Most of us send our old newspapers to recycling centers these days but there are many things you can use them for around the house. Before you toss your papers into the recycling tray check out these ten great uses for newspapers.
Newspapers can be used for compost. Compost is an organic composition of decayed elements that you can make in your own back yard. When compost is added to soil it enriches it with nutrients and improves the quality of your plants. Composting is a great way to keep garbage out of landfills as well since you can use scraps of food, eggshells, and other organic elements from your everyday garbage. When you want to make compost you need a good mix of carbon rich materials and nitrogen rich materials. Newspaper is a carbon rich material and you can tear it into strips and add it to your compost heap.
Newspapers are great for helping things to hold their shape. When you bought your purse it was probably stuffed with paper and newspaper can help hold the shape of your purse when you store it. Just crumple up some newspaper and stuff it inside the purse. Newspapers can also help hold the shape of boots and hats in the same way.
Though it may not be extremely attractive, newspaper can make excellent mulch in your garden. Mulch helps hold moisture into the soil and it prevents weeds from growing. Just lay down a layer of newspaper on all of the exposed areas of dirt in your garden. You can water your plants and the newspaper and as it decomposes it will add nutrients to the soil.
If you have pets you can use newspaper as an alternative to store-bought bedding materials. Shredded newspaper makes great bedding for small animals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and puppies. You can use newspapers to line your bird’s cage or your cat’s litter box and you can use it to paper train your puppy.
Newspapers can help remove smells from items around the home. Stuffing newspapers into sneakers and shoes can help remove foot odor. Newspapers can help remove musty smells from luggage and trunks if you place some inside and close them up. You can deodorize food containers with stubborn smells by sealing some newspaper inside of them for a few days.
Newspaper makes an excellent wrapping paper. Why pay ridiculous amounts of money for paper that is going to end up in the garbage when you can wrap all of your gifts in newspaper? The recipient of your gift will see that you are environmentally conscious.
Newspaper is a great packing material. You can wrap delicate items such as Christmas ornaments, glasses, and knick-knacks in newspaper to protect them from breaking. Stuffing balls of newspaper into boxes provides protective cushioning and you don’t need to purchase packing peanuts.
Keep a stack of newspapers handy for crafts. Newspaper can be used for paper mache, paper chains, kites, paper making, folded hats, and boats. Newspaper can be a protective work surface for your table and provides easy cleanup.
Newspaper can help with cleaning around the house. Newspaper is great for cleaning up grease and for shining up windows. You can use newspaper to cover your furniture and floors to keep them clean when painting. Placing newspaper into the bottoms of your trashcans will help absorb moisture and odors.
Finally, you can use newspaper as an inexpensive insulation. Stuff newspaper into cracks near windows and drafty places in your attic or basement walls. If you ever get stuck in the cold stuff your coat and clothing with newspapers.
