As the new year takes shape, I often feel the urge to sort, organize, and purge my belongings. The start of the year is great for cleaning out the fridge and pantry, reorganizing the laundry room, donating unwanted clothing and other items, and tossing old toiletries. There’s something about a fresh start that invigorates me. Since clutter can stress me out, these simple tasks work wonders. 

While cleaning out my bathroom cabinet, I noticed a few almost-empty lip balm tubes accumulating in the corner. Rather than tossing them, I decided to repurpose the tubes, utilizing them for new tasks. I made sure to clean out the tubes by winding it until the bottom reached the top and wiping off any residual product. To make sure they were truly clean, I threw the tubes into boiling water for five minutes. If you’d like to sanitize them as well, boil them in a new pot of water for another five minutes, and let dry. There are many ways to give these tubes new life; here are my favorite six ideas. 

6 Ideas for Repurposing Lip Balm Tubes

1. Carry on-the-go hair ties and bobby pins.

2. Refill with homemade lip balm.

3. Turn into a matchbox.

4. Store raw supplies, like salt, herbs, sugar, etc. for travel-friendly recipes.

5. Collect toothpicks.

6. Hold paper clips in school backpacks/work bags.

For more inspiration on how to keep your household eco-friendly and tidy, pre-order the upcoming special edition of The Natural Home Issue!

Danielle Williams is the assistant senior managing editor for Stampington & Company. She lives in Orange County, California, with her husband, daughter, and opinionated cat.