Tuesday, June 1, 2010

10 Ways To Reuse It: Empty Spray Bottles


I love spray bottles and I use them for all kinds of things. But I refuse to pay for them. I buy enough of them already, they just have a cleaner, hairspray, salad dressing or something like that in them. So when their contents get used up I clean them out and give them a new life. Here are some ideas to get a second (or third) life out of those useful spray bottles. Don't forget to label your bottles clearly.

  1. Use them for your homemade cleaners. Here's a link to some recipes for homemade 409 and homemade windex. I also use them for homemade spray -n -wash.
  2. Refresh your hair-do. The boys and I don't wash our hair everyday but often wake up with funky cowlicks. I spray my curls down in the morning to make them nice and tight and the boys spray theirs down to even out the occasional little-rascal-alfalfa style.
  3. Plant Mister. I keep a bottle of water nearby to mist my house plants.
  4. Pest Remover. My roses get aphids every year. I fill a spray bottle with a homemade mix of 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons of dish soap. Then I spray it on the leaves in the evening (not while the sun is beating down) every few days. It suffocates them and leaves my roses looking beautiful.
  5. Get the wrinkles out of your clothes. Keep a spray bottle of water next to your iron. Mist your clothes to get nice crisp results.
  6. First Aid. Keep a spray bottle full of apple cider vinegar handy. Spray on abrasions, mosquito or insect bites, or sunburn. Apple cider vinegar is an antiseptic and takes the sting out of sunburns.
  7. Easy Clean Up For Dirty Pans. Sometimes I can't fit all my dirty dishes into my dishwasher and I have a few things leftover in the sink that I hand wash. Fill a spray bottle with half water and half liquid dish soap and you'll be ready for the stray wash job without having to fill a whole sink with water and suds.
  8. Better Grilling. Fill a food grade bottle with liquid smoke to get an even layer on your grilled meat.
  9. Train Your Pet. Use a spray bottle full of water to correct unwanted behaviors in your cat or dog such as barking, begging, or leaping onto a kitchen counter. They learn fast this way.
  10. Keep the Tangles Away. Mix together 1 part conditioner and 4 parts water to make a home version of those expensive hair detanglers. Spray and leave in hair to remove tangles and calm frizz.
For more great WFMW ideas go here.

7 comments:

Lisa said...

I like these ideas! But I thought I'd share a nice one for hair tangles. If you have dry, frizzy hair, get some coconut oil, put a tiny bit on your finger, melt it (unless your fingers have been in icy water recently, it will melt in a couple of seconds), and rub it into the tangle. Voila! No more tangles! I rub it into my daughter's hair after a bath to keep it healthy and tangle free. My hair greases up on its own, so I don't generally use it on mine!

Songberries said...

What great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

Laura said...

Good Morning!
I just love your "10 ways to" posts! And I can't wait to try the conditioner bottle. My hair is so curly...and I hate having to buy expensive leave in conditioners. I may try that coconut oil idea too! Thanks!
Blessings,
Laura

Anonymous said...

Don't forget filling them with water and using them for a squirt gun war in the backyard during hot summer days! easy cheap fun!

Shelle and Dan said...

Great ideas.
My sister-in-law introduced me to another use for empty spray bottles. In the winter, when snow is on the ground and the kids are bored, fill the spray bottle with water, add a couple drops of food coloring and let the kids "paint" the snow in the backyard.

Sara said...

Great ideas however....we have a Boxer puppy and she LOVES LOVES LOVES to attack water--the stream from the water hose, when I water my plants she tries to get that water, even we one of us is in the shower she sits right by the shower just in case the stream of water hits the door--I was trying to break her unruliness by spraying her with a squirt bottle but it really was more of a reward for her. LOL!

Vikki said...

Love your ideas and have used most of them for years.

I keep a spray bottle with vinegar and water by my kitchen sink. I spray my dishrags with them when I'm through to keep them clean and odor free. I spray down the counters and the trash can at night to dissuade ants. I keep a small one with my make up for those little mishaps that need a bit of water.

I have one with water and essential oil for a room freshener.

Don't forget this summer to keep one with water by the grill to put out those flare ups that can burn your food.

And one in the shower with vinegar and water to spray down the shower to keep it fresh between cleaning.

Can you tell I like my vinegar????