Whether it's chicken pad thai from Green Peppercorn or leftover charcoal chicken from EJs, I often wash and reuse plastic takeaway containers for later. I'll throw out the container if it's oily or broken.
They're especially handy when after a party and you want people to take home leftover cake or nem nuong.
Sounds tightass but I like to think that reusing/recycling is better than going to landfill.
Yep, I just had by 38th but it read 371 :P
I never thought they were single use.
Same. I can't remember the last time I bought candles. I just keep pulling out ones I bought a decade ago. They usually get blown out within a minute. They last forever at that burn rate.
Neither… Very surprised this is on here. I thought every family had an ice cream container of birthday candles stored away somewhere…
Sing happy birthday first. Then light candles and quickly take photo, candles last heaps longer!
Or don't light them at all, and add flames to the photos in post…
Better still you can Photoshop in the candles or even the cake you be really saving that way.
I stick in the 6 upside down to make it a 9 :)
Moccona Jars. Use them for storing coins, dried foods, cigarette ash.
we use our Moccona jars for pickling
I use pickle jars for my Moccona
Do you get a good deal? I prefer a glass jar with a metal pop top lid.
ELI5 what is pickling
Preserving vegetables using vinegar and spices.
They look great as candle holders too! We take the label off, put a slightly shorter candle in it and the jar protects the flame from any drafts (eg use outdoor with citronella candles)
God damn I have so many (profanity) Moccona jars I never know what to do with them all
if only the label could come off a bit easier.
Though not single-use per se, before throwing something out I try and see if there is anything that can be reclaimed/salvaged.
For example from shoes, the shoe-laces if still in reasonable condition.
From old clothing, maybe the buttons. The old clothes generally become rags for the workshop.
From appliances, kids toys, furniture etc, any Screws/Nuts&Bolts that could come in handy, any useful electrical components or cabling, or useful wood/timber etc.
There's gotta be a limit tho.
My parents salvaged envelopes from incoming mail, toilet paper cores (for planting), junk mail for lining the bottom of trashcans (so the plastic liner dont tear at the bottom), egg trays for putting utensil next to the stove.
Also, using old (corrosive) dishwasher powder to break down caked grime - i worry about them sometimes.
Ah.. the ozfrugal community.
I used to know someone who would collect the dregs from his bong water, dry it out and smoke it again.
Does this "friend" share the same name as you?
Drugs are expensive +1 for your "friend"
Wtf that is so wrong… Yuck. Could you imagine the taste?
I call BS
Kitchen paper towels - can be re-washed and used until they fall apart. Also cling wrap (unless there is food stuck to it ).
wtf? mine breaks as soon as you wet them.
I'm incredibly skeptical that any paper towel can actually be washed.
They will need to be made out of canvas to not break as soon as wet then wrung out. The idea of actually washing a paper towel without it turning into a slurry boggles the mind.
^^this
I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that my family reuses one use paper towels, the sort that you would pull out of a dispenser in a toilet.
We use it after we dry our hands, and then we carefully place it on the bench and hope it dries enough before the next person uses it.
This could be taken a number of ways, none of which are appealing.
Wow, i guess you all get sick together too. That must be fun!
Actually, nope. Because you know, our hands are clean when we dry them.
It's no different to using a hand towel, just that it's paper towel because my folks are tight arses.
I re-use matches.
The self ignite on our gas hob doesn't work if the oven (below it) is switched on (otherwise I use the self-ignite switch to light the gas rings on the hob/stove).
I always feel really cheap when I do this but I saved used matches to relight other gas rings on the hob/stove. i.e. if one ring is already lit (because I've been using it) and I have to put another ring on for another pan, instead of striking a new match to relight the new ring, I use one of the spent matches (that I've saved) to light the ring(s) from the one that is already on.
If one burner is going you can just turn on the other one, it will light up soon enough. Maybe step back a little though.
Super-dodgy restaurant kitchen trick:
You can use the spray cans of oil to blast the flame from a lit burner to an unlit (but on) burner. The accelerant in the cans is flammable, and makes the spray into a flamethrower with a satisfying Whoooomph.
I cannot technically endorse this, as you may set yourself on fire.
You can re-use condoms if you wait a week for the old sperm to die and then turn them inside out.
This made me crack up, you should have more upvotes.
Why turn them inside out when the sperm is ded?
Dental floss
I mean, it still works just as well. dont know if you should even call it a single use product really. Can get at least 4-5 uses before it starts fraying
I thought I would have to make this post :)
And when it gets frayed in the middle from my razor sharp steak eating teeth, you can tie the ends together to create a floss loop, which allows you to use the ends next to the knots (not the actual knot) and get maximum usage out of it.
Although I bought the Soocas floss-pick things last year, and that seems to be made of some kind of high tensile wire, it lasts for weeks each one, so my floss consumption has gone through the floor.
that's just gross, it has bacteria on it… hence why it is a single use product. gross
but it's your bacteria
You're flossing to get rid of the bacteria, not put it back between your teeth, it defeats the purpose
My mum uses the same length of floss for at least 2 weeks. Disgusting
🤮
And mine leaves it on the table next to her chair in the TV room. Not sure how long it gets used for 🤢
Dentist friend of mine told me you can reuse floss, just give it a good rinse. I told him that was gross just like the others have said here. Then he reminded me that I reuse my toothbrush and my mind was blown.
I still don't reuse my floss though…
I would never reuse the string that I wrap around my fingers, but the type that comes on a plastic holder I am okay with reusing once or twice after wiping it clean.
Plastic water bottles (pump, my Franklin etc).
