apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

For lotions in a pump bottle, cut off the top portion of the bottle. Place the bottom in a pan of boiling water until the lotion becomes runny. Pour into a small jar and use a spatula to get the last bit out.

For the remaining lotion bottle, invert the top into the bottom portion and use as a small planter for herbs or african violets. Place gravel in the bottom to steady and act as a reservoir; put a large rock in the bottle neck to act as a stopper but allows water to pass around the edges; then fill with potting material and plants.

For toothpaste, I cut the tube open after I can't squeeze any more out. There's no need to buy a toothpaste squeezer (this goes for lotions as well).

For viscous detergents (shampoos, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc) I add water to the remainder and use that. Your clothes will still be clean even if you don't use the "perfect" amount of detergent.

Oh man, laundry detergent is the worst for this!

for toothpaste, run a comb in bottom to top motion over the nearly empty tube. the remaining toothpaste will come up towards the top.

rinse near empty lotion/ conditioner bottles into your home pedicure water.

similarly, rinse out liquid detergent bottles into the washing machine.

when we were young, my mother would pour some water into our empty cereal bowls at breakfast and we had to drink it up. that way, we used up all the milk left in the bowl, and also had enough water. i still follow it to this day. i do the same for empty orange juice or lemonade bottles. uses up the last few drops of juice and gives me a faintly perfumed water to drink :-)

Anything in tubes, cut those suckers open. My late mother God Rest Her always did this. Came of age in the midst of a depression and never forgot it. I swear we had the same tube of first aid ointment for years!