Cleaning out empty shampoo bottles before recycling.

[Bijou]

I have a lot of empty shampoo bottles that I want to recycle.  Rinsing them out thoroughly is a pain and takes so much water.  Any ideas about how to do this more easily?  I even wonder if it has to be done at all, since they have to wash the plastic before grinding it up to recycle. 

[EmmaJ.]

We recently received a kitchen magnet from the Waste Management company that services my little town.  It lists all the recyclable items they accept and their pickup rules, one of which is "please lightly rinse containers before placing in container".

My interpretation is that they do not expect everyone to scrub spotless every container.

[Wulfie]

I have never bothered to wash them out. HOWEVER, I do add a bit of water to the last bit of shampoo in the bottle when I have emptied out what will come out on it's own.  I usually get the last "repeat" out of it that way.

[FoxPaws]

I don't think it has to be spotless. I think they just don't want chunks of gunk in the bottom of things. I do the "water stretch" Wulfie suggested with just about all liquid cleaning and personal products.

It also helps if you soak the inside of the bottles. Put a couple tablespoons of water in, swish it around, then turn the closed bottles upside down over night, pour out in the morning. Good enough.

[CluelessBride]

If you are worried about wasting water and run a dehumidifier, you could use your dehumidifier to rinse old containers.  We have to run a dehumidifier in our basement year round.  I use the water for things like watering plants, rinsing out the literboxes and even in my iron. 

But I agree that probably all you need to do is rinse the bulk out (so a few tablespoons of water and some rigorous shaking).

[Jones]

I have never bothered to wash them out. HOWEVER, I do add a bit of water to the last bit of shampoo in the bottle when I have emptied out what will come out on it's own.  I usually get the last "repeat" out of it that way.

This is me, too. By the time I'm willing to chalk up a shampoo or conditioner as "empty" it has had water mixed in to get the last dregs out and onto my hair. This is, in part, because I postpone purchasing my next bottle and forget it on a shopping trip.

[Reader]

My new renter J once worked at the recycling station in my town.  He said the cleaning requirements they ask you to do are in place mainly to prevent people throwing out full food containers and the like, he said a simple rinse or one time rinse is all you need.  He told me this as he was watching me clean out my previous renter's N's recyclables after she left them to sit.  Depending on how your station does their disposal they could be the same way.

[Yvaine]

With shampoo, I rinse it once, and just try to ignore my guilt about any bubbles that stick around. I'm more anal about getting conditioner out, but it actually comes out more easily because it doesn't lather. It usually slides out in big conditioner-lumps.