13 Surprising Travel Uses for Everyday Items

Bubble Wrap

When you receive something fragile in the mail, save the bubble wrap. It's perfect for protecting breakables in your luggage, from wine bottles (staple the bubble wrap around the bottle) to snow-globe souvenirs. Packing apples or pears for a snack on the plane? Fold them in bubble wrap to prevent bruising. A stapled sleeve of bubble wrap also makes a suitable iPad or iPhone protector.

Egg Carton

Transform an empty egg carton, with its neat set of six or twelve small, separate compartments, into a packable jewelry organizer. The carton will look unappealing to thieves and the sticky-fingered TSA agents who get a glimpse of the contents of your suitcase. And best of all, it's free (with purchase of eggs).

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly helps to keep skin and lips moisturized and can help prevent chafing, too. But did you know it also doubles as an effective makeup remover? Dab some on a tissue to wipe off makeup—just be careful not to get it in your eyes.

Dryer Sheets

Stick a few dryer sheets in your luggage. They take up next-to-no space, and you can use them for a range of purposes. Stuff them in your shoes or dirty-laundry bag to keep odors at bay. And use dryer sheets, which contain chemicals that help prevent static cling, to remove static from clothes and hair—just rub them on whatever needs fixin'.

Button

Fashion magazine Elle advises readers to use buttons to keep earrings together. According to this article, "Most buttons have at least two holes in them, so simply place an earring in each opening to neatly store when not wearing." Voila! No more lonely earrings with missing partners hidden deep in the confines of your luggage.

Tissue Paper

There's a reason employees at so many clothing retailers fold just-bought clothes in tissue paper. The lightweight stuff protects garments and helps prevent wrinkles. Wrap your clothes in tissue paper to keep them free of unwanted rumples when packing. (We also recommend using tissue paper to fold a suit in How to Pack a Cat (and Other Tricky Packing Tips).) Additionally, use balled-up tissue paper (or even newspaper) to keep the shape of items like purses, boots, and bras.

Drinking Straw

SmarterTravel.com editor Dara Continenza uses straws as a handy necklace organizer when she's on the road. Continenza advises, "String necklaces through straws and fasten them so they don't get tangled. You just put one side through a drinking straw and refasten it around the straw, and then you can place all of them in a zipped bag. No more untangling chains!"

Bathroom Scale

Use it to weigh your luggage. Sure, it's a no-brainer. But since a properly calibrated bathroom scale could save you hundreds in overweight airline baggage fees, your bathroom scale's suitcase-weighing ability is worth a mention.

Dental Floss

Plagued by torn hems and loose buttons? Oral-B to the rescue! Travelers in need of emergency thread can use dental floss as a substitute. It may not be as durable as some threads, but it works in a pinch. And it's a step up from covering the hole in your pants with duct tape.

Baby Shampoo

Did you know that baby shampoo can also be used as laundry detergent? I use baby shampoo to wash cashmere sweaters in the sink at home—it's as gentle as Woolite on delicate fabrics, but less expensive. Bring a small bottle of baby shampoo with you on the road if you want to leave your travel-size laundry detergent at home. Baby shampoo is also commonly used to de-fog goggles. (Rub a dab of shampoo on the clear part of your goggles and then rinse.) You'll get plenty of use out of this affordable, biodegradable product.

Oven Mitt

When using hot tools on your hair minutes before you need to run out the door, you can stuff your still-warm straightener or curling iron into your bag—without burning anything in your suitcase—by wrapping it in an oven mitt. A nicely padded oven mitt will also prevent your hair tools from damage while traveling.

Empty Vitamin Containers

Thieves are no match for SmarterTravel Managing Editor Josh Roberts. According to Roberts, "I use empty vitamin containers to secretly stash cash in luggage and in my hotel room." All kinds of empty containers, from Pringles cans to yogurt cups, can be used for this purpose. Just be careful not to accidentally throw your stash of cash in the trash.

Pillow Case

While traveling, separate dirty clothes from clean clothes with a pillow case, which makes a perfectly packable dirty-laundry bag. Pillow cases work well to keep luggage organized, too. Keep socks and underwear together in a pillow case in your suitcase, which you can reuse as a laundry bag once you arrive in your destination. A pillow case is also a good tool with which to wrap the breakable souvenirs you pick up on your travels.

Know of any ingenious travel uses for common household products? Share them in the comments!

More From Smartertravel:

• How to Pack a Cat (and Other Tricky Packing Tips)
• Seven Unusual Ways to Pay for Your Trip
• 10 Things to Pack That Will Save You Money