Top 10 Clever Hacks for Things You Thought Were Trash

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and we’ve always been fond of finding MacGyver-like uses for anything and everything—right down to dryer lint and used candy wrappers.. Here are our top 10 favorite hacks for things you thought were headed to the garbage.

10. Make a Waterproof Fire Starter Out of Dryer Lint

For all the laundry we do in a week, we accumulate a massive amount of dryer lint. Wouldn’t it be better off going toward something useful? Whether you’re making an outdoor or indoor fire, you can always use a little help to get things started, and that dryer lint can help. Just throw the lint into a section of an egg carton, tie it up with dental floss, cover it in some old candle wax, and you’ve got yourself a waterproof fire starter for any occasion. It should last you about 15 minutes, more than enough to get a roaring fire going.

9. Make a Tablet Stylus Out of a Candy Wrapper

Steve Jobs may not approve of stylus usage, but sometimes you just need to let your inner artist out and a finger doesn’t cut it. Instead of buying a stylus though, you can make one yourself out of an old pen and a used candy wrapper. If you want to go above and beyond, a bit of tissue paper or newspaper can make it all the better.

8. Turn Bread Tags Into Cord Labels

I dread the days when I have to reach behind my desk to move some cables around, since I can never figure out which one is which. Eliminate that annoyance by labeling your cables with old bread tags: just write down the device that each cord leads to and slap them on. You’ll never have to run your hand through that bird’s nest of cables ever again.

7. Turn a Plastic Bottle Into a Smartphone Bike Mount

While we recommend investing in a reusable water bottle, sometimes you just have to buy it bottled, and then you have one more piece of trash lying around. Instead of throwing it away, you can turn it into a rainproof bike mount for your smartphone—perfect for navigating you home and avoiding inclement weather. Alternatively, you could turn it into a lens cap for your camera, or an irrigation system for your garden to keep it watered while you’re away from home.

6. Remove Bad Smells and Clean Windows with Newspaper

Old newspapers are good for more than just starting fire, and if you still haven’t moved over to the digital edition of your favorite rag, you can use it as a household odor-killer. Just stuff it in drawers, refrigerators, shoes, or any other smelly place and it should clear that odor right up. Alternatively, you could turn it into an actual rag: newspaper is the perfect way to clean your windows with a streak-free shine.

5. Turn an Old Gift Card Into a Headphone Cable Wrapper

Once you’ve used up that gift card from Aunt Petunia, you don’t have to toss it—with a few cuts here and there, it can make a great cable wrapper for your headphones. Of course, you can always use our beloved “devil horns” method if you don’t have a gift card around, but the gift card can help keep them from unraveling.

4. Turn an Old Sock Into an MP3 Player-Holding Armband

If you’ve tried exercising with your smartphone or MP3 player, you know how much of a pain they can be bouncing around in your pocket or clipped onto your shorts. Clipping it on your arm really is the best way to go, and if you don’t want to buy an armband, just cut the toe off an old sock and slide it up your arm. Then, fold the bottom half up to create a pocket for your device. It may not be quite as fancy as the store-bought model, but it’s hard to beat the low price of $0.

3. Turn a Shampoo Bottle Into a Charging Station

We all have one or two devices we dump out of our pockets as soon as we get home, and what better place to put them than in the wall? With an old shampoo or lotion bottle, you can create a nice charging cradle for them that hangs right off the socket, so they aren’t taking up space on the floor. Alternatively, you can take those old bottles and organize your cables on the wall, too.

2. Turn Toilet Paper Tubes Into Cable Organizers

We tech nerds amass tons of extra cables over time, and we’re afraid to get rid of them for fear we might need them one day. The solution? Take all those toilet paper tubes you use up and turn them into an ugly but incredibly awesome cable organizer. It’ll keep all your cables stored and labeled neatly, without tangles, all the while making use of your trash. You can also use them to just control your cable clutter of individual appliances, too.

