Can you reuse aluminum foil? Of course, you can! Read on to learn how.

Have you ever pulled off a length of aluminum foil only to realize you didn’t need it, after all, and then wonder what the heck to do with it? Well, believe it or not, aluminum foil may be more useful than you would have thought. It’s more than just a handy cover for your cookies as you cart them to your reading club meeting. While aluminum foil may be a better choice than plastic wrap, it is also easier to clean and re-use than plastic wrap, and it is recyclable (as long as it’s clean) in some locations.

If you find yourself with aluminum foil that you didn’t actually use, or piece of cleaned and rinsed foil, don’t toss it. Instead, repurpose it around your home.

Here some ideas for ways you can reuse aluminum foil to expand its life span and usefulness. Sure, it might end up in a landfill eventually, but if you get two uses out it, that’s better than one. And in some cases, it may help you solve a problem and eliminate the need for any even worse product, like plastic wrap. Of course, the real key to eliminating the impact of single-use products is to reduce the use of them by using reusable options, like beeswax paper. But the reality is that sometimes you just need to use some aluminum foil. Make it count by repurposing it with these useful DIY ideas.

1. Sharpen Scissors – Bring a dull pair of scissors back to life by cutting through a sheet of foil.
2. Pot Scrubber – Balled up foil works just as well on grimy pots and pans and even works on cleaning up the outdoor grill. Just make sure only to use it on surfaces that are safe–that means no non-stick surfaces.
3. Arts and Crafts Medium – The ways in which you can use clean sheets of aluminum foil in your arts and craft projects are endless. All you need is your imagination.
4. Static Cling Eliminator – Throw a clean balled up bit of foil in with your clothes in the dryer to avoid static cling.
5. Painting Tool – Cover doorknobs with foil to protect them when painting. Also, you can use crumpled foil to create texture on your walls.
6. Pet Deterrent – Many cats and dogs don’t like to walk on foil and don’t like the crinkly sound of it. Hide some foil where you don’t want your pets to go, like around your plants.
7. Ironing Helper – Place sheets of foil under your ironing board cover to make ironing a breeze. It reflects the heat and speeds up ironing time.

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Image: Kitchen Foil on Counter via Shutterstock

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Kitchen hacks to make the whole domestic thing a lot easier.

If your kitchen’s anything like mine, its myriad of quirks cause drama when you’re trying to cook, clean and entertain. Whether you’re lacking counter space, your cupboards are bursting at the seams, or it’s missing that personal touch, these 13 kitchen hacks will help make your life a little easier (don’t mention it):

1. Store soup cans in empty soda boxes. [ source ]

Image: Then She Made…

2. If you can’t remember how old your eggs are… [ source ]

Image: Discount Queens

3. Extend the life of your onions with a paper bag, hole punch, and paper clip. (Seriously.) [ source ]

Image: The Yummy Life

4. If you don’t like the waste that comes from storing food with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, make your own reusable food wrap using muslin and beeswax. [ source ]

Image: One Good Thing

5. Use coffee filters to keep bugs out of your cocktails. [ source ]

Image: Buzzfeed

6. Use marshmallows to keep your brown sugar soft. [ source ]

Image: Storage & Glee

7. Low on counter space? Place your cutting board on top of an open drawer to prep your food. [ source ]

Image: Buzzfeed

8. For more storage space under the sink, install a tension rod. [ source ]

Image: Emily Mohundro

9. To clean the gunk around the edges of your faucet: Soak a paper towel in vinegar and wrap it around your faucet. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and unwrap – voila! [ source ]

Image: Discount Queens

10. To efficiently read recipes from your tablet, create this tablet stand using a cutting board, scrabble tile holder and doorstop. [ source ]

Image: CountryLiving

11. Store an apple with your potatoes to keep them from budding. [ source ]

Image: MyFridgeFood

12. Spices are a disaster to store – until now. Make magnetic spice jars by repurposing baby jars and store your spices on the side of your fridge! [ source ]

Image: One Lucky Pickle

13. If you find wine glass racks to be a total snore, you’ll love this one – it’s made from a repurposed rake! [ source ]

Image: Make

What are your favorite kitchen hacks?

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Image: Laura D’Allessandro

The post 13 Quirky Kitchen Hacks to Make Your Life Easier appeared first on EcoSalon.