Monday, April 2, 2012

REUSING PLASTIC LINEN PACKAGES

If you're like us, you often buy something, maybe a curtain panel or a set of sheets or a table linen of some sort, and they come packaged in those zippered pouches.  After you take out your item, the package probably goes right into the trash.  But why throw out a perfectly good storage item?  
Package almost ready to be used
Case in point, here is a recent package we got.  We bought sheets for the farm (these courtesy of Overstock.com) and so we ended up with two of these nice, heavy plastic packages, complete with a zippered top.  
Empty Package
Simply remove the large cardboard that describes the item or, if there is a smaller one such as this, often in a pocket or pouch on the inside of the package, just turn it around and you can use the blank side for labeling as you desire.  Then, just put anything you'd like to store inside, zip the top closed and you're done.
Tablecloth storage
Here is a large one of ours that we use to keep various tablecloths in that we use for different occasions.  They stay folded up and safely stored away.
Curtain / Valence storage
Here are some smaller ones (I think they originally had small curtains in them), and now we are using them to store window valences that we switch out seasonally over our kitchen window.
Candle Storage
Here is yet another one that contains all the extra candles we use in the dining room candle chandelier.  We have a 2nd one that is full of tea light candles, and you know how hard those are to store away, always falling all over the place.
Keeping them all together in a basket
We often store them in baskets that we keep in cabinets around the house.  The best part of this is that you are using something that would otherwise be destined for a landfill, and because they are almost always zippered, you have safe, dust free storage of whatever you want to put in there.  Plus, being clear, you can immediately see what you have.  Pull them out a year later and they are as good as the day you put them in there.

Usually the bigger the item you buy, the bigger the package you'll get.  Quilts or bedspreads/comforters give you a nice size bag with lots of storage room, maybe for your own homemade quilt or something larger you want to keep stored away.  I use one large one to store all the others until I need them.  That sort of makes them like "nesting packages", LOL!  Then whenever I need one, I know where to look to find the size I need.

It's just a great way to always have the things you need in one place at a moment's notice, safe, clean and ready to be used.  It's frugal AND green!


Hope this helps!

14 comments:

  1. Ohmygosh, ingenious. I just got 4 of these over the weekend for some door curtains, I threw them away, and now I'm digging them back out and putting stuff in them to store. Thank you thank you. Dena

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    1. Glad I could give you an idea. thanks for stopping by and commenting, please come back.

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  2. We save ours too. My husband gave me the same brand of bed pillows that they use at the Ritz Hotel chain for Christmas and I saved the plasticzip bags to store wool blankets in. These were great, because they had handles too.
    Lisa

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    1. Wool blankets would be great in a large one, they would be safe! Great idea.

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  3. I have two large ones in my hall closet, containing all my product warranty information and manuals. So easy to grab a zippered bag of them, rather than shuffle through drawers looking for everything.

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    1. Now that is a great idea too! I have started putting aside all the manuals for the the stuff at the farm and that would be the perfect spot for them (and I could put them in a basket on top of one of the bookcases)

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  4. Replies
    1. I always like clever and cheap and fabulous! Ha. Thanks!!

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  5. Good idea, I am sure I have thrown those away in the past!

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    1. It's funny how sometimes we don't see the potential for something when it's right in front of us, ha. I had thrown out lots over the years. Once I realized that I had potential storage "containers", I started saving them. Now I just go grab one when I need it. And everyone is giving me more ideas for stuff, ha. Hope it helps!

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  6. I always try to keep the bags I get like this just for the extra storage factor. The bags with the draw strings that some of the sets of cotton sheets I've gotten I keep as well, great little bags to use in the car for snacks and/or craft stuff for longer trips.

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    1. More great ideas, I love it. Never thought about snacks for car trips, great idea. And the best part is that with most of them, since they are clear, you can see in an instant how much of something you have left, or where something is you are looking for. Thanks for the tip!

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