10 Items at Home You Can Keep On Reusing for Years

Whether you’re looking to save some money or simply want to help the environment, reusing items you have at home makes a difference. When you repurpose an item, you can use it in place of a newly purchased product. Plus, it limits when you send to the landfill. Fortunately, plenty of items in your house are highly reusable. Here’s a look at ten items at home you can keep on reusing for years.

The Benefits of Reusing Items You Have at Home

Before hopping into the ten items at home you can keep on reusing for years, it’s critical to understand why repurposing what you already have is a smart move. In many cases, items that are classically viewed as garbage can have a second life. By repurposing strategically, you might avoid having to buy products that meet a need you can handle through reuse or upcycling.

Additionally, reusing typically keeps items out of the garbage and, in turn, away from the landfill for longer. Essentially, it allows you to prevent unnecessary trash from potentially harming the environment. You’re also avoiding any packaging that comes with purchasing a new product, and that also makes repurposing the greener choice.

10 Items at Home You Can Keep on Reusing for Years

1. Metal Coffee Cans

Metal coffee cans are incredibly tough, so you can easily reuse them for years if you’d like. Whether you turn to a coffee can to store items, use them to hold potted plants, or anything else, the material stands up well to wear and tear. If you don’t expose the metal to the elements, issues like rust or corrosion likely won’t be a problem, either.

2. Glass Jars

Glass jars are one of the best items in your home to reuse, and you can typically keep them for years, if not decades, after you acquire them. Whether you turn them into containers for personal care items, store foods for work lunches, freeze extra soup in them, or use them as vases for flowers, the glass will remain in excellent shape with very little effort.

In some cases, you can even use jars for gifts. Whether you place a collection of small items inside or create dessert mixes for the gift recipient, a glass jar offers an elegant presentation. Plus, it’s a type of gift wrapping that the person receiving the gift can easily reuse for a variety of purposes, which makes it a better choice than traditional gift wrap.

3. Plastic Bottles and Containers

Plastic bottles and containers are typically simple to reuse. You can refill bottles with drinks you want to keep cold or prefer to have in single-serving size containers. Adding holes to the cap can give you a simple way to water indoor plants. Squeezable bottles with dispensing lids can work well for getting the ideal about of batter in a waffle maker or give you more control when filling cupcake tins.

Plastic containers can store food items, including leftovers. You can also use them to organize junk drawers or workbench areas. Plastic containers could make a great home for small children’s building blocks or similarly tiny toys, or you could use them to keep little cosmetics bundled together in a purse.

Ultimately, plastic bottles and containers are incredibly versatile. Often, they can last for years, even with regular use, too, which is beneficial.

4. Old Clothing, Towels, and Bedding

If you have clothing, towels, or bedding that isn’t in good enough shape for its original purpose, that doesn’t mean it has to go to the landfill. Cotton sheets, towels, or t-shirts can become excellent dust or cleaning rags when you trim them down. Pillowcases that don’t look their best but are holding together can help keep delicates together in the washer, and they usually work at least as well as the mesh bags.

When sections of the fabric are in good shape, you can cut the item into usable pieces. That gives you material that you can use for a variety of sewing and craft projects. You could also use fabric scraps as stuffing for items like pillows, regardless of their condition.

5. Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets don’t have to head straight into the garbage after they serve their purpose while you’re doing laundry. Instead, you can use them to help with other household cleaning. Used dryer sheets are excellent for wiping up dust, and they can polish many metal bathroom fixtures. The texture also makes them a solid choice for dealing with soap scum.

6. Cereal Boxes and Bags

Cereal boxes can easily have a second like. By cutting the box to create makeshift rectangular rings, you can make dividers that can separate items in drawers. The cardboard could also be useful for craft projects.

The bags that hold your cereal are also potentially reusable. One popular option is to turn the material into sandwich wraps for lunches at work or school. If you wash them between use, you can take advantage of those wraps for quite a while. As a result, they don’t head to the landfill as quickly. Plus, you can avoid buying new sandwich bags, which is a money saver.

7. Toothbrushes

Even when a toothbrush is no longer suitable for use to clean teeth, it can still serve a purpose in your home. Clean the toothbrush thoroughly and turn it into a grout scrubbing tool for your bathroom or other spots that are potentially hard to dig into and require a delicate touch. You could also turn it into an applicator for hair dye, making it easier to control the application near your roots.

8. Shoe Boxes

In many cases, shoe boxes are incredibly sturdy. As a result, they’re excellent long-term storage solutions. You can leave them as is to keep small items organized in closets. Alternatively, you can cover them with contact paper or a similar material, or decoupage the surface, and use them in more visible areas.

Covered shoe boxes are also a solid choice for gift wrap. If you choose seasonal contact paper or decoupage designs, the recipient could use it on gifts they give in the future. If you make it more versatile, the shoe box could become a décor or storage item for them.

9. Wine Corks

Wine corks are an incredibly popular material for crafting, with many people using them to create coasters or cork message boards. However, you can also cut them down into slim circles and use them as padding for cabinet doors or kitchen and bathroom drawers. Then, you won’t get the same sound or shake if the cabinets or drawers are closed with a bit of excessive force.

10. Newspapers and Magazines

Newspapers and magazines are incredibly easy to reuse. You can turn them into gift wrap, material for craft projects, or pictures for vision boards. Newspaper is also an excellent option for padding breakables you’re storing or moving.

Another nice option for a newspaper is that it’s effective at cleaning glass when coupled with a capable cleaner, including homemade vinegar solutions. Plus, you might get several uses out of a piece before it needs replacing, so one newspaper may last far longer than you’d expect.

Do you know of any other items at home you can keep on reusing for years that others should know about? Have you reused some of the items on this list and want to tell others about your experience? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Tamila McDonald

Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor. After retiring from the Army, she spent eight years as an AFCPE-certified personal financial advisor for wounded warriors and their families. Now she writes about personal finance and benefits programs for numerous financial websites.