The humble bucket does not get nearly as much credit as it deserves. It is one of the simplest household tools known to mankind, but it is also one of the most versatile. Everyone knows that they can be used to carry water, but there are a few other uses that some people have failed to consider.
1- Easy Gardening
There are a few ways to grow plants in a bucket. The easiest is to simply fill them with dirt, throw in a few seeds, and treat them exactly like normal pots. That’s a fairly good choice for people who want a simple way to grow plants with deep roots, but people who are willing to put in some more work can get even better results. It’s relatively easy to modify a bucket to make a self-watering container, which will keep most plants alive with minimal effort. They can be customized to support almost any type of plant that will grow in a bucket at all, so making a couple of those containers can lead to an entire garden’s worth of produce.
2- Catching Water
Modern life is putting the world’s water supply under constant pressure. While the most important way to save water is by reducing consumption, harvesting rain water can also help to remove some of the stress on the world’s reservoirs. Placing a bucket or two under a gutter’s spout will usually be enough to fill them after a day of rain. That won’t lead to a huge supply of water, but it’s enough to water the average garden or do some basic cleaning around the house. It won’t solve the world’s water problems on its own, but every little bit helps, and it takes next to no effort to set up the system.
3- Mix Cleaning Supplies
Many conventional cleaning chemicals are quite bad for your health. Fortunately, healthy alternatives are fairly easy to mix in your own home. A simple blend of vinegar, water, and possibly some baking soda will deal with most common messes without posing a threat to your health or making your home smell like chemicals. You can save some time by mixing them directly in a bucket of water, and then using that bucket to hold the mix as you mop or scrub your home. If you use the same bucket every time, you will quickly learn to measure the ingredients by eye, so you won’t need to get any measuring tools dirty in order to mix the cleaning solution.
4- Dry Storage
According to Affordable American Containers, buckets are designed for liquids, but there is no reason that they can’t hold dry goods. Buckets are best for storing relatively small quantities of goods that need to stay sorted while they are in storage. Since most buckets can be stacked on each other, you can store a large number of goods in a small space without mixing them together as long as you use multiple buckets at once.
5- Flower Pots
A bucket can be a great substitute for a vase or pot if you need to hold cut flowers. Be sure to use tall flowers, such as sunflowers, that will reach over the top of the rim. If you’re concerned about the appearance of the bucket clashing with that of the flowers, you can paint the outside of the bucket. Alternatively, you can bury it and leave the flowers poking out of the top for a more natural look.
6- Hauling Animals
Small dogs love to wriggle away from their humans after bath time, while lots of cats love to take a ride in a secure containers. You can carry small animals around your home in a bucket and be fairly confident that they won’t escape, especially after they get used to it. Don’t use this method for long periods, and don’t use it when going out of your home to make sure that the animal stays safe, but it’s a great technique for domestic use.
7- Catching Drips
Roofs and pipes leak. It happens, and sometimes it takes a while to fix them. Water can do a lot of damage to a home, so it’s important to keep it contained. Simply putting a bucket under the leak to catch the water can solve the problem for quite some time, especially if the leak is dripping slowly. Simply check the bucket every now and then to make sure it doesn’t overflow, and empty it as necessary.
