For those of you who still wear pantyhose, are you getting tired of throwing away pair after pair because of runs? Instead of throwing them away, why not reuse them in a more practical way? You can use pantyhose for a variety of tasks, none of which include actually wearing them. Unless, of course, you're planning a burglary and need a cheap mask. (Disclaimer: I absolutely do not recommend putting pantyhose over your face and attempting to rob someone. It's a bad idea.)
In all seriousness, though, pantyhose can help you clean, fix items around the house, style your hair and just generally make your life easier. In fact, pantyhose are so convenient to have on hand, you might run out and buy some even if you have no reason to ever wear them.
1. Lost item locator If you've lost more earrings, jewelry and loose change than you can count, then you're probably in the market for a better solution than crawling around on the floor searching for these items. Next time you lose something small, cover your vacuum hose with an old pair of pantyhose and run it over the floor. The vacuum will suck up your small item, but the pantyhose will prevent it from going into the hose.
2. StuffingDo you enjoy quilting as a hobby? Do you have kids who like to carry around stuffed animals? Take a moment to add up the cost of all the quilt stuffing you've purchased over the years. Or look at your kids' toys and think about how many times you've had to perform emergency surgery when one of them gets ripped open. A cheaper, more convenient solution to both of these situations is pantyhose. If you have old pairs of pantyhose that are full of runs or just never get worn, turn them into stuffing for quilts, stuffed animals and anything else that needs a little extra padding.
3. Screen patchIf you have a cat, young kids or clumsy relatives, then you've probably ended up with a few rips in the screens on your doors or windows. You could buy a new screen or call a professional to come in and fix it, or you could use something already on hand. Cut a square from your old pantyhose and secure it over the hole with some rubber cement. You probably don't want to use this as a permanent fix, but it will at least keep out the bugs for the time being.
4. Paint hacks Pantyhose are great to have on hand if you need to do anything with paint or varnish. You can use a pair of pantyhose for just about anything paint-related. A thigh-high stocking can be used to strain paint. You can use an ankle-high stocking to cover your brushes between uses to keep them clean. And a scrunched-up pair of pantyhose can be used to spread paint or varnish into the hard-to-reach corners of your project.
5. Dish towel (h/t Instructables)You can buy any number of products designed to help you scrub the stuck-on gunk off of your dirty dishes. But a cheaper option is to grab an old pair of pantyhose you no longer wear. Just put some water and dish soap in the pan, scrunch up your pantyhose and get to scrubbing. This is a quick, easy way to remove both cooked-on food and grease stains.
6. Sock buns (h/t YouTube)If you or someone else in your house has long hair, then you might occasionally want to wear your hair up. While some people can quickly throw their hair into a perfect bun, others need a little extra help. This is where your old pair of pantyhose comes in handy, though you'll only actually need a few inches of hose. A "pantyhose bun" is created similarly to a sock bun, with the exception of using material cut from hose instead of socks.
7. Deodorant stain removalThe biggest downside to wearing black shirts is the frequency of white marks left by your deodorant. Next time you notice a white streak on your favorite black (or any color, really) shirt, grab an old pair of pantyhose, scrunch it up into a ball and rub over the deodorant stain until it disappears.
8. Potpourri If you get tired of dealing with certain smells in your house, you can make your own potpourri bundles. Just gather the pleasant-smelling items you want to surround yourself with, cut off the foot of an old pair of pantyhose and turn it into a small sachet for your homemade potpourri. You can also use this for mothballs and toss it in a closet, drawer or storage container.
9. Draft stopper As winter approaches, you might start to notice a bit of a draft sneaking in under your doors. This problem has a somewhat unlikely remedy. Next time you finish wrapping presents, don't throw away the cardboard tubes from the wrapping paper. Instead, save two of those tubes (or more, depending on how many doors you have), cut one leg off of a pair of pantyhose and slide the tubes into the leg. Slide this under the door so there's a tube on each side and prevent the cold from slipping inside your house.
10. Hairbrush cleaner Anyone with long hair knows how annoying it is to spend time trying to pick loose hair from between the bristles of a hairbrush. You could continue this practice every few days, or you could try something more effective. Start with either a new or clean hairbrush. Cut a patch from an old pair of pantyhose and stretch it over the bristles of your brush, pushing it down to make sure it gets between them. You can now go about brushing as usual, but when your brush needs cleaned, just pull off the piece of pantyhose and toss it (and the hair) in the trash.
With all of these options, you might want to pick up a few pairs of pantyhose, whether or not you plan to actually wear them. And for those of you who still wear them on occasion, stop throwing them away just because of a little run. And don't forget to share this list with your friends on Facebook! After all, I'm sure at least a few of them need ways to repurpose their old pantyhose.
