4 Creative Ways to Use Up your Extra Toiletries
Do you love a bargain? 2 for 1 on a regenerating, magic face cream… 50% extra free in a giant shampoo bottle, but not your usual brand? Retailers know what lights up the reward centres of our brains, but it’s not on their agenda to keep our bedrooms and bathrooms peaceful and clutter-free. Similarly, they are not stressing over how much product might be poured down the drain or tossed in the household bin when it’s not used 2 years later.
That responsibility lies with us.
While the first step is always to buy less, but better… there are still ‘backup’ shampoo bottles and body lotions in your airing cupboard and gathering dust on your bedside table to deal with. And I’m here to help.
Photo by RF._.studio from Pexels
That’s why I’m sharing 4 creative ways you can donate, use up and repurpose those extra bottles so we can claim back your space and avoid unnecessary waste all in one go -
(Just so you know: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and buy something I get a small percentage. Thank you for supporting my small business in this way!)
Give unopened bottles to people who need them
Good news! If your toiletry bottles are unopened and in date they are just right to be sent to a shelter for someone in need. This can be for homeless individuals, refugees, and families who have suffered domestic abuse. It’s a bonus if you have any hygiene sets from last Christmas to brighten up someone’s day.
Here are some places to contact in Ireland:
Direct Provision Centres for Asylum Seekers and Refugees: https://www.instagram.com/dpdonations
Homeless Shelters: https://spunout.ie/life/article/how-can-i-help-homeless-people-in-ireland
Recovering Homeless Addicts Merchant’s Quay: https://mqi.ie/clothes-donations/
Domestic Abuse Shelters: http://www.saoirsewomensrefuge.ie/donate/ https://www.safeireland.ie/
2. Decant and put in a basket for your next overnight guests
When we have guests again (weep…), especially those who need to stay at the last minute, it’s nice to have a stash of essentials ready for them so they can pack light. Dig out some old travel-size bottles, or make it hipster with small amounts of each product in small jam jars (cleaned and labels removed). Grab a box (even a shoebox) or a basket and put in a face cloth, bath towel, a few chocolates, spare toothbrush and toothpaste to make them feel right at home
Photo by reneereneee from Pexels
3. Put into travel size containers for your next trip
Staycations are still a thing (restrictions depending), I even stayed in a Dublin hotel a few weeks back to work with a friend which we called our ‘Dubcation’. Camping is still up for grabs… even if it’s just in your back garden.
Either way, travel will be back on the menu in the future and why not save on those highly over-priced travel minis by making your own with what you need to use up. Any hotel sample sizes can be refilled and other containers can be cleverly repurposed - think a dollop of toothpaste or moisturiser in a contact lens case or a splodge of foundation in an old pill container
Image Credit
Photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels
4. Use them in a different way - get creative!
This is where we can get really creative. There are other ways to use up products than their original intended use. Shampoo is a great make up brush cleaner which I’m sure, like for me, is long overdue. It can also be used a body wash if it’s mild enough.
Body wash can be used as hand soap in a pinch, it’s soap after all!
Eye cream can be used as face cream.
Face cream can be hand cream. Beauticians please don’t come after me! Keep it simple and use what you can.
Photo by Ray Piedra from Pexels
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
The bottom line is do your best, work to use up as much as you can and don’t let the rest sit there and torture you. Balance is the key to keep moving with these things.
One final thing is to check the labels on your products for the packaging recycling options.
Glass: normally ok to bring to a glass recycling bank
Hard Plastic: put in your household recycling bin
Soft plastic: put in your household general waste
Some companies will take back containers as well! Try L’Occitane and LUSH for the details on their recycling schemes.
Coming Soon! 101 No-Brainer things you can declutter right Now - the Action Pack
Don’t know where to start and brain fried from Covid? This is for you
I’ve got a list of 101 easy, no-brainer things that you’ll find in your house right now to get rid of - all laid out in a handy guide book just for you.
Plus, a bonus 37 Resources to Turbocharge your decluttering, a 4-week challenge and printable decluttering labels.
