Double Duty

juno

We use those net bags to put treat food in and give to Eccles. It keeps him occupied while we're out!

domestic_goddess_wanabee

Hi - My first post!

Unsure if this is in the right place but thought I'd report two new uses for old things I found this week and both for the garden.

I recycled the tent poles from a damaged dome tent and used them to make a wigwam thingy to train my clematis up.

I also recycled the glass pots some of my favourite face and body creams come in (some are red ie garnier) - washed them and peeled off the labels and I have tealight holders for the garden. This also works with jam jars - they look lovely at night when lit and also stop the breeze from blowing the tealight out. :dance:

squeaky

Hiya,

Welcome to MoneySaving and yes, exactly the right place

Queenie

:hello: Weclome domestic goddess wannabe (great user name!! LOL ) and a wonderful first post - I never thought of using those little face cream jars for T-lights :T

:hello: Welcome cloud hands - like the drawer divider idea - I really ought to be more organised ... :think: ... yup, I feel a tidy up of my boys drawers coming on :T

:hello: Welcome Timeslides ... :rotfl: @ the yellow pages!! Cute! I reuse mine by opening at any page and use it as a "gluing mat" when the boys are making stuff - any residual glue simply sticks the pages together! (Saves my table )

:hello: Nutty Netty - you sound like a woman after my own heart

:hello: LindaC - wow, I don't have a pond, but that's an interesting use for the weed!

Cake stand for the buffet table? Double duty a plate + upturned plant pot/sugar bowl/mug. Simply place the plate centrally over the item you choose for the stand and secure with blue tac

THRIFTY_CHICK_2

Make up removers instead of expensive cosmetic wipes.
Polishing & dusting instead of pledge wipes.
Cleaning the floor if you have one of those swiffer things, a baby wipe fits nicely on the end.
Cleaning shoes and especially white trainers.
Polishing stainless steel kitchen appliances, just wipe & then dry with a sheet of kitchen roll.
Cleaning bathrooms, upvc, paintwork, radiators etc. Good for removing felt-tip and crayon from unwanted places!
Getting spills and stains out of carpets.
Also great for getting poo off a babies bum (who would have thought it!!)

I could go on for hours!! If you haven't got kids, buy a pack of wipes anyway. My favourite ones are Tesco own brand (2 for £2 at the moment and they also have a proper flap on them so they don't dry out not like the Johnson's ones!)

jaybee

Thanks for that Thrifty Chick. I don't have kids but I have been using baby wipes as make-up remover for ages but hadn't thought about using them for some of your other ideas. They are very good for cleaning the dashboard of the car, too!

elona

I put bleach over value baby wipes and use them as disposable bathroom wipes.

freespirit

After running out of space in the garden I have reused the card-based ice cream cartons (think Ben & Jerrys - bought when on offer of course!) for growning single lettuces in. Just make sure you fill it almost to the top. Because tubs are sort of waxed card stuff you can easily make a drainage hole in base, and they will be good enough for one year's use.

nicki_2

Use Babywipes for removing deodrant marks from clothing

starlite_2

-I recently soaked the labels off some wine bottles and filled them with stripy layers of coloured fish tank gravel to give to my sister as candle holders - she loves them.
Also did a similar trick for a recent party, using tumblers with dirt cheap rice soaked in different food colourings, we had them all around the house and they looked lovely.

-I tend to use a little bit of bluetack for getting fingerprints of walls and light switches

-When we replaced our ailing sofa last year I took the material off to use as cloths for odd jobs like painting, and hacked the cushion foam into squares to use as sponges for cleaning the floor.

-The applicator bottles hairdye comes in make great squeezy paint bottles for kids (after being seriously scubbed out of course!), and i always save the little brushes you get with a highlighting kit for touching up paintwork etc.

-The abundance of plastic clips you get with a new mens shirt are great paperclips, or good for keeping pairs of socks together in the wash

-I always save the plastic and foil takeaway containers for freezing portions of a big meal

-a little vaseline is great for giving shoes a quick shine and buff if you run out of polish or have a pair in an unusual colour.

phew..thats all i can think of for now that hasn't already been mentioned.
Thanks to everyone for their ideas!