Using up old products???

[sofia9283]

Any one have any ideas on how to use up unused product, specifically conditioner? It doesn't have to be just conditioner it could be shampoo, oils, skin cleansers, etc...I'm looking to thin out my cabinet but I hate throwing stuff out. Any suggestions are much appreciated. If there's already a thread for this I apologize as I couldn't find it.

[Nini]

I use them for shaving my legs:D

[Tangles]

I use them as body wash. This stuff mostly has the same ingredients, if anything conditioners will be more moisturizing than typical soaps.

[Speckla]

I clean the tub with old shampoos. Most cleaners bother my husband, Mr. Sensitive Nose.

[sandigirl]

I use old shampoos as hand soap or shower soap. I use old conditioners down there especially after a trim or wax. (Sorry if that is TMI.) You can use the oils on your legs, feet, and elbows. Skin cleansers are great on your feet. I have a whole closet full of old shampoo that I use as hand soap and even to wash dishes before I put them into the dishwasher.

[Carolyn]

I use my unwanted conditioners for shave gel/cream. They are nice and moisturizing. I use old shampoos as body wash, to refill hand soap pumps and to wash out lingerie.

[angelthadiva]

I 2nd the condish use for shave cream :D I used the ends of poos I didn't like to make an anti-lice poo for DD7. I have TTO added to it.

[Themyst]

Hmmm... I wonder if shampoo could be used as laundry detergent.

As for conditioner, maybe slather a whole bunch on and do a nice deep conditioning treatment?

[sofia9283]

Thank you to everyone for all your great suggestions. Now I can start using up my supply, yeah!!:D

[lizzyjo]

Body wash can be used as bubble bath.

[camillacamilla]

Hmmm... I wonder if shampoo could be used as laundry detergent.

Yes it can. I have used it in a pinch when I am out of laundry detergent.Clothes came out just as clean and smelled nice too. You can also use old shampoos for cleaning makeup brushes, as long as you rinse them well.

[amaiaisabella]

I take old bottles of shampoo that are half-full or less, fill them up to the top with water, shake, and use as a clarifier when I have buildup. Squirting the now watery shampoo makes you use it up much quicker, then the bottle will be empty and you can toss/recycle :)

[~GypsyCurls~]

Shampoo as body wash or cleaning the tub, conditioner for shaving cream, or body wash depending on how thick it is. Skin cleansers could be used as hand wash since they should be more "gentle" than body cleansers.

[susiemw]

Yep, i agree, conditioner is great for shaving the legs.
The other products I dont' want I donate to the homeless shelter or the battered women's shelter.

Susan

[Kirin]

Shampoos: Laundry detergent, washing dishes, hand laundry, cleaning toilets, sinks and floors. Refill hand soap pumps. Anywhere you can use soap, you can use shampoo as a substitute.

Conditioner: shave cream, body wash (great for dry skin!), and fabric softener in the laundry. Cleaning copper bottom pots, and cleaning laminated wood furniture.

Facial moisturizer: hand lotion, or foot balm.

Facial cleanser/scrub: Cleaning the bathtub ring, scrubbing off shower curtain mildew.

Facial toner: Using cotton ball disinfects your telephone, light switches and light switch plates, answering machines, TV remote controls, toilet flush handle, and doorknobs. Also cleans/disinfects phone chords, and cell phones and keys (no one ever cleans their keys, try it some time lol).

Mouthwash: See above

Toothpaste: With a toothbrush cleans that pesky rubber seal on the fridge that gets mildew. With a soft cloth polishes silver, copper and brass.

Bulk oils: Natural oils can be mixed with lemon juice and shaken in a spray bottle as a natural furniture polish (great for real wood furniture, just DO NOT use it on the floor).

[Speckla]

Hmmm... I wonder if shampoo could be used as laundry detergent.

As for conditioner, maybe slather a whole bunch on and do a nice deep conditioning treatment?

