Do you get sick of those little condiment packages from fast-food restaurants cluttering up your space? Instead of throwing them away, you can use them as tiny ice packs for kids, according to TikToker Lena.boston (@lena.boston).

The scoop

Kids bump and bonk themselves all the time, and ice can help them feel better. However, one danger is that the ice pack is too cold and they won't use it, or they do use it and do even more damage to themselves in the process. 

Enter Lena's hack. 

@lena.boston Best mom and dad hack! Use condiments as ice packs for your baby or toddler! #mom #momhack #lifehack #hack #momhacks #momsoftiktok #momtips #momtipsandtricks #momadvice #firsttimemom #toddlerhack #fyp #foryoupage ♬ THEY ARE GONNA KNOW - Heliqs

All you need to do is take those little condiment packs as they are and toss them in your freezer. You might want to use a bag or a small container to contain them if you have a lot. Then, let them freeze and give them to your kids when they have small injuries.

The condiments will get cold, but not as cold as a lot of other kinds of ice packs. Your kids can address their injuries themselves without risking getting too cold. You can reuse the condiment packs as often as you can freeze them until they burst or your kids outgrow the tactic. 

How it's helping

Ice packs can be expensive, particularly if your kids use them a lot and especially when you get the kind that don't get overly cold. They also contain chemicals that, when disposed of improperly, can pollute the groundwater and soil. 

When you use your condiment packages instead of buying those ice packs, you'll save quite a bit of cash. You'll also help the planet. According to Columbia University, over 855 billion of those packets get handed out each year. Most of those end up in landfills, many of them unused. GreenMe Mag notes that most of them contain things like plastic and aluminum, which we don't want rotting in the ground. Recycling them in this way is beneficial all around, and sometimes you can even make money by getting rid of your old things. 

This may seem like a drop in the bucket, but it's one more way to save money by reusing things and help the Earth at the same time. All of those drops add up, and those buckets of small things could change the world. 

What everyone's saying

Other moms were excited about Lena's hack. "Great idea…we have a drawer full of these and they are the perfect size for all the little bumps and bruises," one shared. 

"I've heard most things, but this is legit gold! Great mom hack," another added. "This is genius. Now I'm going to go through a drive thru and ask for extras so l can do this," someone else said.

What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste? Not buying food I don't need 🧐 Freezing my food before it goes bad 🧊 Using my leftovers more effectively 🍲 Composting my food scraps 🌱 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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