Shredding paper without a shredder

[@NickCorbet]

I use a small amount of laundry detergent when I do this. I think it breaks down the paper fibers a bit faster, also it smells nice. Other than that my process is quite similar. I use a plastic bucket, throw in hundreds of pages of documents, then add hot water from the kitchen sink and a small amount of Purex laundry detergent. Then I wait a few hours. By that time the paper has become somewhat waterlogged. I use my bare hands to tear up the stacks of paper which goes pretty easy with not too much effort. Once the paper has been torn into maybe 3" pieces, I let it sit overnight. The next day I take all the now utterly deteriorated paper and roll it in to compressed balls, kinda like snowballs. I try to get the maximum of water out. The damp paper balls then go in the garbage. The great thing about this process is that there are no harsh or smelly chemicals, no fumes, just the clean smell of fresh laundry. This process I would recommend for people who don't have tons of paper documents to dispose of, just the usual for a small family. If you feel that your likely to be spied on, then by all means use a shredder. My process, I believe will make it virtually impossible for identity thieves or other bad actors to read words or numbers, plus they won't want to look at a ball of paper that is mixed with other garbage like rotten onion peels, scraps and spoiled leftovers. Yuck! On the other hand if you chose to bury or compost the paper balls, you have the confidence that there are no chemicals like bleach that will harm the environment or smell really bad.

[@CaffeineJogger]

THX Nick, am going to try this .. Have years of documents to dispose of and in this day and age ya can't chuck that sought of information in the recycle. cheers.

[@sevenseven7333]

I hv done this and my hands got Horribly dried out... has that happened to u? I guess wear gloves is best

[@galloe]

My cat usually does the shredding for me. Only problem is that when he does this, it's documents I still need. :(

[@EnjoyBARCELONA]

😬😂😂😂😂

[@theonegreatiamawakening]

🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@roserainy7586]

Thanks! Looking to shred tons of cardboard for my worm bin, hands are aching but I refuse to buy a paper shredder. This is perfect 👍

[@greendecor5240]

I know lots of guys think this takes too much time but I've been searching for weeks for this. Needed a way to shred paper quickly for paper mache projects. Paper shredders tear papers into uniform pieces with smooth edges. U need rough edges for paper to soak up water quickly for paper mache

[@treadtrick]

OMG, I make puppets and props and things, and this fantastic idea didn't even occur to me. Thanks so much for sharing your creativity.

[@iminyomommy7889]

now let's see the CIA decode this. lol

[@tuittyma]

That was very satisfying to watch

[@MsTerry-yr4ry]

Besides the overall ‘need’ for it, I agree! 😄

[@karlzimmer683]

I have disposed several 5 gal buckets this way. If you have several yrs of sensitive docs, it’s too much for a home shredder.

[@gasdorficmuncher9943]

Ya 4 big boxes shredding is too much work

[@DCha-vn7uw]

Yes, I hear you. It kills the home shredder so fast.

[@earthling1984]

I mean, that works; but, takes forever! You can get shredders pretty cheap now a days. Other option, burn them in a firepit, fireplace, campfire, etc.. Much faster results. Even throw them in the bottom of a chargoal grill. Done almost instantly rather than weeks!

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

Yep, did get a shedder after this, as was obviously more hassle than it was worth. Only did this water technique as an experiment to see how easy it would be.

[@earthling1984]

@No One There are differnt shredders. Normal strips (not all that secure), to tiny micro cuts (very secure). Just get a proper shredder, not a cheap strip cut one. Mine was only like 40 bucks.

[@vickicarpenter8282]

Paper Pulp. In grade school we had learned to do this. Press the water out, let dry and you haves recycled paper.

[@pashon4percushon]

was searching stores that had hand held shredders and watched this, that's good enough for me, just the water alone is fine. Didn't realize washing machines make good shredders, LOL

[@chiratidzofmasawi8234]

pashon4percushon Me too. Was searching for a bulk shredder! This is genious and cheaper too👍😊

[@rcrosson01]

You could through it on your significant other for fun and exercise. After the laugh you better start running.

