Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Green Glass

A while ago I decided to reorganize my pantry. I searched and searched on Pinterest for ideas. I eventually settled on pink baskets from Daiso and really went to town planning. I didn't want to buy a bunch of stuff that didn't fit, so for once I went in with a very specific list with dimensions. The result is worlds better than what I was trying to do before. Unfortunately, I do not have a before picture.
This organizing kick all started with a visit to Ace Hardware. The person in charge of the online presence introduced me to Pinterest. It was then that I learned about making laundry soap using Fels Naptha, washing soda, and borax. I also started an Evernote notebook for all my recipes and DIY stuff.
So began my ritual greening of my house and lifestyle. I began making all sorts of homemade cleaners and such.
What does this have to do with glass? Well, all over pinterest people have posted about this exact topic and what they use to store it. Typically people use glass jars. So to keep the green theme going, I decided to thrift my jars as opposed to buying new. I was able to score some nice Anchor Hocking jars in different sizes (now used in the kitchen).
Kitchen Jar Storage
 
For a while I was using glass milk bottles and other jars that I already had, however, most of them were on the small side. Plus, with vinegar, I use a ton, so I ended up putting it in a glass jar with a spigot so that I could dispense it as needed (top right in picture). For my homemade laundry powder, I found a nice glass jar with a lid (bottom left).
Laundry Room Storage

The milk bottles I still use for some stuff, like extra vinegar, my fabric softener (more vinegar), and my bleach alternative. In the brown basket, I keep essential oils for other remedies, and to the left of my laundry soap, I keep my collection of Dr. Bronner's soaps and other DIY type ingredients.
I have yet to find a system of containers that works for the laundry room, though. Describing the storage as awkwardly inadequate would be a galactic understatement. The room was clearly built for a washer only.
Since beginning my green organizing project, I expanded my use of glass jars into the kitchen. It didn't help that we kind of got invaded by pantry moths. Nasty little buggars! Since I buy a lot of grain and flour, they spread easily and linger after cleaning. Having 2 little ones makes it difficult to get any deep cleaning done because I am constantly having to stop what I'm doing in order to change diapers, feed them, or put them down for a nap.
Anyhoo, reorganizing my pantry has made it easier to deal with such a problem and convert to glass. It's not completely finished, but it's definitely becoming more organized and aesthetically pleasing.

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