If your family is like ours, then you probably have dozens of tennis balls stashed (or rolling) around the house. Favorite dog toys, leftovers from kid games…if you didn’t know any better you’d think they were reproducing. But as it turns out, these green fuzz balls have a lot of handy household uses. Rather than throw them out, take a shot at this:
Ice a sore muscle. Cut a 1-inch slit in the ball and fill it three-quarters full with water. Then freeze it for those times when you strain a neck, calf, or other body part. Just roll it over the ache. Good for lightly massaging temples, too.
Soothe a sore back. Stuff a couple of balls into one of your husband’s old athletic tube socks (wash first!). Position the balls about 4 inches apart, then tie (or sew) the open end closed. Lie on the floor with the balls on either side of your spine or under your low back and slowly roll up and down. Or position them between your back and a wall and scrunch around.
Play footsie with yourself. Keep a tennis ball under your desk at work. Slip off your heels and roll it under the arch of each foot. Just a couple minutes restore blood flow.
Squeeze away stress. Keep another ball on your desk. Whenever you feel the squeeze of work, squeeze the ball. Bonus: Your stronger handshake will impress the boss.
Park perfectly. If you have trouble gauging where to stop or how far to the left or right to go when pulling into your garage, do this: Park in the perfect spot, then knot the end of a rope, slip the knot through a small slit in the ball, and tie the other end to something overhead (like the garage door) so that the ball just touches the middle of the windshield or some other part of the car when it’s properly aligned. Every time you drive in, the hanging ball will be your parking guide.
Safeguard valuables. Make a 1-inch slice and stuff in extra money or jewelry. Even the kids won’t snoop there.
Save your marriage. If your husband’s snore is measurable on the Richter scale, then it’s time for drastic measures. Duct-tape a tennis ball to the back of his nightshirt. People snore most when sleeping on their back; this prevents that.
Ace housecleaning. Steal an old janitor’s trick and stick a tennis ball on the end of your broom. When you need to rub out a scuff mark, just flip it over and go to work. Also great for cleaning cobwebs from ceiling corners.
Open any jar. Instead of bothering the handsome handyman next door, cut a tennis ball in half and use it to deliver the necessary leverage. But on second thought, this lid is pretty tight….
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