As our media have gone overwhelmingly digital, there are fewer and fewer people who have print newspaper subscriptions. Reading the paper was once a staple of many adult lives but now all that information is readily available on the internet—and often much more readily than it would be otherwise. Still, many of us probably still have stacks of old papers lying around if we haven’t already recycled them or thrown them out.
Still, if you have a bunch of newspapers lying around, there may still be some good uses for them—and we’ve compiled a list for you. Here are 15 ways to put all that old newspaper lying around to good use.
1. Clean the windows with them.
Old newspaper is actually pretty good for wiping down windows, as it turns out. They may even produce fewer streaks than cloth wipes do. For it to work even better, try using vinegar and water solution to clean with.
2. Drying off your wet shoes.
If you walk through a puddle and let your shoes dry naturally on their own, there’s a good chance that they’re going to start to smell bad. To avoid that, throw some crumpled up newspaper into your shoes. Absorbing some of the excess water should help fight the odor as well.
3. Use them to line your shelves.
If you have a lot of shelving in your house, you may have considered buying liners for them just to make things seem a bit nicer. Still, there’s no need for that if you have old newspaper lying around.
4. Use it as wrapping paper for presents.
Though this might not be ideal for every occasion, old newspaper can easily be used as wrapping paper for an unusual (and cheap) looking gift for friends on their birthday.
5. Similarly, use it as a packing material for fragile items.
If you’re moving anything, why not pack your boxes with old newspaper instead of expensive bubble wrap?
6. Put it in your flower bed as a potential weed killer.
If you’re having a weed problem in your garden, try lying wet newspapers down wherever you don’t want things to grow. Let the newspaper dry on the ground for 24 hours and then cover it up with mulch or soil. This is a chemical free to prevent unwanted growth, without the chemicals you might find in a weed killer.
7. Use it as kindling for starting fires.
If you have a wood burning stove or its summertime and you want to have a bonfire, crumpled up newspaper works very well as a firestarter.
8. Put them to use in a papier-mache project.
For the artistically minded, papier mache is a composite art form which involves gluing wet paper all around some sort of wireframe or other object to create sculptures! Newspaper is ideal for these projects and a fun way to pass a free afternoon.
9. Fold them up and use them as an old boot and shoe mat.
If you’ve got any dirty or muddy shoes and you want to keep your floor clean, why not use some of those old newspapers?
10. Wrap your fruit in newspaper to help it stay fresh.
Simply wrapping your apples in newspaper can help them stay fresh for longer. Similarly, wrapping unripened tomatoes can help them ripen faster!
11. Use it to clean up tiny pieces of broken glass.
After you’ve swept up the biggest chunks, you can wet down your newspaper and dab it over the area to get all the shards that are too small to see.
12. Use some newspaper to unscrew a broken light bulb.
If you’ve ever broken a light bulb while it was still in the socket, try using some newspaper to pull it out for a little extra hand protection.
13. Put a stack of newspapers under a wheel if you get stuck in the ice and snow.
In addition to (or instead of) salt, try putting a stack of newspapers under the rear of your car to help push yourself out of a patch of ice or snow.
14. Use them to line kennels and kitty litter boxes.
To protect the floor from any animal accidents, why not line the bottom of kitty litter boxes and kennels with newspaper for easy clean-up?
15. Use them to keep old suitcases fresh.
If you store your bags and suitcases carelessly, they can sometimes develop a musty or moldy odor. To avoid this, throw in some old newspaper to absorb some of the moisture and smell.
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