1. Turn a Soda Can Into a Wi-Fi Extender

We’re always looking for ways to improve our Wi-Fi signal, and if you aren’t ready to give up and buy a new router, you can try extending your range with a soda can. Just cut it up and put it on your antenna, where it’ll act as a parabolic reflector and enjoy Wi-Fi on the far side of your house. Plus, when you’re done, you can hang pictures with the can’s tabs, too.

Got any other clever tips for reusing your trash? Share them with us in the comments.

 http://www.hi5ing.us/2013/02/23/clever-hacks-for-trash-things/

5 ways to recycle plastic milk bottle tops

October 8, 2011
Here it is! The definitive guide to recycling your milk bottle tops in the UK.
Some of these ways support charity so it’s a win-win: you’re turning your rubbish into a resource that benefits others AND you’re keeping plastic out of landfill.
Most local authorities recycle plastic milk bottles, but not all will take the plastic tops. Some local authorities ask you to put them on the bottle when recycling, others ask you to remove the tops and recycle them separately and others say to landfill the tops!

CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE

GHS will collect and recycle milk bottle tops for the charity of your choice. There is a minimum payment amount of 500 kgs but they will keep track of the amount you send in if you just want to post a small pack at a time.
Why not set up a collection point at your workplace or children’s school?

LOCAL SCRAPSTORE

Compost Woman told me about the Worcester Scrapstore who will take washed milk bottle tops.
The Children’s Scrapstore are a charity that collects safe waste from business which can re-used as a low cost creative resource by their member groups. They stock all sorts of things people need for creative play such as paper and card, foam, plastic pots, tubes and tubs and fabric. Members can fill a trolley to the brim for around £13. So it really is a case of one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
Why not find your nearest children’s scrapstorebranch and see if they can use your plastic milk bottle tops?

HS4B

Ian runs HS4B (Help & Support for Bankrupt People); a charity for helping bankrupt people. HS4B provide a non judgemental environment both on and offline for people that have been made bankrupt.
As well as plastic milk bottle tops, Ian accepts margarine pot lids, plastic lids from jars like coffee jars etc and the bulky plastic tops you get on fabric softener bottles.

Mental Health Collection

Michelle from Eco Centricity contacted me this week to tell me about her new collection for plastic milk bottle tops to support local mental health charity, Solent Mind.
Donations of 1-5 bags can be collected from in and around the new forest area, larger donations will need to be dropped off in store due to transport limitations.
For every 500kg of milk bottle Eco-Centricity can collect, £25 will go directly to Solent mind. Meanwhile the milk bottle tops will be upcycled into children’s slides!

Melt Down pet bowls

Louise Beams produces Meltdown Eco Pet Bowls. When she found out her local authority didn’t collect plastic milk bottle tops she decided to make this valuable resource into something instead of throwing it away and her Eco friendly pet bowls were born!
The milk bottle tops are granulated into small pieces by a granulator machine. These smaller pieces are then melted down and pushed through mesh to turn them into small pellets which can be used for injection moulding into brand new products.

http://myzerowaste.com/2011/10/5-ways-to-recycle-plastic-milk-bottle-tops/

16 WAYS TO USE BABY OIL YOU MAYBE NEVER THOUGHT OF

16 WAYS TO USE BABY OIL YOU MAYBE NEVER THOUGHT OF

There are a variety of ways to use baby oil. If you have a bottle of baby oil sitting around in your drug cabinet, or bathroom, there are other ways to use it besides on your baby. Baby oil is usually cheaper than other varieties of oil. Plus, the packaging is usually pleasant to look at.

What is baby oil? what is it made of? Soft and Silk Baby Oil is simply a couple simple mixed ingridents.... Mineral Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Vitamin E, Acetate, Fragrance.

 

 

A STUCK RING

Stuck ring. Use baby oil to remove a ring that simply will not budge with any other method. All you need to do is to simply lubricate your ring area with a generous portion of baby oil. Swivel your ring around so that the oil is evenly distributed. By doing this, you should then be able to remove your ring.

