10 Ways to Make Use of Hotel Freebies

I love staying in hotels. And one of the things that excite me the most is having a look in the bathroom to see what little bottles and other freebies are waiting for us there. When I was younger I had a huge collection of mini shampoos and body lotions I would never use, because I thought they were just too cute to open.

Now, in my more mature days, I still can't resist grabbing a few of these mini items. The difference is that I have now discovered how much space these little things actually take up, and how useful they are when you in fact... well, use them!

All photos are taken by me, except those provided by Amazon.

One that actually works!

I have unruly hair. Not your average difficult to make look nice hair, but dry, curly, fairy-knotted, want-to-cut-the-whole-thing-off every time I have to put a brush through it, frizzy-when-damp hair. It can look quite pretty on a good hair day, but my bad hair days are legendary. I used to spend an unthinkable sum of money buying detangle spray at hair salons (“This one is the best, I promise!”) every year, until I discovered I can actually make my own - for free. And it works just as well as anything else I have tried.

Here is how you do it:

- Get a small spray bottle (I use one I got in a travel set years ago, which means I can even take it on a plane if I want to).

- Squirt a small dash of conditioner from a mini-bottle into the spray bottle.

- Fill up almost to the top with water.

- Shake. Shake as if you are making yourself a martini.

- Done!

For a long time I used to ignore the multi-use bags (often called sanitary bags), thinking they were only meant for used feminine hygiene products. It wasn’t until I accidentally opened one, believing it was the shower cap, that I discovered this particular one had a zip-lock function. Ideas started swirling around in my head, and I have come up what I personally believe is a genius way of using them!

My purse often fills up with all kinds of wrappers (you know, chocolate, gum, the usual suspects). Now I pop one of the hotel room multi-use bags into my purse, as a mini garbage bag where I dispose of all my on-the-go trash. Then when it is full, I simply throw the whole thing out, rather than having to dig through my purse to get at it. Phew!

You can also put one in the glove box of your car for the same purpose. No, you don't have to thank me. The appreciative look on your face and the nod of recognition is thanks enough. You're welcome.

These mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash are the perfect travel size. Take them with you when you go camping or for your getaway weekend to the cabin. You can take them with you on the plane, making them the perfect choice for when you are travelling with carry-on luggage only. Travel size bottles cost a small fortune, so why bother buying them when you get similar products for free?

In a pinch, you can even use shampoo as hand wash laundry detergent. I did this every day for two months when walking The Camino de Santiago, and it made my clothes clean and removed all unwanted smells. I do not recommend pouring shampoo into the washing machine though, so this is for hand wash only!

Or as extra protection around your cosmetics

Stop sand and dirt from your shoes from contaminating the rest of the things in your suitcase by packing your shoes in a shower cap. The elastic makes sure it will stay in place.

As you can see from this photo I also frequently use the shower caps to hold my cosmetics together and minimize the damage should one of them start leaking. I felt so clever when I came up with this!

Oh no! Someone has used up the rest of the shampoo without telling you! What to do?

Well, here's what to do: you shake your head in disbelief as you walk out of the shower, water dripping everywhere, to open up your box of mini hotel freebies for a bottle of emergency shampoo. Crisis averted.

The way to make this is similar to the hair detangler above.

One squirt of body lotion into a small spray bottle, add two drops of preferred essential oil, and fill up with warm water to make it all dissolve. Shake well and you're done!

If you want a cooling spray, you can use essential oils like tea tree oil or eucalyptus.

For a calming spray, I use lavender, ylang ylang, and/ or chamomile.

No, trust me.

Odds are you wouldn't use a hotel conditioner on a daily basis. I know that my hair needs better care than that, so I actually put a lot of money into my shampoo and conditioner. However, if your hair needs a little extra boost, or if you are just going to have a home spa day, there is nothing wrong with using the hotel conditioner as a hair mask. Simply do this:

- Wash your hair as usual with your normal shampoo

- Squeeze out all excess water from your hair

- Apply hotel conditioner (I generally use two to three bottles for this, but then my hair is thick and curly and down to my waist, so you need to find out how much works for you)

- Either cover your hair with the hotel freebie plastic shower cap, or wrap it in a towel.

- Leave the conditioner in your hair while doing your other spa things. I usually leave it for anything between fifteen to sixty minutes, while shaving my legs, having a cup of tea, or wearing a face mask. I have even been known to clean the shower while wearing a hair mask and face mask, and not much else.

- Rinse your hair thoroughly.

- Done!

Make your guests feel welcome with a goodie basket. Add hotel items like mini bottles, soaps and a grooming kit, as well as an extra toothbrush, tooth paste and a sewing kit. I have acquired all of the above from different hotels - some more well equipped and generous than others.

- Refilling them with your regular shampoo and conditioner ensures that you will always have travel sized cosmetics lying around when you are packing in a hurry.

- You can also - after giving them a good clean - use them for dressings and pack them with your lunch box.

Note the fresh flowers!

Simply pour the mini bottles of shampoo and body wash into the tub while pouring your bath water. Pour it right under the faucet for the power of the water to make it foam as much as possible. Use as many bottles as you need to get the foam you want. I have used anything from two to six bottles for this (did I mention I used to have a big stash?).

A little piece of free luxury in your everyday life. What's not to love?