8 Things to Do With an Old Garden Hose

An old garden hose is a great thing to recycle and use in a myriad of other ways. So before you throw out a leaky, worn out hose, check out these 8 things you can do with it. You might just be surprised!

1. If you’ve got a hose with a leak already in it, take advantage of that. Simply turn it into a soaker hose. Just use a drill bit to drill holes all over the hose. Attach a hose cap to one end, and a water source to the other end. Soaker hoses are efficient and cut down on the evaporation that happens with normal sprinkler systems.

2. Over at This Old House, Roger Cook uses hose scraps to protect trees that he supports. Just slip a piece of hose over the wire used to stabilize a young tree. This protects the bark from the damage from chafing.

3. Cut that old hose into 6 or 8-inch segments, and scatter them throughout your garden. Earwigs love small, cramped spaces to hide in, and the hose segments attract them. Every so often, pick up the segments and shake out the earwigs into a bucket of soapy water to kill them.

4. Make those wire handles on buckets easier and less painful to grip. Just slit a small length of garden hose and slip it over the wire handle. It’s genius!

5. Cut a piece of old hose long enough to cover the blade of your handsaw.

6. Protect the little fingers of your kids while they play on the playset. Just slit a length of old hose and slip it over the chains on the swing set.

7. Screw short lengths of old hose to the wall of the garage. It makes a perfect spot to hang rakes and shovels!

8. Use a piece of the old hose as a doorstop. Step on it to flatten it enough to slide under the door, and when you let go it’ll expand and keep the door securely in place.