The Last Thing You Should Do with an Empty Parmesan Cheese Container

Written by

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town…read more
published Nov 15, 2023
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Empty parmesan container
Credit: Sarah Crowley

The kitchen holds so many opportunities for reusing items in creative ways. Whether it’s turning an empty pasta jar into a container for dry goods or using an old butter box as an organizer, repurposing items in the kitchen is thrifty, Earth-friendly, and even kind of satisfying. Which brings us to the unassuming Parmesan cheese container. Turns out, it happens to be a totally perfect storage solution that can come in handy during your next cleaning session.

Credit: Sarah Crowley

Use an empty, clean Parmesan container to hold your baking soda for cleaning.

Here’s why it works: The lid of a Parmesan cheese shaker has large holes ideal for dispensing your favorite spaghetti topper, of course, but also for sprinkling out baking soda, an essential everyday cleaning agent.

The next time you’re done with your plastic container of grated Parmesan cheese, screw off the lid and rinse the container out. If you want to go the extra mile, you can remove the cheese label. (Depending on which type of label, either cut the wrap or use an easy vinegar or OxiClean soak to detach any stubborn sticky residue.) Once the container is thoroughly dry, fill it with some baking soda, so it’s ready whenever and wherever you need a gentle scouring powder. Then, and this is important, re-label it as baking soda, so no one in your household will get confused.

Credit: Sarah Crowley

Pretty soon, you’ll see that the cleaning opportunities are endless! You can use your new cleaning canister to sprinkle baking soda in the kitchen sink, on the bottoms of pans, on baking sheets, and more. Need to clean up pet messes? A sprinkle of baking soda absorbs excess moisture to make cleanup a lot easier. Stinky trash can? Another sprinkle of baking soda! (While we can go on and on about the benefits of baking soda, we’re guessing you get the picture.)

With a handy Parmesan container, you’ll have a convenient way to use baking soda for cleaning applications throughout your home. More likely than not, with a dispenser readily available, you’ll probably find yourself grabbing this cost-effective, multi-purpose cleaner on the daily.

Do you have other kitchen uses for an empty Parmesan cheese container? Tell us in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The Last Thing to Do with an Empty Parmesan Cheese Container Before You Recycle It