For years I had a traditional toothbrush holder sitting by my bathroom sink, filled with traditional toothbrushes. Then I upgraded to a Sonicare electric toothbrush, which I love. The only problem with the electric toothbrush is that it has its own holder, and I no longer had any use for my old toothbrush holder. I couldn’t just throw it away, though, and I finally came up with a great way to re-use it. It makes a great dispenser for cotton swabs!

This particular toothbrush holder has a lid that comes off, which obviously makes it very easy to fill. I just removed the lid and filled it with cotton swabs (I swear by Q-tip brand — don’t compromise!).

I replaced the lid and now I just tip the container and give it a little shake, and out come the tips of a couple of cotton swabs, ready for picking.

No more sticking your fingers into an open container to pull out the swabs and risk spreading germs. No more fumbling around the medicine cabinet to find the box of swabs. Just a quick shake and they pop out the top and you take what you need.

I love it when I can recycle something that would otherwise have gone to waste. The kicker is that I actually like this cotton swab dispenser so much that if I were looking to buy one, this is what I’d buy.