Reduce, reuse, recycle… Here are some good ideas for reusing old newspapers around the house rather than use other products such as new paper towels. Not only will you recycle and reuse, you’ll save a little money too.
Mulch: Newspaper is very good at retaining moisture and does a fine job of fighting off weeds. Use black and white newspaper. Lay down several sheets of newspaper over the area you are working on and cover with a few inches of mulch.
Slow Ripen tomatoes: If frost is coming and you have an abundance of green tomatoes on the vine at risk of getting damaged, pick them and wrap individually in a few sheets of newspaper. Store in a dark closet or cabinet at room temperature, checking every 3 or 4 days. They should ripen nicely.
Clean your windows with newspaper: Don’t use wads and wads of new paper towel to clean and dry your windows. Crumpled up newspaper does a fine job of cleaning and drying windows.
Oven residue: Ovens clean themselves, but it leaves a new kind of ashy mess behind. Instead of using new paper towel, use some moistened crumpled newspaper.
Add newspaper to compost: Add a bit of wet, black-print-only newspaper to your compost heap to reduce odor
Dry Wet Shoes: Stuff balls of wadded up newspaper in wet shoes to draw out the dampness.
Let us know if you have other ways to reuse and recycle newspaper or if you try any of these tips. Thanks for reading the First Weber Wisconsin Real Estate & Wisconsin Living blog and we hope you can use this tip around the house!