[@rcrosson01]

throw

[@jmajick4415]

I wonder if it will go quicker if the paper is shredded first. I have a lot I've run through a leaf shredder. Gonna give this a try for sure

[@handsomesquidward5926]

My shredder machine stuck all the time and I only bought a few months ago

[@fearless6947]

This gave me an idea. Just shredd it and put in water for 15 days and then clump it together with your hands. some parts of the ink would have faded completely. Some havn't but it doesn't matter and then bin it.

[@pargolf3158]

Umm, if you shred it why are you still putting it in the water?

[@johnsarab4500]

Yup! A kitchen blender for make tp for a family? That blender would last one week at most. I had experimented with newspaper soaking in buckets in regards to recycling in general. ( We got the drill thing down in the first few seconds)

[@CDGMR1]

Saved me $100-$150 for shredding.

[@manny6584]

That paper was probably soft enough for you to use that drill attachment on the second day

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

Surprising it wasn't - I think that was due to the amount of paper in there. But for smaller amounts, then yes would be a lot quicker as it would separate out more when mixed.

[@maverickuk7442]

Nice one. I did wonder how this would work? Many thanks. it actually doesnt do anything really beyond tearing the paper up and just soaking it anyway and leaving it for a few days or a week etc. I found if you add some old borwn cardboard packing that is made of recycled mush it seems to make the task a bit quicker. What I really need is something, like this to destroy old family memories. Then dry them out and respectfully place, maybe in an urn, at the family grave buried as you would ashes. The next stage here would be how to incinerate the dried out pulp and turn it into fine ash? Like they do with cremated remains. Though see this stuff now we dont really seem to get a full body of ashes when cremated anyway!!

[@benbenassi2348]

i was actually thinking of this. But will it not clog the toilet??

[@yeet24tMrSAUCEGOD]

Water usually breaks it down very easily, paper is way less harmful than plastic i heard n its either printed or made from wood pulp which is a natural type of wood fiber that breaks dwon easily but plastic has a hard fiber synthetic chemical material that is durable n takes very long to decay and absorbs so much co2

[@joythomas100]

Boiling water,some paint,well mixed-Done!

[@forbiddencolor]

How do you dispose of it once it's made into pulp?

[@jesusvalle1372]

you eat it

[@nadzirahnazhar1136]

@@jesusvalle1372 bruh

[@peachymorris3763]

someone said make it into briquettes for log burner

[@Kdija89]

Or simply toss it in the bin.

[@texteacher7706]

This is hilarious! I'll give you a thumbs up for making my day.

[@simplydoing9596]

Yeah its really hilarious hahaha idiotic wayout for problem

[@DCha-vn7uw]

@@simplydoing9596 idiotic comment.

[@sharonkour9721]

I thought to do the same and i didnt know it existed i was thinking doing this before watching ur video and found ur video omg i will now do this it makes things so easy

[@MsTerry-yr4ry]

This video is 100% what I came to see. I literally searched “destroying paper with water”, to find a video that showed how this would go/look. I was about to toss some old papers in a bucket, but I was wondering about the length/process. I was thinking to use bleach, though.. 😄. Thank you for this!! 🙏🙏

[@fearless6947]

I got a mircocut shreader. It's very good. I'm on a very long hoilday and only got a few documents to destroy, so looking for a solution lol. Mircocut shreader cuts it so small. No one will try to piece it together. I'm guessing your trying to save money but it's worth the £70 I paid for it. It's on offer now £45 on amazon. Whatever solution you decide. Good luck

[@DSherman50]

So then how do you dispose of the heavy, paper laden water?

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

I tipped it out into pile to dry out and then put in the paper recycling - but someone else on here mentioned that they didn't think you can recycle it. So not sure if that was right thing to do! Other people have also mentioned composting or making briquettes for burning.

[@PacificVoyager660]

Does it make difference if the water is hot or cold?

[@sevenseven7333]

Ok so then what do u do with it? N the water??

[@mementomori7266]

Up next, "Crafting with Paper Mache"

[@bryanlee6065]

FIFTEEN days??

[@JusBuTTer]

I have a lot of paper to shred. I saw how to use bleach n water and then just let it soak. Imma try that. Thx for the video.

