By Jill Nystul
Today’s post is a perfect example of a common household item that is more than meets the eye. I’ll be sharing 10 surprisingly useful things you can do with a humble rubber band. And if you’re looking for even more use for common household items, check out some of the links below! 🙂
Open Jars
Use a thick rubber band to help open a jar with a stubborn lid. Just place it around the perimeter of the lid and twist! The rubber band will increase the friction between your hand and the lid, making it much easier to remove.
Keep Apples Fresh
Apple slices are a classic lunchbox snack, and a rubber band can help you keep them fresh! Slice up your apple, then “reassemble” the fruit. Wrap a rubber band around it to keep the slices in place, and you’ll be able to enjoy perfectly fresh apple slices later on.
Protect Books
Many people carry a book with them in their bag or purse that they can pull out when they have a few minutes to kill during the day. I usually just pull up the Kindle app on my smartphone, but plenty of people prefer physical books for their reading material.
If you keep a book with you in your bag or purse, you can use a rubber band to help you protect it! Wrap a large rubber band or two around the outside of your book before putting it in your bag. The rubber band will keep the book closed, which will help prevent the pages from getting bent or crushed while it’s in your bag.
Identify Drinks
We ask each other a lot of questions when we’re working at the studio, but one of the most frequently asked questions isn’t even related to blogging! Diet Coke is the beverage choice around the studio, so it’s common to hear someone asking, “Wait, whose Diet Coke is this?” 😉
But we recently discovered that small, colored rubber bands can provide an easy solution to all the confusion. Now we each just thread a colored rubber band through the tab of our can. We each use a different color, so all it takes is a quick glance to determine whose can is whose.
Keep Ribbons Spooled
If you’re having trouble keeping ribbon on the spool where it belongs, grab a rubber band. Wrap the rubber band around the ribbon to secure the end, which will keep everything in place. No more unraveling ribbon or tangled messes!
Stop Slipping
Using a cutting board that has a tendency to slip and slide around is dangerous! If the board moves while you’re cutting something, you could easily cut yourself. But there’s a simple remedy to a slippery cutting board – rubber bands.
Grab two large rubber bands, and wrap one around either end of your cutting board. The rubber bands will add friction to the bottom of your board, so it won’t slip around on you. It’s an easy fix, and it could save you from an unfortunate knife accident!
Keep Doors Open
Loop a rubber band around a doorknob so that it forms an “X” shape across the latch. The band will keep the latch pressed in and keep the door open for you. This handy little trick can come in handy in a lot of scenarios, like if you’re making several trips in and out of the house, or if you’re trying not to disturb a sleeping baby (or a sleeping husband!)
Remove Stripped Screws
Trying to remove a stripped screw can be a huge headache. Before you go to the hardware store for special screw-removing equipment, try using a rubber band first!
Improve Hangers
When I buy hangers, I generally just get the plastic ones. They’re cheap, and they generally get the job done just fine! However, there are a few types of clothes will not stay put on your average plastic hanger. But rather than splurge on fancy, non-slip hangers, you can use rubber bands to “upgrade” your plastic hangers!
Just wrap one or two small rubber band around both ends of your hanger. The rubber bands will “catch” your clothes, making it much less likely that they’ll slip off. I have several hangers that I’ve “upgraded” using this method, and they work just as well as other non-slip hangers!
Save Spoons
To keep a spoon or ladle from sliding down into a pot, wrap a rubber band around the end of the handle. The rubber band will provide enough grip to keep the spoon from sliding all the way down.