LEATHER POLISH

Leather polish. To polish up your leather bags and shoes, simply add a couple of drops of baby oil to a soft cloth. Buff and polish your leather goods to restore a luster and new life to them. Be sure to wipe off the excess when you are done.

BATHROOM CLEANSER

Bathroom Cleanser. Use some baby oil to remove dirt and build-up soap scum from around your bathtub and shower stall. Simply wipe the surfaces with one-teaspoon baby oil that has been applied to a moist cloth. After you have wiped the scum surface, use another dry towel/cloth to wipe away any leftover oil. To kill any remaining germs, you will then want to spray the area with a disinfectant cleaner.

This same technique can easily be used to clean soap film and watermarks from your glass shower doors. Using baby oil is much cheaper and healthier than using the commercially prepared varieties of bathroom cleaners.

STAINLESS STEEL AND CHROME POLISHER

Stainless steel and chrome polisher. Use baby oil to bring back to life your dull-looking stainless steel sinks. You simply need to put a few drops of baby oil on a soft, clean cloth and then rub the areas down.

You can also use this technique to remove those stains from around the chrome trim of your kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures.

SCENTED BATH OIL

Scented Bath oil. Make your own cheap, scented bath oil out of baby oil. All you need to do is add a few drops of your favorite scent to ¼ cup of baby oil in a small plastic bottle. When you are ready to take a bath, just shake the bottle well and add some drops to your bath.

BATH OIL

Bath oil. The same procedure as above works here. Instead of adding the scent, though, simply pour the baby oil into your bath water. It will help moisturize your skin.

PAINT REMOVAL

Paint removal. Whenever you are using latex paint and get some spatters on you, simply put some baby oil on the spatters and rub. This will loosen the paint. Then, wash

with soap and water to fully remove the paint.

DASHBORD SCRATCH DISGUISE

Scratch disguise. If you notice that you have scratches on your car's plastic dashboard area, rub some baby oil on them. This procedure helps to 'fill in' and disguise the scratches.

BUFFER

Buffer. Instead of spending a lot of money on specialty cleaning kits for your golf clubs, simply put a few drops of baby oil onto a towel and polish (buff) your golf club heads. This applies if your golf clubs are chrome-plated carbon steel, by the way. Do this polishing procedure after each round of golf and you will help extend the useful life of your golf clubs. For ease of use, carry a small plastic bottle of baby oil along with a towel in your golf club bag.

There you have it. Use baby oil in any of the above situations and you will get more bang for your buck from this timeless item.

HOMEMADE BABYWIPES

Use in homemade baby wipes (2 tbsps of baby oil, 2tbsps of baby lotion, 1 tbsp of bathwash and 3/4 cup of hot water poured over Bounty paper towels and put in a sealed container).

REMOVING HAIR EXTENTIONS

Removing the silicon of those hair extensions yourself at home! Massage the baby oil into your hair and the silicon, it should slip off. Shampoo several times to remove the oil.

TAKING OFF A BANDAID? HAIRY ARM?

use this and save yourself some pain

To keep your arm or leg hair intact, rub some baby oil around a band aid or other adhesive bandage before removing.

CUTICLE AND CALLOUSE TREATMENT

Baby oil also makes a great hot oil treatment for cuticles and callouses. Just heat up the oil, and soak your fingers in it for a few minutes. Then, press back your cuticles. Or, gently rub the callous

STICKERS ON PRODUCTS YOU BUY

If a price sticker doesn't peel off as easily as it should, dab a little oil on said offending sticker, let soak into the sticker then wipe clean with a soft cloth.

TREAT CRADDLE CAP

 

Cradle cap may be unsightly, but it is a common, usually harmless, phase in many babies' development. To combat it, gently rub in a little baby oil, and lightly comb it through your baby's hair. If your child gets upset, comb it a bit at a time, but do not leave the oil on for more than 24 hours. Then, thoroughly wash the hair to remove all of the oil. Repeat the process in persistent cases. Note: If you notice a lot of yellow crusting, or if the cradle cap has spread behind the ears or on the neck, contact your pediatrician instead.

