Those little paper squares

[hesbeen2021]

You know those little square things you get inside new handbags and now in the trillions in my house from all the used lft tests?
Seems such a waste to chuck out ( also the cute little plastic bags which I've been informed by clients are good for weed!)
What could the little paper squares be used for? Do they collect water? Could they be used in drawers?

[quote longtompot]@Dilbertian no, I wasn't thinking of the spheres but have had them in a floral arrangement so I know what you mean. There are water retaining granules which you add to soil and I wondered if they were the same thing, and on that you are correct. The silica in the little packets don't breakdown whereas the granules do over a few years.[/quote]
I'm Perry sure the water retaining granules for flower pots are made of the same stuff as Orbeez.

Because they're both biodegradable, whereas the gel in nappies is a similar polymer but is not biodegradable.

Anyone else think there are two different conversations going on here? 😂

@Muchtoomuchtodo

I’ve put a load in my car, seems to stop it misting up so much!

Genius

@Sloughsabigplace

Does anybody actually use the little plastic bags for their intended purpose?

My DD insists on doing it. I just bin it and keep the bag

I'm delighted to have a store of them for the next time I drop my phone down the loo 🤞!

@Buzzinwithbez

I wish I'd thought to save the plastic bags. I did put cash for each of my children in one at Christmas and was accused of being a drug dealer

This is so good

You have to use the bags. No one wants snotty swabs in the bins unsealed. They are biohazards

Meh, snotty tissue goes in the bin and I don't bag it first (I did, at the very start, whilst thinking hmm this is a bit OTT, it's not going to leap out of the wheelie bin and up the noses of the binmen).

Swabs just go in the kitchen bin which has a liner, and from that rubbish goes into a black sack so the biohazard thing isn't a worry particularly.

@Sloughsabigplace

Does anybody actually use the little plastic bags for their intended purpose?

Yes. Another example of how shit I am at thinking outside of the box.

Really wishing that I'd kept all of the silica rather than obediently throwing them away in the little plastic bag. I'm now realising just how helpful they could have been in my damp cave of a home.

@MooSakah

You have to use the bags. No one wants snotty swabs in the bins unsealed. They are biohazards

What do you mean ? They go out with the household waste in a bin bag into our wheelie bin. No one else handles them.

I often chick the silica gel packs from other stuff into the backs of chests of drawers or under beds against the walls. The ones from LFT tests are a bit small though so they get binned. The baggies are kept in with my (hoarded) plastic food bags drawer. I'm sure I'll find a use.

@hesbeen2021

Yes I'd been thinking along the lines of wardrobe/ drawers / my van. Seems such an awful waste And the plastic bags mine are just piling up and I don't deal weed so unsure what they can be used for Maybe seed collection?

They would be great for seeds. When I ordered some seeds off eBay they come in similar plastic bags.

@MooSakah

You have to use the bags. No one wants snotty swabs in the bins unsealed. They are biohazards

Do you bag up your snotty tissues as well, before binning them? They are as much a biohazard as the swab that is covered with the same snot.

The gel bits go on my windowsills to catch the damp.

Most of the bags are in box for using when I find something to put them in. I sometimes use them for crayons when taking DD out somewhere she needs to sit quietly, for seeds, for £ coins for the DC when they have to take them into school.

I sometimes use them for their intended use... although I put about 5 tests/swab sticks in one, it seems such a waste of a nice bag to use one for each test!

The white cardboard boxes often go into the DC's craft boxes.

I put the silica sachets into a jar so that we can attempt to rescue the next phone-in our household which gets dropped in water.

I use the little bags according to the instructions, to throw away the testing swab etc.

Are they not a little packet of sweets ...... Oh....

Thanks all, plenty of great ideas.
So much of the lft testing seems so wasteful
There's absolutely no need for the plastic bags and I'm also unsure about the silica sachets so will put them to good use rather than chuck away ( the biscuits idea is great btw)

Do you bag up your snotty tissues as well, before binning them? They are as much a biohazard as the swab that is covered with the same snot. they go in the nappy bin or the bathroom bin so get double bagged.

I use them for the intended purpose. I’m such a square. I will save them from now on.

@MooSakah

You have to use the bags. No one wants snotty swabs in the bins unsealed. They are biohazards

The boxes of 25 LFTs that I get from work don’t have all the extra plastic bags in so I don’t understand why they come in the smaller boxes.

The used swabs go in a bin, which has a bag already in it. That goes in the black bin back. I really don’t think 3 bags are necessary when they’re no different to a used tissue or toothbrush.

Yes two different conversations going on here

You are geniuses! I have been chucking them out all my life, but now I'm putting them in my car.

@Goldenbunny careful putting seeds in. Seeds better off in paper bags or envelopes otherwise they can rot and become unviable 🌱