An old garden hose is the recycling subject and there are at least ten different ways that old leaky piece of rubber tubing can be re-used before it’s permanently discarded. All us old timers like to say ‘they don’t make things like they used too. True enough, so we have to look for ways to recycle things like garden hoses that often don’t last through one season of usage before breaking down. Give these garden hose recycling ideas a try and help stretch your gardening budget.
Make a Garden Mat
Keep your knees cushioned and clean while gardening with this garden mat idea. Cut the old hose into 24, six inch lengths. Lay the pieces side by side and super glue them together to create a two foot long rubber mat. The thick garden mat is light weight enough to carry around the garden and easy to clean after use.
Support a Sapling
When planting a new sapling tree in your landscape, use two lengths of garden hose to tie it with instead of rope or twine. The rubber hose is flexible enough to give when the wind blows and not cut into the sapling’s tender trunk while holding it upright.
Make a Door Stop
A length of rubber hose makes the perfect outside door or garden gate stop. Hold the door or gate open by squeezing the hose flat, then jam it under the door. The hose will expand and hold the door or gate open.
Drain a Kiddie Pool
Use an old garden hose to drain a kiddie pool and water the garden at the same time (if the pool water is chlorine-free). Submerge one end of the hose in the pool and it will act like a siphon and pull the water out of the pool so you can put the used pool water where you want it.
Keep Birds Out of Garden
Create a snake to scare the birds away from your vegetable garden, Cut a 1-2 foot long piece of hose and lay it out like an S in your garden to shoo birds away. Make two for larger home gardens.
Make Dog Chew Toys
Cut a few lengths of old garden hose for your dog to chew on. Non-toxic, free and one hose will make a lot of chew toys for Fido. Toss chewed hose before it starts to tatters so your dog won’t swallow any small pieces of rubber.
Cushioning for Garden Tools
Create cushions for the handles of small garden tools by cutting lengths of hose slightly shorter than the tool handles. Slip the rubber hose pieces over each handle to provide yourself with a cushioned grip.
Prevent Swing Set Pinches
The plastic covers over the metal chains on swings often crack and break (due to sun exposure) long before the swing set has worn out. Replace the plastic chain covers and prevent little ones from pinching their fingers by placing lengths of rubber hose over the chains.
Protect Car Bumpers and Doors
If your garage or carport is a mite too small and you have the dings on your car bumpers or doors to prove it, prevent future dings with garden hose padding. Attach lengths of rubber garden hose on the offending walls or posts at the exact height of car bumpers and doors to create a thick padding and prevent any more auto body damage.
Un-Clog a Down Spout
Instead of climbing up on the roof to unclog a down spout, use an old garden hose to unclog the spout. Snake a rigid rubber hose up the spout until it reaches the clog, then a few pokes with the hose should dislodge the debris so rain water can run through freely again.
