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  1. Real Simple
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  4. New Uses for Old Things: 10 Ways to Rethink Household Items
waste less, live better

New Uses for Old Things: 10 Ways to Rethink Household Items

Real Simple Author
By Real Simple Editors Updated May 28, 2020
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how-to-reuse-household-items
Credit: Getty Images

Common objects do double-duty around the house with these clever new uses.

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Attach Gift Cards With Photo Corners

Self-adhesive photo corners to hold a gift card
Credit: David Prince

Original purpose: Creating scrapbooks.

Aha! use: Attaching a gift card. Neater and more attractive than Scotch tape (but just as easy to apply), they make even the simplest wrap job look impressive.

Reward: A prettier present.

Reader tip: Linda D'Onofrio
East Brunswick, New Jersey

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Hone Scissors With Sandpaper

Sandpaper sharpening scissors
Credit: David Prince

Original purpose: Smoothing splinters.

Aha! use: Sharpening shears. To hone dull blades in a pinch, just snip a piece of sandpaper a few times.

Reward: Scissors cut paper.

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Baking Soda as Hair Cleanser

Baking soda in the shower
Credit: David Prince

If daily use of mousse or gel is weighing down your locks, add a pinch or two of baking soda to your shampoo once a week to remove product buildup. Getting squeaky-clean strands is a piece of cake.

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Candle as Zipper Fixer

Candle to fix a stuck zipper
Credit: David Prince

Release a stubborn zipper by lightly rubbing a candle along the teeth on both sides to smooth the way.

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Paper-Towel Tube as Plastic Bag Holder

Paper-towel tube to hold plastic bags
Credit: David Prince

Store and dispense plastic bags by stuffing them in a cardboard tube, then place it in a drawer for handy retrieval. A tidier kitchen is in the bag.

RELATED: 6 Smart Hacks for Cardboard Toilet Paper Tubes

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Flat Iron as Touch-Up Iron

Straightening iron and dress shirt
Credit: Kana Okada

No time to drag out your iron and ironing board? A straightening iron works perfectly between buttons where a regular iron doesn't fit. And it smooths collar creases and minor wrinkles. So you can look perfectly pressed when you're pressed for time.

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Wine Corks as Cabinet Silencers

Kitchen cabinet with wine cork cushion
Credit: Gemma Comas and James Merrell

Silence cabinet doors that slam by slicing a cork into thin disks and sticking them onto the inside corners of cabinets to muzzle the closing noise.

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Tape as Scoop Scraper

Masking tape as a scoop scraper on a Hersey's cocoa container
Credit: John Lawton

Attach the sticky side of a shorter piece of masking tape to the sticky side of a larger piece. Then place the tape across the top of a container of, say, cocoa so that the ends adhere to the sides of the can. The next time you scoop, you can easily level off your helping and avoid cocoa-verload.

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Cast-Iron Pan as Recipe Board

Cast iron pan as a recipe board
Credit: John Lawton

Hang a skillet on a kitchen wall and you'll have a convenient magnetic spot to display recipes, important reminders, and anything else your brain is too, well, fried to remember.

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Key Protectors as Jingle Stoppers

Key protectors as jingle stoppers on dog tags
Credit: John Lawton

You love your dog and can even tolerate the occasional barking. But you could do without the incessant jinglejangle of his tags. Well, here's a new trick for you: Cover them with rubber key protectors.

Courtesy of reader Jayne Burns of Sebastopol, California

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    1 of 10 Attach Gift Cards With Photo Corners
    2 of 10 Hone Scissors With Sandpaper
    3 of 10 Baking Soda as Hair Cleanser
    4 of 10 Candle as Zipper Fixer
    5 of 10 Paper-Towel Tube as Plastic Bag Holder
    6 of 10 Flat Iron as Touch-Up Iron
    7 of 10 Wine Corks as Cabinet Silencers
    8 of 10 Tape as Scoop Scraper
    9 of 10 Cast-Iron Pan as Recipe Board
    10 of 10 Key Protectors as Jingle Stoppers

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