Ways to reuse small soda/gatorade bottles

**mojo999** · 01-06-2008, 04:44 PM

I reuse smaller soda or gatorade plastic bottles when my sons go bike riding or fishing. They fill empty bottles with kool aid or water. They can easily carry the bottles in their back packs.

**kickchk** · 01-06-2008, 04:54 PM

I do the same with water bottles at work. Once it's empty I just refill it at the water fountain.

**Momto2Boyz** · 01-06-2008, 05:01 PM

I saw a news program a couple of weeks ago about the "dangers" of reusing the plastic bottles. DH and I sat laughing the whole time. People were using the bottles for months at a time, and then they went in and tested them for bacteria and found they were disgusting.

They never tested the bottles that people washed and reused. Probably because they were clean and had no bacteria!

So, just another tip along this line. If you use them for long periods of time, make sure you throw them in a sink of hot soapy water once in a while!

**mojo999** · 01-06-2008, 05:33 PM

Twice a year our family has a family reunion at a local park and I am usually in charge of the drinks for the meals. A few months before the reunion I start saving my 2 or 3 liter soda bottles and fill them with tea and kool aid and tea for the lunch. Easy to transport to the park and very easy for everyone to pour from. And everyone can see what is in each bottle.

**mikandmari** · 01-06-2008, 06:38 PM

I just stopped buying the small containers of drinks. I purchased a few Rubbermaid drink holders that are easy to wash, 32 oz size, and we fill them with whatever portable drinks we want. (I do think Rubbermaid is worth the extra few cents over the cheap ones that I found, since they hold up & don't leak.) Now I just buy gallon sized juices at Costco and water them down.

**zakity** · 01-06-2008, 09:02 PM

I bought rubbermaid drink containers years ago for a dollar each. It has saved us a fortune. We fill them up with our reverse osmosis water before we leave and off we go. In the summer, we bring spare water.

I do have a plastic water bottle labeled as "ice" and we just keep throwing it back in the freezer after we finish using it. It is "free" ice for when we need to take our lunch places.

Also, fingernail polish is a good way to mark water bottles permanently. Colored rubber bands work too.

**eyrehead** · 01-07-2008, 12:54 PM

I sometimes send chocolate milk in Sarah's lunch, in an empty, clean water bottle. She prefers juice boxes/pouches, but they get quite expensive!

**momof42003** · 01-08-2008, 07:13 PM

My boys make boats out of them.. They tape/tie together a couple of them and they go as far as making masts and sails out of straws and napkins... Some of their creations are really cute... But for the most part we reuse them to put other liquids and more water in..

**OzFreeBird** · 01-09-2008, 01:28 AM

These small bottles are made of a very cheap plastic. They are not the same as the tough, coloured, reusable plastic bottles that you take on your bike or the kids take day after day to school. The plastic is unstable and will chemically break down quite readily when exposed to sunlight for periods of time. You can't see it breaking down, but the plastic will start to leach into the water and then you are ingesting 1001 different chemicals. Don't use them over and over, a few refills is fine. Be careful with them.

**cmu** · 01-09-2008, 10:17 PM

I reuse Gatorade and V8 bottles for DH's lunches. I will pack him a (gatorade) bottle of water that he can use his Gatorade powder in on the job site, then he can refill from the water cooler on his truck. For the V8 bottles I buy the 64 oz bottle and refill the 12 oz bottles to throw into hi lunch box. I will wash them in hot soapy water a few times before replacing them.

For the kids I bought the 8oz Rubbermaid Juice boxes....which reminds me, I need to order more straws for them :0

**bumplett** · 01-09-2008, 10:30 PM

The dog uses water bottles as dog toys

Problem is, she doesn't care if it's not empty yet.

**HandyMom** · 01-09-2008, 11:52 PM

Cut them in half, turn the spout end upside down in the bottom part and put an inch or two of cider vinegar in it to catch fruit flies. They go in and can't find their way out.

**AmeliaM** · 01-20-2008, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by bumplett

The dog uses water bottles as dog toys

Problem is, she doesn't care if it's not empty yet.

My cat does that...Morticia is weird like that.

**PrairieRose** · 01-20-2008, 10:41 AM

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/petbottles.asp

Found this little article on Snopes. Thought we might all enjoy it

**AmeliaM** · 01-30-2008, 08:53 PM

when i was working i would use them to pack what i drank at work...brewed my own green tea,milk,filtered water,whatever...i just run them through the dishwasher w the rest of my dishes.

I got a lot of the bottles from friends at work who was drinking the gatorade/powerade.