For years I've repurposed old glass jars, jugs and containers to hold my office and arts and craft supplies. It's a great system since you can see what's in each container but inevitebly there's this layer of gunk that falls to the bottom. Part dust, part dog hair, part ink or lead from the objects that occupy it. Here are a few reasons why lining your jars can be an end all solution to the gunk and even provide you with a bit more than you bargained for.
Even if this layer of gunk isn't exactly at the top of your priority list, it's still a fun tip to file away for later when you feel more inclined to deal with the small things instead of your dirty dishes which might be threatening to swallow you whole.
Martha Stewart, bless her heart, has given us instructions to create glass storage and although the act of putting stuff in a jar doesn't exactly require much instruction, her tip for adding a bit of felt to the bottom of the jar is rather cool for a few reasons.
For starters, it makes cleaning easy. Simply remove and shake, replace and forget having to clean the jar. If you're looking for something a little easier, try using rice (which you could dye if you were so inclined) which could simply be tossed out.
In addition to aesthetics, ling your jars helps protect them from sharp objects and likewise, your objects from the jars. It's a fun place to add a little color to a space, but the key to making it look amazing is to simply leave a little space in the jar.
Image: Martha Stewart
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Filing this under:
Solutions In Search Of A Problem
This is pretty genius! Thanks!
I got 99 problems and dusty jar bottoms ain't one
Oh Martha. Stop.
ha i was organizing today and a bunch of my containers had this gross junk inside on the bottom. like tiny dust bunnies. I dunno if felt would help but it actually was an issue!
Most gunk will come off of glass if you try rubbing alcohol.
um, you could rinse it out.
Washing and/or replacing jars is so hard!
I like it for the color accent, more than the "cleaning." I say thumbs up for anal retentive style.
Um, yeah, so instead of washing my my completely waterproof glass jar when it gets dirty, lets add some felt at the bottom so that instead of washing glass, I'm stuck replacing dirty felt.
Granted, this could be a very interesting look, but as a solution to dirty jars? Backfire.
Seriously?
As far as the cleaning aspect goes, dirt & grunge is still dirt & grunge however well one camoflouges it. Just wash the jar already! (and avoid the tacky look as a bonus).
Martha's finally gone over the edge. Whodathunk?
*says discerning who's not too lazy to wash jars when they need it*
What? seriously?
You know, the felt is actually used just to cushion the jar, so it doesn't dull your scissors or make a lot of noise when you drop things in for storage. The link to the Martha Stewart page explains this pretty clearly...and the post is from 2003.
It has nothing to do with jar cleaning.
I would prefer to wash the jars every now and then.
BUT - when I had all my drill bits in a jar the glass broke after dropping in a drill too hard. A piece of felt would have avoided this.
THIS IS NOT A THING!!
But I do get it if you're dropping things into the jar that might chip or break the glass.
Is this a joke? Jars are very easy to clean. The only benefit would be to provide cushion for hard or sharp objects if you used a thick liner, which is all the Martha was going for in the article.
Good idea.....finally someone thinking like me! Not sad just cleaner....
Oh, I love Martha. She's got a solution to everyone's pet peeves. I'm not going to do this, but no doubt there's someone out there totally irritated by the debris in the bottom of their storage jars. This could totally make their day.
With the exception of sewing scissors, this is laughable to me. I genuinely appreciate AT for the afternoon giggle.
BUT I do think upndown hit it right on the nose. Someone out there is cutting out felt circles and sleeping better at night. I've been that person; this just isn't my issue.