I've used it in a pinch and it worked fine. Not ok in automatic dishwasher...unless you want to wash dishes and the floor within the same hour. :cheese:

[Themyst]

I've used it in a pinch and it worked fine. Not ok in automatic dishwasher...unless you want to wash dishes and the floor within the same hour. :cheese:

Heh heh, yea, don't try it with regular liquid dish soap either ... it's like something out an I Love Lucy episode ...

[shayly-fyanna]

I've used poo and conditioner mainly to bathe my dog, used to bathe the cats with it too. clean the Iguana's glass house. also used it as underwear soap, hand soap, and shower soap. plus have used poo once to mop the floors. condish as floor cleaner is dangerous! kept slipping and sliding around for hours.

Mixed three different condish in a couple of SMT's and hair felt soft and shiny and very nice.

Face Moisturizer: for elbows, legs, feet, arms, hands and after shaving. good, not greasy moisturizer. great for summer.

Oils: as moisturizer in winter for entire body, neck to feet. specially elbows, knees, feet and legs.

Other products to clean the bathroom, the wood furniture and for soaking feet before a pedi.

[plainjanegirl]

Shampoo : body wash, bubble bath, tub cleaner, toilet cleaner, wash dishes

Conditioner : shave legs, body wash, lotion

Oils : mix with body lotion and use on feet

[princess]

Shampoos can be used to wash delicate clothing like silks.

Can be used to clean tubs and tiles.

Oils depending on how old they are can be used on the legs and feet(within a year)

I really do not know how to use a conditioner.

[JamieLeigh]

If it's shampoo, I usually just use it for my boys. My girls are going CO like me, but the boys didn't want to do it, LOL. They would do anything to be like my DH, who also put his foot down at a suggestion he thought was "girly". Darn that testosterone...;) So instead of buying new shampoo, I recycle my old ones on my sons (diluted, of course...they're not getting the full concentration of the things that I won't even use on myself anymore!!)

I've never found anything good to do with old conditioner, so I'm going to keep an eye on this thread for a bit. :)

[chahuahuas]

Shampoos: Laundry detergent, washing dishes, hand laundry, cleaning toilets, sinks and floors. Refill hand soap pumps. Anywhere you can use soap, you can use shampoo as a substitute.

Conditioner: shave cream, body wash (great for dry skin!), and fabric softener in the laundry. Cleaning copper bottom pots, and cleaning laminated wood furniture.

Facial moisturizer: hand lotion, or foot balm.

Facial cleanser/scrub: Cleaning the bathtub ring, scrubbing off shower curtain mildew.

Facial toner: Using cotton ball disinfects your telephone, light switches and light switch plates, answering machines, TV remote controls, toilet flush handle, and doorknobs. Also cleans/disinfects phone chords, and cell phones and keys (no one ever cleans their keys, try it some time lol).

Mouthwash: See above

Toothpaste: With a toothbrush cleans that pesky rubber seal on the fridge that gets mildew. With a soft cloth polishes silver, copper and brass.

Bulk oils: Natural oils can be mixed with lemon juice and shaken in a spray bottle as a natural furniture polish (great for real wood furniture, just DO NOT use it on the floor).

Kirin, that was really helpful!!!

I was standing in the shower tonight thinking "Ugh, why am I using up this crappy cone conditioner on my hair? Why don't I just get a better non-cone conditioner now, and use up the rest of this cone crap for shaving my legs!!" I decided I could eventually write a clever article about it alternative uses for hair products. It seems I don't need to, because Kirin has already covered all the bases on reusing product! Thank you so much, I really like the idea of using shampoo on the floors! Finally my sulfate products will be put to good use. And the house will smell A-mazing!!!

I also like the idea of using shampoo for my makeup brushes.



I've used poo and conditioner mainly to bathe my dog, used to bathe the cats with it too.

I don't think its a good idea to use sulfate shampoos on dogs or cats. My chihuahuas tend to have their skin dried out from baths, and they get so itchy! I would much prefer to use some of my nicer shampoo on them (or baby shampoo), to spare them the discomfort. Same with cats.

