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Snags and runs can ruin an otherwise perfect pair of pantyhose or stockings. But even castoff pantyhose has its uses around the house. Before you toss them away in frustration-we've all been there-consider getting creative with one of the following tips and tricks for reuse:
1. Goodbye chamois cloth: Use a medium-length strip of pantyhose to buff a pair of newly polished shoes.
2. Make the job of cleaning out your hairbrush a cinch, say the authors of Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things (2007, Reader's Digest), by stretching a piece of pantyhose over and around the bristles of a new or freshly cleaned hairbrush. (You may need to use a comb or bobby pin to push the hose down over the bristles). The next time your brush needs cleaning, lift up and remove the pantyhose layer-plus all the trapped debris on top-and replace it with another strip.3. Protect rolls of wrapping paper by slipping them in tubes made by cutting the leg sections of pairs of pantyhose.
4. Prevent spray bottles from clogging by covering the open end of the tube with a small square of pantyhose held in place with a rubber band.
5. Tie up tomato vines to keep them off the ground.
6. Use as substitute stuffing for handmade toys.
7. Store newly cleaned paint brushes to keep them dirt-free.
8. To save space in your luggage, tightly roll up your clothes, then stretch the tube sections of your pantyhose over them.
9. Use leg sections to store onions and potatoes. Tie a knot and hang up.
10. Use them to corral bath salts the next time you soak in the tub.
11. Save slivers of soap, tie a note, and use for washing up in the kitchen or garden hose.
12.. Use to make sachets of potpourri.
13. If you put a pair of pantyhose through the neck of a sweater and run the arms through the leg sections, you can avoid getting clothespin marks when you hang your sweater to dry on the clothesline.
14. Stretch a pair of pantyhose over a wire frame made from an old hanger and use as a pond or pool skimmer.
15. Tie up boxes, newspapers, and magazines.
16. Crumple a pair up and use as a pot or dish scrubber.
17. Cover rolling pin with a tube of pantyhose to prevent wet flour from sticking.
18. Cut the elastic waistband and use to secure a garbage liner to the bin.
19. Use the seat of your pantyhose to protect melons and squash from being chomped on by hungry critters.
20. To clean dust bunnies in hard-to-reach place, sweep using a balled-up pair of pantyhose attached with a rubber band to a wire hangar. The dust- and dirt-loving nylon can be washed off easily for repeated use.
21. Store flower bulbs in winter.
22. Line a piece of pantyhose at the bottom of a garden pot to prevent soil from washing out when excess water drains out.
23. Use to cover a kid's bug jar, instead of hammering holes through the lid.
24. Use to filter lumps of old paint by stretching a piece of pantyhose over a new can and securing with a rubber band.
25. If you've lost something small and valuable, find it by wrapping a piece of pantyhose over the nozzle of your vacuum-cleaner hose, turning on the vacuum, and sweeping very carefully over your floor. Your lost item should stick to the ad-hoc filter you just made.
Difficulty level: Easy
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