Why I will never EVER leave the house without this again
10 things you can do with duct tape.
MY 6 year-old spotted the designer duct tape in a hardware store, and immediately had to have it.
‘I’m going to decorate my scooter with it and it will be the coolest scooter ever and besides you won’t ever confuse my scooter with all the other scooters at the skate park Mom,’ he calmly said – without taking a breath.
So, into the basket it went. It wasn’t a major purchasing decision, let’s be honest.
Thirty minutes after returning home – scooter newly decorated – I looked at the roll of sticky, thick tape and wondered how I was going to utilise the remainder of the roll.
Oh, how naïve of me.
Apparently duct tape can literally save your life, save the world and save every single appliance in your house, if the internet is to be believed. Which (of course) it is.
Birth of a hero
Duct tape finds its roots in World War 2, when it was created by Revolite (then a division of Johnson & Johnson) primarily to keep American soldier’s ammunition sealed and watertight.
But they soon realized that it could be used for so much more and before long they were using it to fix everything from airplanes to firearms. Astronauts even used duct tape to repair Apollo 13 before returning safely to Earth. And astronauts know their stuff.
Did you know that it can replace regular household items such as plasters and leg wax.
And don’t despair if you’re a pony owner who feels completely left out – one blog on the internet is completely dedicated to equestrian uses for duct tape and cites ‘use it to repair a hole kicked into a plywood stable door’ as a top use. There you go.
And for non-pony people:
Temporarily hem your pants: You’ve found a terrific pair of jeans, but the length isn’t right. You expect a little shrinkage anyway, so why spend time hemming? Besides, thick denim jeans are difficult to sew through. Fake the hem with duct tape. The new hem will last through a few washes too.
Remove lint on clothing: You’re all set to go out for the night and suddenly you notice pet hairs on your outfit. Wrap your hand with a length of duct tape, sticky side out. Then roll the sticky tape against your clothing in a rocking motion until every last hair has been picked up.
Make a bandage in a pinch: Here’s how to protect a cut or scrape until you get a proper bandage. Fold tissue paper or paper towel to cover the wound and cover this with duct tape. It may not be attractive, but it works in a jam.
Reseal bags of chips (Now you’re talking!): To keep a half-finished bag fresh, fold up the top and seal it tight with a piece of duct tape. (But wait, leftover chips? I don’t understand..)
Keep a secret car key: You’ll never get locked out of your car again if you affix an extra key to the undercarriage with duct tape.
Repair a taillight: Someone just reversed into your car and smashed the taillight. Here’s a quick repair that will last until you have time to get to the repair shop. Depending on where the cracks lie, use yellow or red duct tape to hold the remaining parts together.
Repair a tent: You open your tent at the campsite and oops — a little tear. No problem as long as you’ve brought your duct tape along. Cover the hole with a patch; for double protection mirror the patch inside the tent. You’ll keep insects and weather where they belong.
Carpentry: Before cutting into a wooden board, line your mark with a strip of duct tape, which will prevent splintering in the wood. It won’t prevent you cutting a finger off though. There’s only so much duct tape can do.
Short-term auto hose fix: Until you can get to your mechanic, duct tape makes a strong and dependable temporary fix for broken water hoses on your car. But don’t wait too long. Duct tape can only withstand temperatures up to 93°C. Also, don’t use it to repair a leak in your car’s fuel line – the petrol dissolves the adhesive. Remember this when you need to remove duct tape gum from your legs, tent, taillight and chip bag.