I might understand using sulfate shampoos it on a bigger dog though, especially some kind of retriever who loves to play in the yard & dirt, or go swimming in a lake! I can imagine those dogs require much more shampoo to clean than my chihuahuas :laugh: and I'll bet they get dirtier, too! I know our friend's lab always got way dirtier than our lap dogs could ever manage.

[jacqueline101]

I try to add my hair products to my new routine.

[renia22]

This is a list of uses for Avon Bubble Bath which I thought was pretty interesting, but some of these ideas would probably work for other brands too:

http://lmonoson.avonrepresentative.com/blog/index.html?blog_postid=50282

[Angelica]

Brilliant ideas here! What about body lotions that are going to waste? I have loads of them. Do I just give to charity, or can they also be used for something else?

[renia22]

I don't think its a good idea to use sulfate shampoos on dogs or cats. My chihuahuas tend to have their skin dried out from baths, and they get so itchy! I would much prefer to use some of my nicer shampoo on them (or baby shampoo), to spare them the discomfort. Same with cats.

I might understand using sulfate shampoos it on a bigger dog though, especially some kind of retriever who loves to play in the yard & dirt, or go swimming in a lake! I can imagine those dogs require much more shampoo to clean than my chihuahuas :laugh: and I'll bet they get dirtier, too! I know our friend's lab always got way dirtier than our lap dogs could ever manage.



Yes, this is true. My dog is a black lab mix & he gets very dirty & his coat gets kind of dingy if I don't use a cleansing shampoo on him. I actually accidentally discovered that Lush's shampoo bars work great on him. I bought the Karma one once for myself, and it made my hair really dry and it shed a lot, but on him it was perfect because it helped loosen all of the hairs that were about to shed anyways & got him really clean. He smells sooooooo good after being washed with Karma, like a little hippy doggie, and I have not noticed any irritation from it on his skin or anything like that. I have bathed him with other shampoos too that ended up not working out for me. Poor dog has smelled like everything from Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific to Desert Essence Apple. The Lush bars I find myself buying for him a lot now, though.

Well I don't know about lotion, but I thought of another one that I don't think anyone mentioned unless I missed it. Alcohol based hand sanitizer can be used as a stain remover on clothes for ink stains. You apply the hand sanitizer on the stain (being careful it doesn't bleed through to the other side, as it loosens the stain. You might have to put an old towel in between), let it sit for a few minutes, then wash.

[kidari]

Conditioners can be effective if mixed up with other items such as oils and honey to be more effective... I also mix a conditioner I don't particularly like with a heavier conditioner I love just to use it up and same goes for shampoos that I think are too strong or too gentle. However, if the conditioner contains drying alcohols and/or I notice it dries out my hair I just toss it. I use shampoos I don't like for washing my swimsuits, delicates, and makeup brushes. It uses up the shampoo super fast that way. Lately I've been CO washing and I've been going through bottles of conditioner, it's crazy.

[Natalia]

Any one have any ideas on how to use up unused product, specifically conditioner? It doesn't have to be just conditioner it could be shampoo, oils, skin cleansers, etc...I'm looking to thin out my cabinet but I hate throwing stuff out. Any suggestions are much appreciated. If there's already a thread for this I apologize as I couldn't find it.

Condish for shaving, shampoo or any cleansers that my family doesnt want go to pedicure land, oils go for body oiling or making lotion bars. Since i went WO i dont have much around anymore to use up :p

[Angelica]

I used a shampoo for bubble bath last night. It was good too. It is one recommended for eczema and dry skin sufferers. It makes hair look lovely as well, (like it should of course), but I want to use it up quickly now as I want to buy a different brand of shampoo and haven't got enough storage space :)

[earthnut]

Conditioner is great for washing pets (my dog is CO since shampoo makes his hair mat REALLY quickly; though my parent's retriever NEEDED shampoo)
It's also great for softening woolen items. Dissolve conditioner in a bit of hot water, fill a tub with cold water and add conditioner-water, let woolen soak for an hour or more. Wring out and let dry.
It's also great for moisturizing or CO washing the body.
And it's good for shaving.

[MaryO]

I have a huge bottle of cheap conditioner which just won't quit! Definitely going to try it out on my legs.