[@bestvideoforcats]

It gives me a good idea of the best time to let it soak, 'cause I'm making briquettes out of it.

[@peachymorris3763]

That's a brilliant idea

[@jamesrichard6899]

GENIUS!!!

[@VanceBales]

what do you do with the bricks of bleach soaked pulp?

[@maverickuk7442]

dont use bleach its not neccessary.

[@iminyomommy7889]

looking up aquatic alternatives and there was another video that put the paper in a small wash machine. which is good, but this is wayyyy simpler, faster, and better. thanks guy

[@tellfile]

Never would have thought of that way. I thought about just spreading my yearly sacks of paper on the ground in some unseen area and just mulch them up with the riding mower like I do the leaves. Probably won't be able to rake the ground completely clean of it though. Just leave what's left to act as a fertilizer.

[@YoungBlaze]

What is that at the end of the drill and how much is that

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

Hey there - it's a 'Mixing Paddle', fits into my existing drill. I usually use it for either mixing plaster or paint. Only £3 in UK here: www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand+Tools/d10/Builders+Tools/sd140/Mixing+Paddle/p43960 (one in video is the 80x430mm size).

[@kyleyakich3800]

Could i use my vitamix?

[@kathymiramontes8505]

Just take it to Staples or Office Depot up to 5 lbs free. :)

[@BrandoBurbi]

You have the same flip flops as me

[@Pumpingas420]

Delicious soup, almost added to much flour in mine

[@hippopotamusanonymous1580]

I’ve done this for years

[@jimsprojects7777]

It would be easier to buy a shredder!!!

[@richardalvarado-ik9br]

regular household shredders break down after frequent use.

[@GamingCentral80]

richard alvarado False statement. I’ve been shredding mil pretty much everyday for years now. Same shredder.

[@MikeSchlueter]

It partly depends on how much you have to shred.

[@christ4edwoods207]

Compost material, excellent.🤔

[@MoJo01]

then what, what did you do with it.

[@peachymorris3763]

Turn it into briquettes

[@joniboulware1436]

This sounded interesting, but just hand tear it into strips and throw it into the compost bin. All personal information will be protected in less time than you soaked the paper. Then you have usable compost for the yard and no nasty mess to clean up.

[@mileswatkins6472]

Where do you dispose of it

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

It's just soggy paper mush when finished. So I put it in the paper recycling.

[@EllisJ16]

put it in compost

[@Neonrenn]

Compost or even make new paper which is good if you’re an artist

[@DanBlackRacing]

Thank you!!!!

[@jimmypostell2373]

There's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back. 🤦‍♂️

[@gebass6479]

I bought a paper shredder for $27.00. How much for a 1/2 inch electric drill and a mixing paddle? Which takes an hour or less to do?

[@DCha-vn7uw]

$27 paper shredders don't exist in many location, and they usually crap out after a week of heavy use. I killed three shredders with the volume of paper I have, and I don't have an industrial strength budget for home use. So actually, this is a very clever alternative.

[@chiratidzofmasawi8234]

Genius👍👍👍👍💝💝💝💝

[@3zonker88]

No need to wait TWO WEEKS! Soak the papers for about 10 to 15 minutes! They will crumble in your hand! I've even done this with "unopened" mail!

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

Maybe 10-15 minutes is enough for a couple of thin paper sheets. But you can clearly see in the video that even after a few days it wasn't breaking down without a helping hand. This might be due to the amount of paper I had in there, or the type of paper quality used. I was surprised how long it took!

[@galloe]

@@NeonWatermelonJoy For a large amount of paper, I would boil a pot of hot water and pour it in, wait until it cools down enough to put your hands in, then mush all the paper by hand.

[@joythomas100]

Fast and easy!

[@BarbaraWarren1111]

Lol... looks like you're mixing up cake batter....😁. Mission accomplished... 😂

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

3:20 that's shredding

[@robonia6424]

That paper looks like slime

[@joythomas100]

100 Celsius boiling water will fast desintegrate the paper. Add some paint,and is done. Choose your coloure...

[@fstimelapses1608]

cool video but you might need to invest in a tripod so we can see what you're doing better, otherwise great vid!

[@richardalvarado-ik9br]

So you used just plain water because there's a couple of other YT vids that used bleach with the mix.

