When it is time to use it, hover the bottle over the food, and squeeze until the desired amount has landed. All well and good with the first few squirts, but as the contents shrink and a mere squiggle the size of a little finger drops onto the food, followed by a puff of fresh air, a hefty bash on the worktop is needed to get things moving in the right direction.
The next stage is to give up after six bashes on the worktop only produce a lot of air and no sauce. But there's still some left in there. I got a big pair of scissors which are generally used to open awkward packaging, and cut the bottle in half.
See, lots left, plenty to scoop out with a knife or spoon if you want to. I prefer to get a piece of food on my fork and wipe that around the inside then pop it straight in my mouth.
There are so many products like this where the container is a funny shape making it difficult to scoop out the last dregs. Loads of food must get thrown away because people can't be bothered to faff around. I only get this type of product maybe two or three times a year, as a treat, because I prefer not to smother my food with sauce.
What other daft containers have you found where it's difficult to get the contents out?
Toodle pip. ilona
What I don't buy anymore are aerosols (correction, only WD40). I haven't worn hairspray for years (sticky and unnecessary). I did like to de-ice the windscreen of my car with an aerosol but I got so angry that the aerosol 'push button' broke with loads still inside so, when it is an 'early start' it is a warm (not boiling of course) kettle of water and a plastic fish slice which does the job. As an aside, I have known someone pour 'boiling water' over their car windscreen and shatter it - not a good idea.
ReplyDeleteDepending on what the contents of the bottle contain (mayonnaise or tomato ketchup for example) I pour a very small amount of malt vinegar into the bottle and shake; then the next stage is a sturdy pair of scissors.
I have been unable to get the remains of moisturiser out of glass bottles with metal sealed tops.I don't buy these now.I always cut in half toothpaste,mine and the dogs and get an extra week from them though.The dogs toothpaste costs £14! x
ReplyDeleteFlashlight batteries that are sealed in a plastic that requires tools to open!
ReplyDeleteI usually stab through the cardboard at the back with sharp scissors or a pointy knife. The packaging is very tough, impossible to open it with your fingers.
DeleteWe always cut these containers in half to use up all the contents, toothpaste is a prime example.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough I cut my toothpaste tube in half this morning.I have been doing this for a few years now...well ever since Ive been reading your blog,lol.Normaly I scrape my toothbrush around inside it to make it go further.But this morning I went one better and rubbed my..clean!..finger inside it and rubbed the toothpaste straight on to my teeth,then put the brush in my mouth to clean them!.I do get annoyed when bits of toothpaste drop into the sink,so this was one way of stopping that happening.If Ive got harder plastic to cut in half..or quarters,lol..I have an old pair of cheap scissors that I heat the blades up on the hob.It cuts things easier then.xx
ReplyDeleteYes I stick my finger in a toothpaste tube, and I hate blobs of toothpaste landing in the sink. YUK
Deleteese bote no hace falta romperlo solo tiene que presionar en el número 7 que tiene en relieve y caerá justo una ración de salsa
ReplyDeleteTranslation from Spanish.
Deletethat boat does not need to be broken just press on the number 7 that is embossed and just one serving of sauce will fall
Thank you beatriz. I think your sauce bottles may be a bit different to ours.
Hi Ilona,I have seen this in the on line papers recently..They say if you tap the 57 mark on a well known sauce every bit drops out??.Well,I dont buy that brand..too expensive..so I tried it on an Aldi brand,in the same place as a well know 57 brand..It didnt work and I still ended up cutting the it up to get the dregs out!Beatriz,lovely to meet you on here but sorry it didnt work for me.Maybe I am too frugal!,xx
DeleteI always do this, surprising how much is left isn't it, sometimes depending on what's in the bottle I will swill it out and add to a stew or casserole.
ReplyDeleteThrifty people do this all the time!
ReplyDeleteSauce, moisturiser, toothpaste, hand cream etc.
Correct.
DeleteI keep my baked bean tins,pasta sauce jars,chopped tomatoes for a day in the fridge,so I can give them a final swill out and add flavour to anything i am cooking.My grandson always gives me the stuff he is getting rid of!.I have washed my clothes in half a end of face wash?...why do you need things like that,lol..I have the last squirts of hair spray,etc.I will use anything to stop it being wasted!!,xx
DeleteIt makes you wonder doesn't it whether companies consider the issue of food waste when designing their packaging (and not just what it's made of or how much material is used).
ReplyDeleteI have bought Olay beauty fluid for years, I remember it use to be packaged in glass bottles. The plastic bottle it now comes in I cut in half as there is always loads of the product left clinging to the sides.
ReplyDeleteI find some cat food pouches hard to empty completely and have to cut them open down the sides to get all of the meal out.
The way I empty cat food pouches is to rip the top off, place it in the palm of my left hand with open end at the tips of my fingers, then use a knife to start at the bottom and work the contents down towards the open end flattening the pouch, so the food falls into the dish.
DeleteMy cats like the gravy Aldi version.For years I just ripped the top off.Now I rip the top off half way,then rip from the other end to meet in the middle.I find that it lets the air in and makes emptying it so much easier and no waste,xx
DeleteI find Heinz so expensive. How good a deal did you get on it?
ReplyDeleteIt was 50p, Boris. They might do you a deal if you buy it in bulk.
DeleteI do this with toothpaste, lotion and a facial depilatory I use. I see no reason to throw away a container that still has 3-5 days' worth more of product in it. Waste not, want not.
ReplyDeleteI always cut the hand cream tube in half and like you say, there's loads left inside that you would normally throw away.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I do that too, with lots of things - it seems such a shame to waste.
ReplyDeletexx
I always find Marmite is hard to get everything from the jar, I always rinse the jar and keep it when I am having a stew. There is lots of little things to save a few pennies.
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk
I do this with Marmite as well!,xx
Deleteme too!!
DeleteSalad cream, mayo and ketchup are all such wasteful shapes. I normally add water to the Tom sauce and put it in savoury mince etc.
ReplyDeleteI need to thank you Ilona. 8 years ago i started my frugal journey. Initially saw you on tv. No i was not in debt but living from pay to pay. Decided mortgage had to go!. Paid of £85000 in 6 years took in lodger lived on yellow sticker food!. Every penny budgeted!. All clothes charity shop. Now have saved for 2 years half my income. Now can retire in 4.5 months from nhs at 55. Without mortgage paid and savings no. For that i thank you!. Athenax
ReplyDeleteHI in my household, my husband uses his toothpaste until he 'thinks' it is empty, then I take it cut it in half and use it for another fortnight (twice a day). I once put a date of my toothpaste to see how long it lasted, just so I would need to know when I would need to buy another, I got almost 5 months out of it, not sure what size tube it was but fairly standard. I am still in the UK and when I see reduced stickers I am still buying them.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Melinda (from SE Qld Australia)
I'm a whiz with shampoo bottles at transferring the end of the old into the new. Best tip - use half the new one first then it doesn't spill out when you flick off the top to drain the old bottle into it.
ReplyDelete