11 Useful Things You Should Know How To Do With Duct Tape
Thanks to its strength, flexibility, and legendary stickiness, there's no shortage of ways to put duct tape to work around the house!
Jill Nystul · October 11, 2020
Duct tape is undoubtedly one of the most useful items you can keep in your home. It’s flexible, resists tearing, and sticks to just about anything! People have been using duct tape to fix and make things for decades. It’s likely that you already know some helpful uses for duct tape, but today I want to share a few you may not have tried yet!
I could spend hours listing all the different ways you can use duct tape, but then we’d be here all day. :-) So instead, I decided that I would choose a few of the most useful and practical tips to share with you.
1. Fix A Tent
Don’t let a damaged tent ruin your camping trip! Use a few pieces of duct tape to patch up tears in the fabric of your tent. You can also use duct tape to temporarily fix a broken tent until you can buy a replacement.
2. Remove Splinters
One of the reasons why duct tape is so useful is because it’s so sticky! In fact, it’s so sticky that you can use it to remove small splinters if you don’t have tweezers handy. Just stick a small piece of duct tape to the area where the splinter is, then slowly peel the tape off. You might need a couple of tries to get it out, but it’s definitely possible!
3. Hide Valuables
Use a piece of duct tape to hide small objects in a place that’s hard to see or reach. Duct tape is strong enough to secure keys, money, credit cards, and more!
4. Patch A Hose
Use a piece of duct tape to temporarily patch holes in garden hoses and vacuum hoses. It won’t be a permanent fix, but you’ll at least be able to finish what you’re working on!
5. Catch Flies
If flies are driving you crazy and you don’t have any fly paper on hand, grab your duct tape! You can hang up a long piece of duct tape to act as a piece of fly paper in a pinch.
6. Temporary Hem
Use duct tape to create a temporary hem on too-long pants. Simply fold the excess fabric under, and use a small piece of duct tape to secure it in place.
7. Remove Lint
Use duct tape to make an impromptu lint roller! Take a long piece of duct tape and wrap it back around itself so the sticky side is facing out. Then just roll the tape across your clothes to remove lint and pet hair.
8. Keep Your Feet Warm
You can use duct tape to help make your winter boots retain more heat. Just wrap duct tape around the insoles of your boots (or buy some cheap insoles to use for this project). The reflective surface of the duct tape will help reflect heat back into the soles of your feet, so your feet will stay nice and toasty!
9. Remove Warts
Many people have successfully removed warts using duct tape! The theory is that if you keep a wart completely sealed off for several days, that you cut off the oxygen supply and suffocate it. To give it a try for yourself, place a piece of duct tape over your wart for 6 days. Leave it alone – no peeking, no water, and no air!
10. Protect Your Floors
Place duct tape on the bottom of the legs of your furniture. The duct tape layer will help protect your floors from scuffs and scratches.
11. Open A Jar
Struggling to open a jar lid? Use a piece of duct tape to get it done! Wrap a piece of duct tape around the edge of the lid, with one edge left unstuck. Pull on the unstuck edge and the lid should twist off with minimal effort.