Don't Toss Old Laundry Detergent Lids — Organize Drawer Clutter On A Budget

Upcycling is something of an art form amongst the thrifty, the inventive, the practical, and the eco-conscious. For these folks, taking something that most would see as garbage and turning it into something functional, beautiful, or both brings an indescribable amount of satisfaction. Plus, it can help solve some everyday problems you ordinarily wouldn't throw money at. Take your junk drawer, for example. Getting it into an organized state might not be on top of your list of priorities — especially if it involves having to purchase containers for all the bits and bobs floating around on the bottom of it. But what if you already had the containers lying around the house?

While you might already know a few clever ways to reuse an old laundry detergent bottle, you should also be saving your lids to repurpose into practical tools around the house. A great place to start is using them to improve your drawer clutter situation. Not only is it a sustainable, no-waste, and practically free option, but it can also bring you a greater amount of peace and focus. And since you've already paid for them, what have you got to lose? Just arrange them in a bathroom drawer, and use them to hold things like like hair ties, bobby pins, cotton swabs or rounds, and bandages. They can help hold jewelry to keep your dresser drawers tidy, and in the office, you might use them for paper clips, pushpins, rubber bands, and extra staples. Then there's the garage, where they work wonders to organize small hardware like washers, bolts, nuts, and screws in your workbench.

There are loads of brilliant ways to use laundry detergent lids around the house, but transforming them into drawer organizers is one of the most useful. And it couldn't be simpler! When you've got a stash of laundry detergent caps saved up, empty the drawer and start moving them around to find an arrangement that best suits your space and storage needs. 

Once you know how many you want to use and where you'd like them to sit, use some double-sided tape or museum putty to secure them in place. You could even cut a cardboard insert to fit over the bottom of the drawer and glue the lids to it so you can easily remove them all at once if desired. Any of these options will prevent the lids from sliding around the drawer and tipping over. Alternatively, tuck smaller bleach caps neatly into plastic containers or tins in such a way that they won't slide around. These may be placed in drawers and used as DIY organizers for small beads, hardware, or craft supplies.

If you don't like the unfinished look of the plastic laundry detergent cups, there are plenty of things you can do to zhuzh them up a little. You might try coating them in a couple of layers of your favorite color paint and a coat of Mod Podge. To give your new storage space a bit of personalized style, you could also wrap them in a cute printed fabric and secure it with hot glue.