BUFF UP GOLF CLUBS

Buff up your golf clubs. Don't waste your money on fancy cleaning kits for your chrome-plated carbon steel golf club heads. Just keep a small bottle filled with baby oil in your golf bag along with a chamois cloth or towel. Dab a few drops of oil on the cloth and polish the head of your club after each round of golf.

 

http://www.squidoo.com/babyoil

 

Reusable nappies

Matilda Lee

1st February, 2005

Do you want the best for your baby, but don’t want to harm the environment? Then use reusable nappies. Contrary to popular belief, modern reusables are cheaper and more hygienic than disposables, and you won't have to spend hours cleaning them.

Reusable nappies
'I don't use renewable nappies because…': '…They aren't as comfortable as disposables.'
If anything, they are more comfortable. Natural cotton and wool allow your baby's skin to breathe, preventing irritation. And because there are many different types and combinations of reusable nappies, you are more likely to find one best suited to your own baby's individual body shape and preference.

Disposable nappy manufacturers promote the fact that their nappies absorb more moisture. But a baby is not uncomfortable in a moist nappy. It is only when the nappy is left on too long that it will make the skin sore. In fact, there are two significant benefits to this feeling of moistness. First of all, the baby learns the basic sensations that will help it to potty train. Second, the carer knows whether the baby is drinking enough, which is incredibly important if your baby has a fever and is in danger of becoming dehydrated.

And finally, it's a myth that reusable nappies leak. If they fit properly, a reusable nappy is no more likely to leak than an average disposable. In fact, a well-fitting reusable will give even better protection than a disposable nappy.

'…They are difficult to use'
You can now buy renewable nappies that are shaped so you don't have to fold them.
Nappy pins have been replaced with Velcro, poppers and elasticated claw-like grips.
Most nappies, wraps and liners can be machine-washed at just 60° centigrade and tumble-dried. If you don't have a tumble dryer, nappies, liners and wraps can be line-dried. If it's raining, a clothes horse, airing cupboard or radiator will do.
In essence, there are two types of reusable nappy: two-part nappies that consist of a nappy and a waterproof wrap to go over it; and all-in-ones consisting of a cloth nappy with a waterproof wrap attached. The latter look similar to disposable nappies, are easier to put on than two-part nappies, but take longer to dry after washing as they are more bulky. Inside each of the two types of real nappy a reusable nappy liner is inserted; these are made from fleece or silk (for sensitive skin).

'…I haven't got time for all the washing'
Once soiled, nappies should be stored in an air-tight nappy bin (costing just a few pounds). This also keeps your house from smelling of used nappies. You can then wash the nappies every second or third day, depending on how many you buy.
The only extra time involved is the few moments each week it takes you to load your washing machine, and just a few more to hang nappies out or put them in the dryer or on the line. And you actually save time by not having to go to the shops all the time to buy more nappies. Or you can send them away to be washed...
If you're not up to the extra washing, you can use a nappy laundry service. At an average cost of £8.50 a week, this is a door-to-door service that will pick up dirty nappies and deliver clean, fresh substitutes. For your nearest reusable nappy laundering service, see http://www.nappyline.com/

'…They need changing more often’
Regardless of whether you are using washables or disposables young babies need to be changed frequently as their skin is very sensitive to prolonged contact with faeces, urine, creams and powders. Paediatricians recommend new babies be changed 10-12 times a day and older babies six times. A good-quality cotton nappy should only need changing every four hours during the day and 10 to 12 hours at night if your baby sleeps through.

'So they are cheaper and easy to use. But why else should I use them?'

1 To protect your baby's health
Disposable nappies contain super-absorbent gel, the effects of which on baby's skin and genitalia have yet to be researched.
Disposable nappies contain up to 200 chemicals. It is still unknown how many are absorbed through a baby's skin.

http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/clothing/268752/reusable_nappies.html