You don't necessarily have to throw newspapers into the paper bin immediately. There are still a lot of ways to use them. We have listed the best ideas:
Reuse newspapers around the house
In the kitchen
- Wrap a dirty grill or oven rack in damp newspaper overnight; this makes it easier to wash off food residue the next morning
- Wrap hard avocados in newspaper – this helps them ripen faster
- Wrap pale tomatoes in newspaper; this accelerates ripening
- Wrap organic waste like peels or vegetable scraps in newspaper and put them in the organic waste bin; this reduces odors and absorbs moisture
- Place a thick layer of newspaper in trash cans before inserting the plastic bag – this reduces the work required if a trash bag bursts
- Spread newspaper on freshly cleaned kitchen cabinets – it absorbs grease from the air, meaning less cleaning is needed later
For plants
- Wrap the root ball of overwatered potted plants in a thick layer of newspaper – this absorbs excess moisture and prevents rotting
- Place newspaper underneath when repotting – this keeps the floor clean
- Place crumpled newspapers between fresh grass clippings in the compost – this way, the grass and newspaper rot together and the clippings won't rot improperly
When cleaning
- Polish freshly cleaned windows and mirrors with newspaper – this makes them streak-free. Also works on car windows
- You can clean dirty glass vases by putting newspaper strips inside, adding water, and letting it sit for a while. Pour it out, rinse with lukewarm water – clean!
- Sooty fireplace or oven windows can be cleaned with wet newspaper. Crumple the newspaper into a ball, dampen it, and dust it with a little residual ash to wipe away the soot deposits. Rub with a dry newspaper – clean!
For DIY projects
- Cover floors with old newspapers during renovation work instead of buying painter's fleece or foil
- Insert small balls of newspaper into dowels or drill holes, then apply interior filler over them – done!
- Use damp newspaper strips for "masking" when painting window frames – saves on expensive masking tape
In the household
- Stuff wet shoes with crumpled newspaper – do not place them under a warm heater, as this damages the leather!
- Place heavily soiled shoes on several layers of newspaper
- Place newspaper under the doormat – this catches dirt
- Roll up carpets with newspaper – moths do not like the smell of printer's ink
- Lay newspaper in the wardrobe – moths do not like the smell of printer's ink
- Wrap frozen products bought at the supermarket in a newspaper; this provides insulation
- When shipping packages, use crumpled newspapers as filler material – this prevents items from shifting or breaking during transit
- Roll up several newspaper pages and insert them into the shaft of high boots – prevents unsightly creases in delicate leather
- Place newspaper under the car floor mats – this draws moisture out of the passenger compartment and prevents windows from fogging up
- Wrap briquettes for the fireplace tightly in newspaper and place them in the already properly warm stove. Close the stove draft afterwards – this keeps the embers and heat for hours.
Crafts
- Use nice newspaper strips as bookmarks (e.g., in cookbooks)
- Use particularly beautiful newspaper pages as wrapping paper, decorate with a matching ribbon, and your original packaging is ready
- When children are crafting or painting, simply use a few layers of newspaper as a protective mat
- For New Year's Eve parties, you can make beautiful party hats. Paint them colorfully and attach a rubber band – done!
- Use a hole punch to make confetti for carnival – paint the newspaper with watercolors beforehand to make it nice and colorful
- Great papier-mâché figures can be made with newspapers and wallpaper paste
- Great paper airplanes can be made with children using newspaper
For pets
- In animal cages (e.g., bird, guinea pig, or hamster cages, etc.), line the bottom with newspaper, then put the bird sand/litter, etc., on top – makes cleaning easier
- In the litter box, old newspapers can be laid out instead of plastic film – keeps the box fresh for longer
Do you have another tip for using read newspapers? Then I look forward to comments or emails.
Also read: Cleaning the house with cosmetics
Photo by Janine, meinhaushalt.at
