Tennis is an internationally played sport, but every year, hundreds of tennis balls go to waste. Tennis balls are made of rubber and are covered with wool or nylon to protect the ball. The balls are then injected with pressurized air to make the ball bouncy and are completely sealed. However, with every use, the air inside the balls slowly and gradually starts leaking, which makes them unsuitable for playing.
There are a few ways to check if a ball is old and should not be used to play tennis anymore. For instance, you can take a new and an old ball and check how much both balls bounce. If the old ball bounces less than the new one, it means it’s not suitable for tennis. You can also squeeze the ball in your hand and if it squeezes too much, that means it’s not suitable for playing.
What To Do With Old Tennis Balls
However, just because a ball is not suitable for playing doesn’t mean that it is completely useless. People don’t understand that it can be reused in many ways. There are tons of things you can do with old tennis balls, and we have listed just a few of them:
Play with Dogs
Dogs love to play with a ball. They will be extremely happy to play catch with you. Hence, you can use old tennis balls to play with your dog or give them away to somebody else who owns a dog. Many people even donate tennis balls to dog charities and rescue homes.
However, it is important that you keep an eye on your dog while playing because it might chew off the wool part of the ball. There are ways you can prevent that from happening.
Decoration and Crafts
For people who are crafty and into art, this can be a good way to show off their skills. Old tennis balls can be turned into decoration pieces or used as part of a costume. You can turn them into a pen holder or an ornament for Christmas. The Internet can be a great resource here. Just search online and you’ll find so many ways you can turn old tennis balls into something beautiful.
Recycle
There are many companies like reBounces and Project Green Balls that recycle old tennis balls. If you have a large number of tennis balls saved up, you can contact such companies and the team might even send you a prepaid shipping label to cover your expenses.
Donate
You can use old tennis balls to do some good charity work as well. You can donate these balls to underprivileged schools or to organizations like Boy or Girl Scouts.
Floor Scrub
Tennis balls are a great way to remove scuff marks from the floor. You can also use them to reach the areas on ceilings or floors that are hard to reach. To utilize a tennis ball as a scrubbing agent, just cut an X into the ball with a knife, stick a broomstick in the ball and easily use it to remove scuffs.
Floor Protectors
Chairs, beds and other home furniture can make scratch marks on the floor if there is no carpet. You can avoid this from happening by using tennis balls as floor protectors. Just cut an X and fit the ball on the bottom of the legs of any furniture.
You can also use this technique for walkers as tennis balls can help residents walk around easily.
Use in the Dryer
You can use tennis balls in a dryer along with your clothes or beddings. This will help clothes dry faster and save time and money. You can also use some old, clean tennis balls to wash curtains or any other heavy fabric. The ball will help scrub the fabric and clean it nicely.
Add Comfort
Tennis balls can also be used to add comfort to a chair. For instance, if you have a wooden chair, you can take a bunch of tennis balls and cut them in half. You can either glue them to the back of the chair or cut holes in the chair and stick the balls into the holes. This is also a good way to massage your back.
Pool Cleaner
Pools are the place where people leave lots of body oil. This is the case with even the cleanest people because the body excretes oil on its own. To remove oil from the pool, throw in some tennis balls, which will absorb all the oil and clean the water. However, make sure you replace the balls frequently as over time, the balls will lose this ability. Also, don’t forget to remove the balls before you go for a swim.
Childproofing the House
Tennis balls are a great way to childproof the house when a visitor or relative visits or even for your own baby. The little ones don’t understand the meaning of danger, so to protect them from sharp corners, just slit a tennis ball in half and glue the soft side onto the corners.
Packing
You can use tennis balls to fill up extra space in packing boxes because they have a great ability to absorb shock. This way, you can keep your stuff safe.
Get Rid of Spider Webs
You can easily get rid of spider webs by using a tennis ball. Since the outer material of a tennis ball is made of nylon or wool, the cobwebs stick to them easily. You can also use them as a bug repellent if you have a deck or patio by coating the ball with Vaseline and hanging it from a nearby tree.
Above are just a few ways you can utilize old tennis balls. There are many other things that you can do with them. Just use your imagination and go along with it.
More Uses
Summary
There are 12 ways to do with old tennis balls.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other ideas to recommend.
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