Post by SA Hunter on Aug 25, 2015 22:22:53 GMT 10
preparedchristian.net/fifteen-ways-to-reuse-two-liter-bottles/#.VdxdyPmqqko
Water Storage
Wash them out by putting a drop of dish soap in, filling ¾ of the way with hot water and shaking. Rinse it out and let it dry. If it still smells like the previous contents you might consider keeping it for a different use. If it smells fine, you can fill it with water, and store it in a cool dark area.
Frozen Pack the Freezer
Fill with water and pack them in the freezer to take up empty space. This makes it so less energy is needed to keep the freezer at the optimal temperature. Also if the power goes out they will help things stay cold longer. Just leave a little room in the bottle so the ice can expand as it freezes.
Keep Things Cold
If you go on a picnic you can take a frozen 2 liter bottle out of the freezer and place it in the cooler to keep things cold. This would also be an option if power went out, take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to help keep the temp lower inside.
Stay Hydrated
On a hot day take a frozen 2 liter bottle out and drink the cold water as it thaws.
Chill Out
While probably not the most comfortable ice pack, it would stay cold longer than most I have ever used.
Food Storage
While I don’t think this is the best method, I have read of several people who store dry goods such as rice in 2 liter bottles for many years.
In the Garage
Funnel
Remove the cap and cut the bottle in half. Use the top portion as a funnel.
Dry Material Dispenser
Carefully fill the bottle with sand, kitty litter, “melt away” for melting ice, etc. Leave the cap on for storage. Remove the cap and shake the contents out onto whatever is needed.
Plastic Bag Dispenser
Cut off the bottom and very top of the bottle, at its neck. Attach, upside down, wherever you would like the dispenser, using screws and a washer to attach it. Fill with plastic bags from the various stores you shop at!
In the Garden
Drip Irrigation
Poke holes in the 2 liter bottle. Bury the bottle next to a plant in your garden at planting time. Leave enough of the top sticking up so you can easily reach it and refill it with water as needed.
Mini Green House
If you plant your seedlings and get a frost warning, you can cut the bottom off and cover your seedling sticking the bottle deep enough in the dirt to form a seal, to protect it from the cold. You’ve just created a very small, one plant, green house.
Upside Down Planter
Have you seen those upside down planters? You can create one! Cut the bottom off a 2 liter bottle, place a layer of duct tape around the newly created rim for stability and poke holes. Thread rope through the holes so you can hang it! Now, take your seedling and gently insert it, leaves first, into the bottom, putting the leaves through the top. Fill the bottle with dirt, and hang it where it will get sun!
Vertical Planter
A vertical garden can be created by cutting a section from the side of a 2 liter bottle and attaching it to a privacy fence or other vertical space. Fill the bottle with soil and plant in it!
Traps
Bug trap
Remove the cap and cut the bottle in half, leaving the bottom 2/3 of the length. Place the top upside down so it is sticking inside the bottle and staple it in place. If there are any gaps along the seam, add duct tape so that the only opening is where the cap was. Create a mixture of sugar and water and pour it into the bottle, leaving one to two inches between the water and the inverted bottle. I have read that you can add ½ tsp of yeast, as the yeast feeds off of the sugar it gives of CO2, which will attract mosquitoes. To catch other bugs, replace the yeast with ½ cup of apple cider vinegar.
Minnow Trap
Remove the cap and cut the bottle in half, leaving the bottom 2/3 of the length. Place some rocks in the bottom to act as an anchor. Now place the top upside down, so it is sticking inside the bottle and staple it in place. Insert some bread into the trap and place it in the water.
Water Storage
Wash them out by putting a drop of dish soap in, filling ¾ of the way with hot water and shaking. Rinse it out and let it dry. If it still smells like the previous contents you might consider keeping it for a different use. If it smells fine, you can fill it with water, and store it in a cool dark area.
Frozen Pack the Freezer
Fill with water and pack them in the freezer to take up empty space. This makes it so less energy is needed to keep the freezer at the optimal temperature. Also if the power goes out they will help things stay cold longer. Just leave a little room in the bottle so the ice can expand as it freezes.
Keep Things Cold
If you go on a picnic you can take a frozen 2 liter bottle out of the freezer and place it in the cooler to keep things cold. This would also be an option if power went out, take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to help keep the temp lower inside.
Stay Hydrated
On a hot day take a frozen 2 liter bottle out and drink the cold water as it thaws.
Chill Out
While probably not the most comfortable ice pack, it would stay cold longer than most I have ever used.
Food Storage
While I don’t think this is the best method, I have read of several people who store dry goods such as rice in 2 liter bottles for many years.
In the Garage
Funnel
Remove the cap and cut the bottle in half. Use the top portion as a funnel.
Dry Material Dispenser
Carefully fill the bottle with sand, kitty litter, “melt away” for melting ice, etc. Leave the cap on for storage. Remove the cap and shake the contents out onto whatever is needed.
Plastic Bag Dispenser
Cut off the bottom and very top of the bottle, at its neck. Attach, upside down, wherever you would like the dispenser, using screws and a washer to attach it. Fill with plastic bags from the various stores you shop at!
In the Garden
Drip Irrigation
Poke holes in the 2 liter bottle. Bury the bottle next to a plant in your garden at planting time. Leave enough of the top sticking up so you can easily reach it and refill it with water as needed.
Mini Green House
If you plant your seedlings and get a frost warning, you can cut the bottom off and cover your seedling sticking the bottle deep enough in the dirt to form a seal, to protect it from the cold. You’ve just created a very small, one plant, green house.
Upside Down Planter
Have you seen those upside down planters? You can create one! Cut the bottom off a 2 liter bottle, place a layer of duct tape around the newly created rim for stability and poke holes. Thread rope through the holes so you can hang it! Now, take your seedling and gently insert it, leaves first, into the bottom, putting the leaves through the top. Fill the bottle with dirt, and hang it where it will get sun!
Vertical Planter
A vertical garden can be created by cutting a section from the side of a 2 liter bottle and attaching it to a privacy fence or other vertical space. Fill the bottle with soil and plant in it!
Traps
Bug trap
Remove the cap and cut the bottle in half, leaving the bottom 2/3 of the length. Place the top upside down so it is sticking inside the bottle and staple it in place. If there are any gaps along the seam, add duct tape so that the only opening is where the cap was. Create a mixture of sugar and water and pour it into the bottle, leaving one to two inches between the water and the inverted bottle. I have read that you can add ½ tsp of yeast, as the yeast feeds off of the sugar it gives of CO2, which will attract mosquitoes. To catch other bugs, replace the yeast with ½ cup of apple cider vinegar.
Minnow Trap
Remove the cap and cut the bottle in half, leaving the bottom 2/3 of the length. Place some rocks in the bottom to act as an anchor. Now place the top upside down, so it is sticking inside the bottle and staple it in place. Insert some bread into the trap and place it in the water.
