Inventions that use your noodle
Who knew these colourful pool accessories could make your life easier?
Pool noodles, it would seem, are as versatile as the staple food they’re named after. There are dozens of inventive uses suggested online, most of which don’t entail floating in pools. Like all life hacks, these are simple tricks that promise to make your life better. But do they? We’ve recreated and evaluated a few of the most popular pool-noodle hacks. 1. Faucet extension If your sink is too shallow to fill up a mop bucket, use your noodle. By putting it over the faucet, the noodle acts as a simple hose to direct the water elsewhere. Does it work? Surprisingly well. Rating: 4/4 noodles. 2. Furniture protection Protect the legs of your furniture — or from stubbing your toes on them — by wrapping a noodle around the foot. As a childproofing aid, you can also use the noodle as a bumper on table corners in high-traffic areas. Does it work? I guess, but it also makes your furniture quite ugly. Rating: 2/4 noodles. 3. Blade cover Protect your saw blades (and yourself ) by storing or transporting them in a nice, soft, noodly cushion. Does it work? Yes, but so does a basic sleeve of cardboard, like the kind that saws are sold in. Cardboard has the advantage of being slim and it doesn’t turn your saw into something an unwitting child might want to play with. Rating: 1/4 noodles. 4. Boot savers Extend the life of your boots by sliding a piece of noodle inside so they stand upright in storage. Does it work? Yes, and my wife was quite impressed with this easy fix. Rating: 3/4 noodles. 5. Crib rail bumper Make the edges of your crib all soft. But adding a big colourful piece of Styrofoam to an infant’s sleeping quarters seems like a dangerous idea. Rating: 0/4 noodles. 6. Car door bumper If you have a narrow garage, line the wall with, you guessed it, a pool noodle to protect your car from scratches when a door opens. Does it work? Rather well, though it’s bound to wear out and blacken over time. A length of rubber would be more durable. Rating: 3/4 noodles.