The Essential Spray Bottle | Family Economics

By Cathe Holden

A favorite handy item that I use on a daily basis is a simple small plastic spray bottle that I consider my best little helper. My spray bottle is so indispensable; I don’t even travel without it. So as I was unpacking it from my luggage the other day, I thought I would share the multiple uses I get from this basic plastic gadget filled only with water.

I purchased mine in the hair care section at the drug store for less than three dollars, and have also found them in the gardening section, at beauty supply shops and major discount stores. I keep mine full of water and tucked under my bathroom sink. When traveling, the empty bottle is so lightweight and small enough as to not take up much space in a suitcase or carry-on luggage.

Although tap water may be fine, purified water is best for spraying from your bottle. One gallon of purified water costs around a dollar. We have hard water in our home that can leave mineral deposits and can eventually clog the spray mechanism of the bottle so I prefer using pure water in mine.

These are just a few of the daily uses I get from my bottle:

• Bed head spray down, keeps me from having to wedge my head into the sink and under the faucet to dampen my hair for a morning fix.

• Bad curl relaxer, because sometimes I mess up a section of hair when drying or curling and need to start over with just that area.

• Pleasant morning face mist, then pat dry before applying my lotion.

• Yesterday’s jeans still have plenty of wear, so I give them a moderate spray-down in the waist and behind the knees before tossing them into the dryer for a few minutes to crisp back up.

• An overall mist to a sweater or blouse to soften the wrinkles is how I use my bottle the most. For apparel that may have been crunched among other clothes in the closet, spraying and hanging out the night before wearing is best. I also often mist and tumble dry in lieu of ironing. A same-morning, very light misting works on clothes if I’ve got about a half hour or so before dressing. Of course, my spray bottle is always at hand when at the ironing board, even though my iron steams automatically, completely misting the entire garment or sewing fabric before ironing works best for me.

• On cold winter mornings, in a pinch, I’ll run it out to my car to mist and melt the frost on my windshield while my car is warming up.

• In the summer, my bottle gets much use as a cooling skin mist outside when working in the yard.

• The bottle is also perfect for houseplants and hydrates my wreath of fresh holiday pine daily.