Items you absolutely wont waste

shoy18

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 6:01 pm

What items do you refuse to waste, doesn't have to be food, just something you just wont throw out until its completely finished or used to the max.

I refuse to waste a bar of soap, I will use it until it disappears, I'm not someone who is super careful on not wasting but this is something I just wont do.

I also will always pour the little bits of formula into the new can before throwing out the old. absolutely

avigailmiriam

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 6:14 pm

Cloth--I am very good at using up every bit on a length of fabric. Extras become scrubbing rags or parts of quilts. Work out clothing gets repaired until it's dead and then it's cut up for rags.

Food--I've got a knack for home preservation, and we don't really waste any food around here.

yo'ma

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:15 pm

I throw everything out, but at the end of the school year, I go through my kids notebooks and throw out all the written pages and use the rest for this or that. They don't get workbooks in school and use mostly notebooks. Since Friday was their last day, I have tons to go through.

greenfire

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:25 pm

hand lotion & hair conditioner - I use every drop up ... while the girlies have to open a new one the minute it gets too little ... What

justanothermother

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:26 pm

I bought a little thingamajigy to squeeze out every drop from tubes of toothpaste and creams. I also melt down crayon stubs into molds so I don't have to throw them out.

Clarissa

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:30 pm

I use everything down to the nub or whatever. With soap, I use it until it's a tiny sliver, which my husband hates. I used to actually take two of the slivers and try to "glue" them together with water to make a little bar of soap, but I feared he'd have me institutionalized.

I can be wasteful with certain things, but quite frugal and careful with others.

greenfire

Sat, Dec 13 2008, 8:40 pm

we stopped using the bars of soap - less waste less mess more convenience ... get a large bottle of soap from walmart and refill little bottles ... works wonders ...

ESB

Sun, Dec 14 2008, 1:32 am

I also pour in formula to the new can.

I have this thing with garbage bags. I will not tie a bag till its overfull. Crazy mishigas.....................

grin

Sun, Dec 14 2008, 1:36 am

justanothermother wrote:

I also melt down crayon stubs into molds so I don't have to throw them out.

this sounds like an amazing idea. How do you do it?

justanothermother

Sun, Dec 14 2008, 6:51 am

When I have a lot of broken pieces collected, and there is enough to sort by color and make it worth my time, I make cute crayons in candy molds. I clean the paper off the crayons, melt them in a double boiler, and pour into a mold to cool. I like to use shapes that go with the colors - pink hearts, brown teddy bears, red roses, red sports car... If there are bits here and there of many various colors, I make multi colored chunks. I let the kids choose their own color combinations, I cut them into little pieces, and we fill up mini muffin tins with them. I bake at 150 for about 20 minutes. After they cool off, I put them in the freezer for an hour or two to help them come out of the pan.

Amital

Sun, Dec 14 2008, 6:56 am

I do this, too--my kids love "Rainbow crayons!"

I take a disposable cupcake tin, spritz a little nonstick cooking spray in it, and then put crayon shavings or stubs into each cavity. Put into the oven, pretty low heat, like 200F, and when they're all melted, take it out and let it cool. Pop them out, and you have rainbow crayons! (You can use a metal cupcake pan with liners, but I'm not sure about crayons' kashrut status, so I've only used the disposable. Very Happy

)

Also, for a slightly different twist--more swirled colors--you can melt the crayons in a microwave safe cup until liquid, and then pour into a candy or craft mold. Just don't mix it too much while it's liquid or you'll have a yucky brownish gray!

Last edited by Amital on Sun, Dec 14 2008, 7:01 am; edited 1 time in total

grin

Sun, Dec 14 2008, 6:57 am

Amital wrote:

grin wrote:

justanothermother wrote:

I also melt down crayon stubs into molds so I don't have to throw them out.

this sounds like an amazing idea. How do you do it?

My kids love "Rainbow crayons!"

I take a disposable cupcake tin, spritz a little nonstick cooking spray in it, and then put crayon shavings or stubs into each cavity. Put into the oven, pretty low heat, like 200F, and when they're all melted, take it out and let it cool. Pop them out, and you have rainbow crayons! (You can use a metal cupcake pan with liners, but I'm not sure about crayons' kashrut status, so I've only used the disposable. Very Happy

)

what about the kashrus of your oven afterwards?

Amital

Sun, Dec 14 2008, 7:04 am

Ooops...I cover my pan with foil, too. It's a pain when you are checking to see if it's melted, but like I said, I just don't know how that works. Better safe than sorry for me!

The microwave one, I don't know. I've never done, but I do know someone (preschool teacher) who does...