Four Ways To Reuse Your Cardboard Drink Holder

05.01.2024 - 21:59 / thespruce.com / Christianna Silva

If you’ve ever bought more than two drinks at a coffee shop, you know you’re walking out with one of those bulky cardboard drink holders that, after you sort out your coffee order, you’ll inevitably toss. Think again!

Cardboard drink holders don’t have to be an addition to your trash can. In fact, there are loads of ways to reuse them.

First, though, you’ll need to make sure they’re cleaned up. How you clean them depends on how messy they've gotten, but make sure to shake off loose debris, wipe away loose particles with a dry cloth or soft-bristle brush, and spot clean with a damp cloth or a small amount of dish detergent.

Just remember to not use too much water or it’ll fall apart and, no matter how much water you use, you’ll want to let it air dry after you spot clean. You can even clean it by leaving it out in the sun for a short time if the weather allows it.

If you spilled one of your drinks all over the cardboard holder, or if it’s heavily soiled in some other way, it might be better to recycle it. But, if the structural integrity of your holder is still intact, here are some excellent ways to reuse it.

If you have a drawer that desperately needs some organization, use the cardboard drink holder to separate office supplies, makeup, kitchen utensils, and for separating socks, underwear, or other small clothing items.

You can keep them inside your junk drawer to keep cords and cables untangled.

This works outside of drawers, too, like organizing items in your fridge or— if you add a bit of paint and love—on top of your dresser.

You can even organize your fruit on your countertop with one, since an orange and an apple fit in perfectly.

Cardboard is a famously useful material to use in gardening, and cardboard