22 Fun Ways to Upcycle Plastic Detergent Bottles

Are you trying to go green? You’ve traded your convenient paper towels for washable towels. You’re hanging clothes on the line, stopped using paper plates, and are composting everything you can possibly feed to your new container of worms. You are to be commended my friend!

It’s a challenge to change old habits and the challenge can be heightened when you live in a ‘non- recycling friendly’ area. When finding an appropriate recycling bin for your waste is difficult, you’re more likely to just toss it in the trash bin. The other choice, is to store them like nuts to a chipmunk and end up with a garage full of cans and detergent bottles. No longer shall your shed be packed with laundry detergent and dish detergent bottles!

After searching through blogs and twitter friends I found 22 great ways to re-use your detergent bottles. (please remember to always rinse these bottles thoroughly!)

For crafting:

1.Use for storage of beads or other small craft item. Fun foam beads are great for this! Little kids get a kick out of seeing what color will come out next!
2. For larger bottles, gently remove the spout and stuff your skein of yarn into the bottle. Feed your strand through the spout and you have a great way to hold your yarn tangle free while you knit or crochet! (and it does not get dirty rolling around on the floor)You can also carefully cut a little ‘door’ on the side to input larger skeins, or to store your needle.
3. On less round bottles, the sides can be cut out and used to create custom templates. Paper card stock templates change in size every time you trace around them. These make great templates for quilting – you get the same size every time.
4. Dishwasher detergent bottles are a great size for storing bottles of craft glue. Simply cut down the bottle roughly 4 inches tall. You could easily store 3-4 bottles of glue. Leave one upside down for easy dispensing!

Organizational Helpers:

5. Dish detergent bottles and dish washer detergent bottles make great soap dishes! Just cut an inch or so off the bottom and poke a small drain hole- voila!
6. Start using Make Your Own (MYO) laundry detergent and store it in your old yucky detergents bottle (after you clean out all those bad chemicals)
7. Store your weekly supply of baby wipe solution for easy dispensing when the wipes warmer gets low. A little tea tree oil will keep the solution fresh all week.
8. Large containers, such as bulk detergent or coffee containers, make excellent storage devices. Many coffee companies are using square shaped plastic containers that stack wonderfully.
9. Cut off the tops of large detergent containers to get a great handled desk or drawer organizer for just about anything!
10. Keep one by the washer as a Lost Penny Piggy Bank. Any lose change found in pockets or wash tubs become fair game for mommy’s piggy bank! (And no one will think to look in the bottle!)
11. Take out that messy bag of sand or cat litter in your trunk and pour it into your detergent bottle. Much cleaner and easier to handle while still keeping you prepared for roadside emergencies!
12. While your at it, fill one with water for that hot radiator.

Just for fun:

13. Cut out a scoop shape for scooping snow or sand! (Great tip from a great mom!)
14. Let the kids use it as a toy in the bath tub! Small children love to pour water from one container to another. It can even double as a rinse bucket for hair washes.
15. Easy watering can for indoor and outdoor plants. Turn it into an automatic watering pot by poking a couple holes at the bottom and setting it, filled with water, next to one of your garden plants.
16. Remember that part you cut off for your soap dish? Use the other side as a handy funnel!
17. Easily turn your scoop into a dog food or cat food scooper.
18. Fill with water and stash in your toilet tank to conserve water.
19. Tie to your boat as a dock bumper for extra protection.
20. Never forget where you caught that big fish! Use your washed bottle as a buoy!
21. Fill with a variety of items to make musical instruments. Great for home schooling! Let the kids test to see what sound beads make versus beans or marsh mallows!
22. Use the bottoms as starter planters for your spring time herb garden.

It is hard to totally eliminate the use of plastic products. Especially when we are so accustomed to the products contained within them. Sometimes the best we can do it to use it as many times as we can for as long as we can. Make the most of your refuse and share with us what YOU can do with your bottles.