Waste Not -- Reuse For the Sake of the Environment and Your Wallet

During my post-partum  hospital stays, the hospital gave me certain standard hospital supplies to use: a plastic wash basin, a pitcher for water, and a squirt bottle for rinsing "down there."  If I had not taken these items home with me upon discharge, they would have been discarded by the hospital.  By re-using these items, I am benefitting the environment and saving money. 

The plastic wash basin came in handy to soak the inevitable baby diaper blow-outs.  Before you have a baby, you have no idea how often this can happen.  Strangely, it seems to happen most frequently just as you are about to attempt to go out somewhere with the baby.  The plastic wash basin is the perfect size to fill with water, detergent and the dirty clothes to soak.  Other ways you can use the wash basin: 1) for your own hand washables; 2) pour in some corn meal and throw a few small toys inside and you have an instant indoor mini sandbox when you need some new entertainment for those rainy days inside; 3) during summer, take it outside and fill with a little water and a few toys and you have a mini water table for babies or toddlers; 4) as a storage bin for small toys or blocks.

The water pitcher, in addition to its obvious use as a pitcher, is perfect for use in the bath.  Just remove the top cover and it is perfect for washing your child's hair. It can also be used as a sand play toy.

I have used the squirt bottle to water my plants.  I also keep one in the trunk of my car to rinse dirty hands, feet or shoes before the kids get into the car after playing at a playground.  It is especially useful when they have been playing in a sandbox, or they have somehow found mud to play in (if there is mud to be found somewhere at a playground, they will find it).  It's also handy for rinsing dirt from scraped knees or elbows before you apply neosporin and bandages. 

I am sure if you think about it, you can come up with other ways to reuse these or similar items that would otherwise be part of the hospital trash.  Save the environment and save money too.