Recycled Laundry Detergent Watering Can

Sometimes the best Instructables are the simplest ones. I saw this tip on Popular Mechanics list of their top tips and decided to turn it into an instructable. This is a really simple project to make and will save you some money buying watering cans, plus if you have already built a rain barrel from one of the excellent rain barrel Instructables, you will already have a good way to easily fill your homemade watering can. 

Tools needed for this Instructable:

1 empty laundry detergent bottle.
1 drill and drill bit.

Step 1: Rinse the Bottle

Rinse out your empty laundry detergent bottle thoroughly. 

Comments

[notalis1970]

I made one today! My bottle is a bit different but it'll work. I took off the label from the white bottle, and since it has a blue cap, I used a blue permanent marker with a gold fine-tipped one to decorate it in a Moroccan theme, so I can leave it out and it doesn't look too bad. I also sprayed a fixant on t it so the marker doesn't rub off in time. I'll get a pic up asap :-) Thanks for the idea! It was fun adn now will be useful <3

[stevenr12]

Awesome! I am really looking forward to seeing yours, it sounds like it looks really good with the Moroccan theme. I keep mine hidden away in the shed but if I can make it look nice maybe I would consider leaving it out.

[saosport]

great idea thanks

[Browncoat]

Simple & genius!

[Servelan]

As I was messing about with a nearly empty soap container (why husband stuck it on the top of the freezer escapes me, but there it was), I pushed the button that releases the valve to dispense soap and thought it might be possible to remove the plunger in the valve and put a piece of hose in the valve if you needed to spot water or treat a plant (like if you took one of these containers and used it for applying fish fertilizer or compost tea or something).

[Servelan]

Tossing in some vinegar at the tail end of the rinsing process and slooshing it around well will speed the removal of the soap.

[hanlin_y]

Be careful when acid might be mixed with bleach. It releases chlorine gas.

[Servelan]

Vinegar will create a problem when directly mixed with bleach, but the container being recycled here is a soap container, not a bleach container. Common household 5-7% vinegar, used at the *end* of the rinsing process, will help remove the last of the soap residue in the container.

[stevenr12]

Good tip! I should have noted in the Instructable that it took multiple rinses of hot water to get totally clean and that I soaked it overnight.

[jessyratfink]

Really good idea. :D