Whether you like to reuse and recycle or you’re just one of the crafty do-it-yourself types there are a lot of things you use on a daily basis that you don’t really need to go out and buy. From toothpaste to laundry detergent a number of them can be made right at home with things that you already have. So, get ready to save some cash because these are 25 creative uses for common household items.
Put some used tea bags in a jar and place them in your refrigerator to absorb odors.If your phone gets wet you can try drying it in a box of cat litter. Remove the battery and SIM card, then dry the phone off and slide it into a sock. Tie the sock closed and put it in a container filled with the litter. After three days, check to see if there’s any moisture left on the screen. If so, put it back for another couple of days. Before you go out and purchase pricey electronics cleaners, keep in mind baby wipes work just as well.Unfortunately bleach has left hydrogen peroxide with somewhat of a bad rap. Commonly used as an anti-septic nowadays it makes for an awesome disinfectant and stain remover.Ziplock bags cost a fortune and the store-brand stuff is rarely worth its weight in flimsy plastic. Plastic cereal bags, however, are great liners that can be reused. You can use them to store baked goods or a sandwich, apply breadcrumb coatings to meat, fish and poultry, roll up cookie dough logs, contain ingredients to be crushed with a rolling pin, or as a trash container in your car.If you never knew it was safe to put aluminum foil in dryers, join the club.Turns out, however, that they make excellent alternatives to dryer sheets.
That’s right, just mix a cup of the white distilled variety with one quart of water, then rub down your pet’s coat with your hands and voila…your pet’s fur will be sparkling.If you have a slug problem, just leave some open cans of beer hidden at ground level and the slugs will just wander right in.Before you drop cash on the drain-o to unclog the kitchen sink, try some baking soda instead. First, pour about 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Then, add some white vinegar and let it sit for five minutes. Lastly pour about one gallon of boiling water down and check your results.Forget pricey pesticides. If you want to keep ants at bay, cinnamon may be all you need. Just sprinkle it around your home wherever you think you may have an ant issue.Save money by using toothpaste to clean sink fixtures and even eliminate garlic odor from your hands after cooking.Strangely enough, if you drop a few alka seltzer tablets into the water around your fishing hole it may help you score the big one.The tannic acid inside of tea leaves can work to eradicate warts by placing warmed, wet tea bags on the wart for about 15 minutes, up to three times per day.If you have artistic kids that like to decorate your walls, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on wall cleaner. WD-40 does the trick for much cheaper. Just be sure to wipe down the surface with a soapy rag if you want to get the oil off the wall afterward.Just rub the inside of the banana peel over whatever your silverware and watch the magic happen.1 2
