With the current surge of the recent virus affecting the majority of the world, it is very important that we take precaution to protect ourselves. While some can afford to stay at home to avoid contracting the virus, it is not the case for most people especially essential workers. For the part of the work force that must go out and do their job, here is a brilliant tip to defend yourself from the unseen enemy by using old spray bottles and a little bit of craftiness.
1. What can I do with empty spray bottles?
Most of the time, we would just throw away empty spray bottles to lessen the clutter at home. These empty spray bottles can be of use in many ways. An empty spray bottle can be used for cleaning, for spraying your clothes when ironing to make it easier or fill it up with your stain remover for better accuracy on targeting the stains. You can even fill it up with plant sprays to aid in the growing of your plants, healthy plants do not happen by accident, don’t they?
Reusing old bottle sprays or whatever you have at home that you consider trash already not just saves you pennies but also helps in the preservation of our environment. This simple act of waste-management has a very big impact on our planet by reducing trash that can end up piling on our beaches.
2. How to clean and disinfect your empty spray bottles.
It is very important that we clean and rid the spray bottles of the chemicals that it used to contain to not compromise the chemical makeup of the new content. It is not an easy process isn’t it? After you collect the trash, you clean and disinfect it before it is put to good use. There are lots of ways to clean empty bottles, but here is a simple hack that does the trick.
First, wash the bottle with tap water thoroughly until no foam or bubbles can be seen while rinsing. You can use vinegar and water to clean the bottles and make sure that there is no residue of its previous content. Fill the bottle with equal parts of water and vinegar, let it sit for about an hour. Try spraying the bottle with the solution to clean the nozzle then flush it out with water thoroughly.
You can also remove the old label of the spray bottle by peeling it off. To make it easier, you can boil water in a pot and hold your bottle over the hot pot of water. The steam from the hot pot softens the glue and makes it easier to peel out. You can also use oil (any kind) and spray it on the label, let it sit for around 5 minutes then use a paper towel to wipe off the label. Dry your bottles and now they are ready for upcycled.
3. Design your upcycled spray bottles.
To make it look cute and trendy, you can design your repurposed spray bottles. You can use buttons, ribbons or even use your own picture to design it. Design your own labels and print it out or simply handwritten labels will surely work with a bit of art. You can also paint your bottles with different colors and make it look cool. To make it better, you can add a keychain so you can hang it on your bag or anywhere that is always within your reach to make it always available to use. With it hanging on your bag, you can reduce the possibility of leaving it at home or anywhere else. With your do-it-yourself designs you can add personality and uniqueness to your repurposed spray bottles. Now your upcycled spray bottle is ready for reuse!
4. Refill your upcycled spray bottle.
The next thing to do is to refill your spray bottles with your preferred content. You can refill it with perfume, cologne, hairspray, hand sanitizers and so much more.
You can use your repurposed spray bottles to safeguard yourself against viruses and bacteria when you are outside your home and hand washing is not an option. The best alternative for hand washing is the use of hand sanitisers. It is best to use alcohol-based sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol. Virus and germs can easily travel from your hands to your eyes, mouth and the rest of your body. With your handy and trendy spray bottles you can protect yourself and not bring home viruses and germs to your family.
Wrapping Up
Decluttering and recycling not just saves you money, you also help our planet by reducing the amount of trash that we dump. The process may seem tiring and time-consuming, but it will surely encourage you to channel out your creative side and not only help conserve our environment.