When getting take out I always get water with my meal (post mix soft drink costs them 7c to produce including the cup, straw, lid)
I realise these contain bpa but I use them for a few months and end up throwing one away/leaving it behind/becomes unusable. Fill these up with filtered water out of the fridge.
post mix soft drink costs them 7c to produce including the cup, straw, lid
Yeah nah
The cup and lid is prob 7-15 cents
Which was my point!
Popsicle sticks and plastic containers like Ferrero Rocher containers to store knick-knacks.
I've thought about re-using zip lock bags, I use a lot of them and my local council doesn't recycle soft plastics.
Just like OP plastic takeaway containers are great for left overs for guests otherwise I don't see my Sistema again.
I have a wooden skewer that I'm always re-using to unblock the kitchen sink.
Some restaurants, especially McDonald's give way too many serviettes so I'll keep them for later use or as tissues in the car.
My local McDonalds will more often give you zero serviettes in the drive through, opposed to too many. Sucks when you're not going home to eat.
my local council doesn't recycle soft plastics
My local Coles & Woolies do, yours might as well. The bin might be tucked out of the way at the entry/exit.
They do and I need to change my habits to recycle all soft plastics instead of just the single use plastic bags.
Not necessarily limited use but I regularly soak all my dish clothes in pine o'clean and dry them out so I don't have to throw them out regularly.
I do keep my yoghurt containers to put vegetable scraps in for the worms. When they get too gungy I drop them in the recycle and start with a new one. I make my own yogurt, using bought yogurt as a starter, so I don't go through a huge number of containers.
Why soak your dish cloths in a solvent when you can put them in the clothes machine with a detergent actually suited to the fabric?
Don't have any problems with them breaking down in a "solvent". Put some in with very hot water. My clothes aren't washed in hot water. BTW - I'm talking about the wipe clothes, not the tea towels.
washing machine, hot cycle….
Gillette Mach 3 Razor- Only gets replaced once every 6 months. The trick is to clean the razor head and then immerse in mineral oil until next use.
Works with any disposable razorblade actually
The other hot tip on this is to strop them on your arm about a dozen times in the shower before each shave. I use two cartridges a year.
how does that change whether the blade sharpness becomes diminished after each shave
The blades don’t get blunt, simply microscopic dirt and grime and hairs and dead skin builds up. So a simple clean keeps them sharp.
if it was a case of only needing to clean it, then we would be buying 1 per lifetime.. smh
@boostpak: They do eventually go blunt, but it takes a lot longer than people realise. Dirt build up and rust are the biggest causes of bluntness.
This.
I've signed up for two trials with Dollar Shave Club (at different addresses, cards). Each trial has given me 5 blade heads.
That was 3 years ago, and I only just started the 2nd pack of 5 last week.
I use 99.9% isopropyl alcohol in a tall enough jar (so the shaver fits) with a lid (so the alcohol doesn't evaporate as easily).
Never have a problem with bluntness. When I do eventually replace, it's more of a "hmm, probably should" than a need to.
Yes I probably replace my blade every 3 months. I think because I shave in the shower it helps.
Yeah, I shave directly after a shower but it has the same effect. Your hair is much softer and your skin a lot cleaner after a shower.
Thanks.
What mineral oil would you recommend?
Not the OP, but I'm guessing sewing machine oil would work - but it's not the cheapest.
Yes, I use sewing oil
Opposition leader
More like prime minister Kevin Rudd. They got him out of the cupboard to try win the election.
Golsch beer bottle and lid
why is that?
I think it's like one of those fancy Cafe water bottles
Orchy bottles
Question is, do you reuse the hose?
This thread is both hilarious, disturbing and fanatical.
Saliva
those cake/pastry trays from coles that have those little partitions. i use them as drip trays underneath my potted plants so they get proper/elevated drainage.
I give 1l tetrapacks (like for soy milk) a good rinse, fill with water and put in the deep freeze. I always have a small bunch on hand - they make good ice bricks for the esky and when they melt you can use the water inside if you're running short.
God, why have I never thought of this - thank you!
Since I stopped getting those single use plastic bags from the supermarket I now reuse other bags..
At the moment I've got a bread bag full of rubbish, but I've used packaging from products I've bought or other food items. Since I've been doing this, I've been putting any dry rubbish straight into the bin and any wet / sticky rubbish into the bread/Product plastic bag. About 90% of what I throw out is other plastic wrapping/packets that are too small to put rubbish into or has holes in its design.
When I'm at work, I'll sometimes take my own Tupperware down to the Cafe to get takeaway. Reduces the packaging.
Also using beeswax cotton sheet for wrapping things instead of cling wrap.
+1 on taking the Tupperware down to get takeaway.
dirty fork at work, haven't washed it in months, surprised i haven't got sick
If you use it all the time, should be ok. I never clean my ceramic teapot but it gets filled with boiling water everyday?
You aren't ment to clean a teapot. The theory being it improves the flavor over time. Lol I was them though…
I use my old toothbrush to clean my disposable Razer's under the tap.
i use my old toothbrush to clean dust from computer parts, heat sinks and fans.
We use the inside of cardboard boxes as disposable chopping boards…
Definitely never thought of that, are you chopping meat on them?
Can't do anything wet. But frozen pizza box for the same pizza always works out ok. Chop veggies if it looks clean. And it's real easy to tell if it's clean or not cause as soon as it's wet or anything it starts warping
Oh I just thought of something else. Homebrand pasata bottles make great water bottles for the fridge. I have two with water and one with blackcurrant cordial at the moment. They need to go through the dishwasher twice to remove any trace of tomato taste but after that they're great.
thats ultra pov. i like it