[@NeonWatermelonJoy]

yes, as just plain water. but guess bleach help the job along? Although it's pretty messy when mixing, so you'd then need to be extra careful.

[@robertrios1518]

I guess this method beats paying $1.00 per pound at UPS store.

[@xrafx1910]

I prefer to use a shredder:)

[@kathymiramontes8505]

I just save my junk papers in a trash can or bag and take it into Staples or Office Depot every few months, you can shred 5 lbs free.

[@justanjenkins6388]

can you keep the shreddings though or do they keep them?

[@lostintime8651]

i call BS on that one. nothing is free. and staples are crooks with their over priced products

[@cyberdoll9412]

I searched up something way less innocent than this.

[@educatorally3875]

Now I'm curious to know what your intentions were because I can't think of anything.....hmmm.

[@jompanymurica6023]

Bonfire Kindling!!

[@LadyLayG]

😂Why not!

[@RajeshGupta-xe9uk]

Except putting full paper we can put tiny bits of paper

[@yoyusung7096]

but why

[@alisang364]

Simpler alternative: just burn the paper

[@candlemasus]

Alisa Ng yeah this is too much work 7 days to do it. ... burned take few mins

[@12centuries]

It's really hard to burn stacked paper unless you have a furnace. It only burns around the edges and often a piece catches fire and lifts off into the sky and lands on your neighbor's roof. Trust me, it's something you try once and then realize what a pain in the butt it is to burn paper stacks.

[@AlyceMaloney]

Day 15 lol

[@eklhaft4531]

I was afraid that he would pee in the bucket. Probably too much how to basic.

[@Andrewsky347]

I have a machine that could reconstruct those documents no problem.

[@lyndonpatton331]

worm food

[@BHill-ic2el]

what a mess.

[@0xCryptoGuru]

You can just burn them to ashes and save a lot of time.

[@trungle9923]

Bammmm

[@michaelschnell3738]

Buy a shredder for krips sake

[@CCROSS5882]

They should stop people from sending junk mail with your name and on it, I never ever want capital one in my wallet. they are killing trees for nothing. they shouldn't get business right offs for that, that will stop the greed.

[@gm9075]

Dear God, this'll never work if you have Russian agents or Special Branch hammering on the door....

[@MilesDavis2012]

Yes it will--you just hit them over the head with that weird stick, then make them drink the pulp :)

[@refusevehiclesne]

You can’t recycle wet paper

[@khol3167]

I don’t understand why anybody would waste 15 days to do this.

[@maverickuk7442]

ignorance is only bliss to an ignoramus...wakey wakey

[@khol3167]

@@maverickuk7442shut up dork you’re a complete loser.

[@michelewaterman2890]

Very time consuming!

[@rer1967]

So this is how to waste a load of time on a simple task. Could have done it quicker by tearing it by hand, scissors or fire.

[@ByJonathanLeung]

LOLOL

[@zolox4814]

Just burn the paper

[@CB-hc4ib]

What a nightmare! Don't try this at home! This was a colossal disaster! Everything you can imagine going wrong, will go wrong. He doesn't bother showing what to do with the mess. If you are over age 50, don't even try this. If you are someone who doesn't get around to things, forget about it!!! At least this guy used a bucket. I used a big tall bucket like in another video on KZbin. In the long run, and this was weeks, it is so much faster and easier just to use a shredder, even if you have many bags full of papers, like I did. I have a $250.00 shredder and it's lasted over 5 years. It shreds up real nice and small, but still doesn't like more than a few pages at a time, but it is worth it. If you can't afford it, I understand. I got this from my Dad when he died. However, if I hadn't, I would've saved up until I could get one period.

[@maverickuk7442]

a: you cant recycle shredded paper...B its dumb n dumber anyway. A fool and his money n all that jazz. Let the pulp dry out in the garden then sprea dit like compost. I remember the good old days when a boob was a dumb guy.

[@chaikee4825]

wtf haha

[@texteacher7706]

Lol! I'm crying. Must have some TOP SECRET documentation going on. He could just bury it in his backyard. Poor guy.

[@Kalihi819Yessa]

Too messy