Repurpose Plastic Bottles – 5 Easy Hacks!

You know that we here at Jerry Baker NEVER throw anything away if there’s a way to reuse it, especially if it’ll come in handy in the garden. So this week, we thought we’d spill the beans on some easy (and wacky) ways to recycle one common household item that everyone tends to toss – empty plastic bottles!

So before you throw out those used-up jugs of liquid laundry detergent, shampoo, dish soap, and more - hang on! Here’s how you can put ‘em to work in your yard and garden instead:

Deep irrigation system. Poke small holes in the bottoms and sides of the bottles, bury them in the soil at strategic spots in your garden, and fill them with water. The moisture will flow out at a slow, steady rate, directly to your plants’ roots, where it’s needed most.
Garden-tool caddy. Make a big hole in a giant bottle on the side opposite the handle. Then insert your trowel, pruning shears, and other small hand tools through the hole to carry them wherever they’re needed. 
Plant labels. Cut the sides of white or yellow bottles into strips, write on them with an indelible marker, and shove the strips into the soil next to the appropriate plants. 
Scoop. Cut diagonally across the bottom, screw the top back on, and use it to scoop up sand, fertilizer, compost, cat litter, or just about any other nonedible substance. 
Watering can. Drill a dozen or more holes in the cap of a giant bottle. Fill the bottle with water, and screw the top back on. To water your plants, flip the bottle upside down, and let the H2O flow! 

For more super secrets to help you reduce, reuse, and recycle, check out our bestselling book, Supermarket Super Gardens! You can try it out for FREE for a full 21 days (with NO obligation to buy) just by visiting our website. In no time, you’ll have hundreds of new uses for empty coffee cans, ripped panty hose, bent paper clips, old hoses, and more!

Get the Most Brew for your Buck

Everyone loves a good homemade cuppa joe! But did you know that used coffee grounds can come in handy even AFTER the pot’s empty? That’s right! Here are five fresh-brewed ways to reuse those old grounds (and get double the bang for your buck!) all around your home and garden:

Freshen up a musty car overnight. Here’s a quick fix for clearing the air in a car that got damp: Cut the foot off an old pair of panty hose and fill it with used dry coffee grounds. Then tie a knot above the coffee and set the sack on the car’s dash or in the cup holder overnight. This trick will work like magic—in the morning the car will be fresh as a daisy.

Say “adios” to ants. Let your used grounds dry out, then divide them up between a few paper lunch bags and set the sacks wherever you’ve spotted ants inside your house. You can sprinkle loose grounds outside where you suspect they’re getting in. The coffee aroma will repel the ants, and if they happen to ingest the grounds, the caffeine will knock ‘em dead.

Fill in scuffs and scratches on wood furniture. Disguise nicks and dings by dipping a cotton swab in damp used coffee grounds and dabbing away at the scuffs. The tannins in the coffee will do a quick dye job, and no one will be the wiser.

Sweep out a garage without stirring up dust. Sprinkle damp coffee grounds across the garage floor before grabbing a broom. The weight of the grounds will keep the dirt and dust in check so cleanup will be a breeze.

Grow showier shrubs. Work a layer of your used coffee grounds into the dirt around your flowering bushes for the healthiest, most vigorous shrubs in the neighborhood. When they bloom, they’ll bloom big time!

For more terrific tips and money-saving secrets that'll give you the most bang for your buck, check out our bestselling book, It Pays to Be Cheap! Try out all the tricks without spending a dime—just sign up for our Free 21-day Preview!

Happy Earth Day!

Tomorrow is Earth Day, and even though we only celebrate our planet once a year, it’s important to think green every day! Maybe your home is filled with stuff you’d normally throw away or toss in the recycling bin. Well, it’s time to change that way of thinking, and take a fresh look at your cast-offs to see how they could be reinvented in useful ways around your home.

For example, many first aid and health supplies come equipped with packaging that’s every bit as useful as the product itself (though in different ways, of course). Here are some examples of potential trash you can turn into treasure:

Boxes from bandages and gauze. Save these boxes until Christmas rolls around, then wrap them like tiny presents and hang them from the tree. You’ll have one-of-a-kind ornaments for free!

Cardboard rolls from gauze. Dismantle the nests of rubber bands in your junk drawer, and snap them around the empty roll. 

Plastic and metal boxes from throat lozenges. Use them to corral all kinds of tiny odds and ends, like buttons, nails, needles, paperclips, stamps…the list goes on and on. 

Reels from adhesive tape. Or any other kind of tape, for that matter. Wrap aluminum foil around the reels, attach a string to each one, and hang them in your fruit trees and berry bushes to discourage fruit-eating birds.

Any of the above. Turn it into dollhouse furniture. Just cover the box, reel, or roll with fabric or decorative paper, and presto! Depending on the size and shape of the object, you’ve got a bed, coffee table, dining table—or whatever your little interior designer desires.