It's a strange realization to have on a random Wednesday morning, but I just noticed that I haven't seen a spongy square mouse pad in many years. Now that optical mice are de rigeur, you don't really need a cushy spot for it to roll (unless you've got a desk made of some seemingly optical-proof material, like glass). So what to do with those old mouse pads? We've rounded up a few ideas...
6 Household Uses For Recycling Old Mouse Pads
- Pad the bottom of furniture legs. You can use cut up bits of mouse pad to stop wobbly tables and chairs, or glue the pieces to bottoms of stools and chairs to keep them from scratching and scuffing the floor.
- Use it as a hot pad. Put one (or a few) on the dinner table before you put down a hot dish or a steamy box of pizza to keep your table protected from high temperature scars.
- Use it to straighten tilted frames. Got a frame hanging on the wall that never seems to sit straight? Attach a bit of mouse pad to the frame or the wall to keep from slipping. Did you hang two nails unevenly? Wrap a bit of mouse pad around the lower nail to keep whatever's hanging straight.
- Open jars. Leave a clean one in the kitchen for opening stubborn jars and bottles.
- Line kitchen cabinets. Lay mouse pads on your kitchen cabinet shelves to prevent dishes and glasses from slipping.
- Make coasters. Cut a favorite mouse pad into 4-inch squares to use as drink coasters.
- Make knee pads for down and dirty housework. If you're working on a project that involves lots of kneeling (like working in the garden), old computer mouse pads are just the right size to cushion your knees.
Via Planet Green and Reader's Digest
(Image: Flickr member Uglynoid licensed for use under Creative Commons)
Comments (3)
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I am using a mousepad right now, and i have one at home too...
At work my desk is frosted glass and the optical mice don't like it. Yes, laser mice would be find on it, but i don't have that choice.
I have a laser mouse at home and i still use a mousepad. Why? Because my desk is raw steel and the mouse moves so much more smoothly on a different surface. That and it keeps my arm from resting on the desk so much which being steel will change color a bit since it is not sealed.
Your desk may technically work with a mouse on it, but it's all about the feel of the mouse on the surface, i like a very smooth slide, and i doubt most desks will give you the correct feel (just put it on the frosted glass here, and even if it could work on it, it slides like crap)
view jmorey's profile
I'm using a built-in trackpad, but I keep my mouse pad too. Why ? Not only to put my tea-mugs ont it...
Because it has the funniest line in the whole world, a joke that only makes sense if you translate every word in French, without caring for meaning: "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read". Outside means "except" when translated.
It's Amazon's. Gosh, do I love it ! Whoever did it is a weirdo. Just my type !
view Loora's profile
@Loora, I believe that is an old Groucho Marx line
view i8kermit's profile