When your little ones are done with their baby items, it can feel like a lot that gets boxed up or thrown out. While I definitely encourage donating items to families in need or passing them down to your relatives, there are some items that are super personal, or just flat out a little gross to not keep in the family. Here are six items that I not only reuse, but do so daily.

Number One: Burp Cloths and Baby Washcloths

Use: Clean Up Cloths

Second Use: Pretend Play in a Play Kitchen

Throw them in the wash on a hot cycle and you’ve got yourself a set of super absorbent cleaning cloths. I keep a stack folded in the kitchen to wipe up those little spills that seem to happen pretty frequently with a toddler. My son Mateo also uses them to wipe his hands and face at meals. I can’t tell you how few paper towels we use these days. Since being on quarantine for over six weeks, I still have the same fairly full roll I started with. I don’t plan to go fully paper towel free as I do use them for anything super gross (think snaking the drains) but it’s definitely not a staple item for us any more. And hey if you run out of baby wipes, you certainly could use these as reusable wipes. Also, if you have those tiny, tiny baby wash cloths, you could put them in your child’s play kitchen for pretend play.

Number Two: Cotton Nursing Bra Pads

Use: Makeup Remover Pads

Second Use: Nail Polish Remover Pads

I don’t know about you guys, but I found the disposable bra pads to be super itchy and I hated creating waste. So, I bought a pack of six organic cotton pads and they definitely got a lot of use. Whether you used them a lot or a little, if you’re done, consider using them as reusable makeup remover pads. They are super soft, durable and absorbent. I haven’t had to buy cotton balls in ages. I haven’t tried these as nail polish remover pads but if you do, let me know how it goes.

Number Three: Breast Pump Flanges

Use: Funnels for Play and Kitchen USE

I know it sounds funny at first and you may have a visceral reaction (I hated pumping) but these guys are essentially funnels and we use them all the time. You can use them for water play or dried rice play or even a marble run for kids who are older. Always supervise, of course.

I use them in the kitchen to pour dried goods like rice and beans into jars. They just come in handy.

Hold on to a couple of these. If you are able to donate your pump and supplies, you likely have plenty of flanges to include even if you save a couple for yourself.

Note that flanges come in a variety of sizes.

Number Four: Bottle and Pump Parts Drying Rack

Use: Drying area for hand washed dishes

I have the Boon grass drying rack that I used for bottles and I just kept it as a drying rack for regular dishes. I like it more than my drying mat alternative and I already had the space set up for it so it just stayed. This is a simple one but I wanted to mention it.

Number Five: Diaper Pail and Bags

Use: Cat Litter Disposal

Second Use: Child Proof Garbage Pail

If you have a cat, this one is especially great if you’re low on plastic bags like I am but still have your diaper pail and bags. And man, those bags are too expensive to go to waste. Set up a station next to your litter box and scoop the poop right into the bagged pail. Ta da. New use. I never thought I’d be able to reuse something that will always smell a little bit like poop, but there you go. If you have a dog, maybe you could use this at the garage entry or mud room for when you come back from walks or when you pick up poop in the backyard. I don’t have a dog so I’m not into that routine but maybe .. I’m trying to think of anything else poop related and that’s all I’ve got.

This could also simply be used as a garbage pail. My Ubbi one has a lock and I think most other brands do too. My son knows how to open it but it definitely adds a time delay on getting to the trash and at this point, he knows he’s not supposed to open it. This could be great in a child’s room, an office, basement, next to the laundry for all that fluff that comes out, etc.

Number Six: Boppy Pillows, Pregnancy Pillows, Crib Mattresses

Use: The Ultimate Fort or Cozy Reading Nook

Those long pregnancy pillows are seriously awesome for lining a wall of a reading nook or fort. Boppy Pillows are super comfy for little ones to lean into as well. We have a cozy reading nook that we recently made into a fort and now it’s my son’s favorite play space.

You can’t see it in this photo, but we have two crib mattresses, forming an L shape vertically behind this fort. It’s not really needed, but the extra padding is nice especially because one wall behind this set up is brick. My son also loves to drive his cars down his slide onto a mattress. I think the little bit of height just makes it more fun. Plus, they fall off at the end and that’s always exciting. You could make it a ramp off a couch for toy cars, too. But I hesitate to suggest it because kids would probably try to roll down as well and that would definitely not support their weight.

Number Six: Unusable Old Clothes

Use: Rags

I am all about giving and receiving hand me downs but some pieces are just on their last leg. Cut them up (or not if they’re tiny) and use them for rags. It’s better than just tossing them in the trash.

In summary, your items do not have to go in the trash. If you’re not using them and they can’t be used by another, think about clever ways to reuse or upcycle them. And let me know in the comments below or over on Instagram what you’ve reused or upcycled!

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