After reading your newspaper, there is still some life to it. It has a lot of life left in it, so don’t be hasty about throwing it away. Old newspapers have several practical and creative household uses that not only save you time but also help your wallet and the environment.

Window cleaning

The most obvious and common uses of old newspapers are cleaning your windows with them. Old newspapers are excellent for cleaning windows, mirrors, and glass tables and using folded pieces of newspaper and wiping your windows or glasses with a vinegar and water solution for a streak-free finish. The texture of the paper will prevent any leftover shine residue on your glass surfaces. This has been a practice used in many households.

Add to your compost

You should consider adding old newspapers to your compost bin as carbon-rich material. Compost bins need a mix of greens and browns. Add the scraps of old newspapers to your bins. Greens that are needed in the compost bins include vegetable scraps, and the browns can be dry materials, like old newspaper. It is recommended to shred or tear the newspapers before adding them to your compost pile to help it break down faster. You should never add glossy newspapers, as they are not biodegradable.

Gift wrapping

With the spirit of gift-giving fast approaching, why not use old newspapers instead of regular wrapping paper? Regular wrapping paper can be expensive and is often not recyclable. Newspapers give that quaint appearance to your gifts. Decorate the gift with twine or ribbons, and adding a handmade tag will offer an elevated touch, making your gift unique and waste-saving at the same time.

danial-d-9dSTAMv_be0-unsplash

Image Credit: Unsplash

Create trays for your seedlings

Instead of buying small plastic trays for your new seedlings, many gardeners use old newspapers to make them. Just shape the newspaper into a little container to hold the sprouts. You can create a starter cup by folding the newspaper in a specific way, and then you can simply add your potting soil directly into the cup. An eco-friendly way to save the environment and your garden

Use to ripen your produce

Sometimes, all you need to make sure your avocado or banana ripens well is to use newspapers. It may not be the most common form of ripening your produce, but it works well. Wrapping the fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas in old newspaper will trap the gas and speed up the ripening process of your produce.

ALSO SEE: SPRING CLEANING – QUICK, CONVENIENT AND GENTLE CLEANING FOR ALL SURFACES

Spring Cleaning – Quick, convenient and gentle cleaning for all surfaces

Feature Image: Pexels