycling bags by using them as raincoats for your shoes or hair, you can consider yourself as someone who does good for the environment.

Alternate Use 1: Storage containers
Alternate Use 2: Flower vases

The one advantage of modern wine makers who no longer use corks is that the bottles can be totally reusable! With a screw on cap, all that needs to be done is to thoroughly wash out the bottle after it’s finished and it can be used to store all kinds of dry goods in the kitchen cupboards.

Glass Wine Bottles @archiartdesigns / Pinterest.com

Plastic is responsible for 10% – 13% of the carbon budget, so whenever possible using glass is very good for the environment. And using recycled or upcycled glass is even better. This goes to show that environmental causes can be fun too, since in order to create this storage container, one has to drink all the wine first. 

For those bottles that actually do have corks, they can be used in all kinds of creative ways around the house too. Corks make a great texture for a bathroom mat, as well as placemats, pinboards or even fridge magnets. Wine corks are the perfect collectible for DIY projects, alongside the glass bottles, so enjoy the wine and consider it a creative project.

Alternate Use 1: Hanging plant unit
Alternate Use 2: Light bulb wall fixture

This is an incredible way to bring life back into a mattress that has lost the spring in it’s step. The first thing would be to strip all of the stuffing and fabric away from the mattress, which sounds like a great project for stress relief.

Mattress Spring @neelmac / Pinterst.com

The next step is to mount the mattress outdoors. Then the creative part, to plant and mount any hanging plants you may have in the springs. As the plants grow they will create a wall of hanging greens, which will look magical in any garden. You won’t be able to find this at Bed Bath & Beyond!

A smaller mattress in the kitchen area would be amazing to fill up with herbs. Wouldn’t it be brilliant to have a herb wall, you can just pinch off the fresh ingredients as you cook. One could even plant indoor vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries or peas.

Alternate Use 1: Storage for kitchen
Alternate Use 2: Storage for bathroom 

Old jars are basically the most useful, recyclable items available. It’s hard to ever throw one away, even if there is already a massive collection in the cupboards built up over time. Though honestly, there are so many things in our kitchens and bathrooms that can be stored in them.

Old Salsa Jar © Shutterstock.com

In the kitchen the obvious thing is dry goods, rice, pasta etc. Larger jars can store kitchen items like sponges and cloths as well as clothes pegs for the laundry. In the bathroom we can use them for Q-tips, cotton wool and even toothbrushes if the jar is large enough and used without a lid.

They can be great organizers for the kids little bits and pieces, arts and crafts such as beads and Pom poms. Larger jars can be used for pens, or smaller ones for crayons. Kids seem to accumulate small toys too, which tend to spread all across the house, found in every little corner. Not anymore with these old salsa jars, storage at its best.

Alternate Use 1: Plastic bag holder 
Alternate Use 2: Paper organizer

Today many shoppers opt for reusable bags when doing their grocery shopping. Though from time to time we may not have one on us and have to buy a plastic bag. They tend to accumulate in a large bundle somewhere under the sink and we shove them back there in the hope that they don’t all tumble out when we open the door.

Tissue Box @indulgyworld / Pinterest.com

This is a brilliant hack that will solve the problem using an empty tissue box. Simply stick the tissue box to the inside of a door (make sure the cupboard won’t be blocked when closing) and stuff the plastic packets inside the tissue box! Easy access, problem solved.

The tissue box idea can be used in a baby’s room in the same way, creating an easily accessible plastic bag to put the dirty diapers in. No more getting stuck at the changing station with the baby in one hand and the dirty diaper in the other with nowhere to dispose of it!

Alternate Use 1: Tool storage
Alternate Use 2: Dog food holder 

Laundry detergent jugs are great to reuse as storage for all those heavy duty garage items. The jugs are made from extremely strong and durable plastic, allowing the container to be filled with items that have a higher weight and are potentially sharp or could puncture a lighter plastic.

Laundry Detergent Jugs @natalyakosenko5 / Pinterest.com

All that needs to be done is to cut open the jug in a step from above the handle towards the opposite end. It is recommended to file the edges down so they are not sharp, preventing cuts and scratches. Any plumbing equipment, nails, screws as well as nuts and bolts are ideal for this kind of storage. 

They could be used for crafting equipment, such as messy paints, spray paints or paint brushes. They can be kept in the garage in these heavy duty jugs in order to prevent stains on the new Target storage cabinet, leaving that for the tidier crafts such as buttons and pens instead.

Alternate Use 1: Storage for sharp items
Alternate Use 2: Makeup brush holder 

Have you ever needed a specific size nail or screw and not been able to find it? And while searching, your fingers get cuts and scrapes from digging through piles of the wrong size nail? This is a perfect solution for this problem. 

Old Eyeglass Case @family_handyman / Pinterest.com

Old eyeglass cases can be used to store all the bits and bobs that are sharp and potentially dangerous. The case closes tight and will be a safe way to transport any nails or screws without risk of them falling out and the best part is when you open the case you can clearly see what you have, avoiding having to scratch through large boxes and cutting your fingers. 

The cases make perfect storage for any smaller valuables that you don’t need immediate access to. For instance, the jewelry you don’t plan on wearing in the near future or the keys to a friends apartment you were entrusted with. Just stick them into the glasses case and put the case away for safekeeping.

Alternate Use 1: Paint palette 
Alternate Use 2: Holiday ornament storage

Egg cartons are one of those items that should never be thrown away. There are so many ways to reuse them, such as storage for little items like buttons and sewing equipment to beads and arts and crafts. 

Egg Carton @joannaw49 / Pinterest.com

They are also really useful during the arts and crafts process, not just as storage. They make a perfect paint palette, with the perfect spacing for each color and plenty of room to mix shades. After use, they can be left to dry and reused many times. Recycling and creativity meet perfectly with a simple egg carton! 

Alternatively they are great for holiday ornament storage. Rather than stuffing them haphazardly in the back of the cupboard till next year, they can be neatly stored and organized on the egg carton tray (and then stuffed in the back of the cupboard till next year)

Alternate Use 1: Labels
Alternate Use 2: Keychain holder

How many times have you needed to pull out a plug and you reach behind the screen to see what looks like a toddler’s scribble come to life in the form of cables. Then, in order to figure out which plug is the one you need, it is a game of following the cable from the device to the plug which seems to take forever.

Bread Tabs @family_handyman / Pinterest.com

Those tiny little plastic squares that we close the bread bag with are surprisingly brilliant. Used as labels, they fit perfectly on cables making it so easy to know which is the right plug to pull. Simply use a marker to write the name of the device matching the plug and tag it on the bottom! 

An equally brilliant use for the little tabs are as a keychain holder. Keys tend to get mixed up and it can often take more time than necessary figuring out which key is the correct one. With the bread tabs you can easily label the keys as needed, saving you time and effort.