When you’ve got the itch to declutter, tossing almost-empty bottles feels like an easy win — but it’s often a waste of product and money. Even if you resist the urge to throw them out, these half-used items often migrate to the back of the cabinet where they eventually expire and get replaced anyway. To…
Time for a ‘Use Me’ Bin
“Use it or lose it” applies to many things in life, including those almost-empty containers with just a little bit of product left. Whether it’s the last squeeze of ketchup in the fridge or the final few pumps of lotion on your vanity, letting partially filled containers sit while you move on to fresh ones leads to waste and unnecessary clutter. The solution? Create a designated “use me” bin to prioritize those items. You can implement this practice in any space, including the kitchen pantry, the refrigerator, under the sink, the bathroom vanity, and the laundry room.
In an r/CleaningTips subreddit thread, users shared their most effective spring cleaning hacks. One Redditor, AdChemical1663, suggested creating “use me” baskets for storage areas with consumables. These are designated bins placed within each space (such as a bathroom vanity or kitchen cabinet) that corral almost-empty products from that room, keeping them visible and grouped together so they don’t get lost or forgotten at the back of drawers or shelves. “So the hair mask with one to two treatments left, the liquid hand soap with half an inch left, the condiment with a quarter cup left, the cleaning product that’s almost empty … anything you’re saving for a special occasion? This is the occasion,” user AdChemical1663 wrote.
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You can use any container you have on hand, but we recommend an open-top bin for direct access. This ensures you don’t have to remove a lid or disturb other items when retrieving or returning a nearly empty bottle.
Sort From Least to Most
If you want to take your organization a step further, try sorting your “use me” bin by volume. Start with the containers that are nearly empty to quickly clear out the stragglers and reclaim your storage space.
