Don't Throw Away That Empty Glass Olive Oil Bottle. Do This Instead

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Olive oil doesn't keep as well in plastic bottles thanks to the porous nature of those containers, so if you don't already have dark glass containers to put it in, if you buy it in a plastic jug, you should just purchase it in glass bottles to begin with. If you cook a lot, then you're probably going through a lot of those glass containers, and you might recycle them or toss them out when they're empty. Well, stop that. In the spirit of reusing, those thick-walled, fancy-looking bottles can find new purpose — as soap dispensers, perfect to keep by your kitchen sink.

You just need to do two things. First, clean out any leftover olive oil that's still inside the bottle with a little soap and water (one of those long bottle brushes would come in handy, too). Second, buy some liquor pour spouts, like these ones from Pafusen, such as you might see on the top of bottles of alcohol at the bar. Then, you can put your dish soap or hand soap in the bottle, affix the spout, and voilà — you have a really elegant-looking soap dispenser, and one of the great things about these spouts attached to those bottles is that you don't have to worry about too much soap being dispensed at once; you get a consistent, but controlled, pour.

But why stop at soap? Your old, rectangular olive oil bottles can be repurposed around your kitchen in a multitude of ways; the most obvious is as a vessel for new oil infusions. Make rosemary-infused oil for drizzling over your next steak, or combine oil with spicy ingredients, like red pepper flakes or dried chilis, to give soups and pastas a kick. Whatever flavor route you decide to take, it will stay fresher longer in a bottle that was designed to store it in the first place. Keep the liquor spout on for this next idea, too: If you have kids who like pancake letters (or really any shapes), use your old oil bottle to lay down the batter precisely into the pan.

Outside of cooking, if you have any plants that need regular watering on your kitchen counter or windowsill, you can also wash and rinse out the olive oil bottle really well and use it to dispense water more directly into the soil (since some plants don't like water touching their leaves). Finally, if you've ever pan-fried something, you know you're not supposed to pour the old oil down the drain. While you can get rid of small amounts using Martha Stewart's towel hack. for larger amounts, put a funnel in the bottle's opening and pour the used oil into it, then screw the cap on securely. Repeat until it's full, and then you can just toss the bottle.