12 Brilliant Ways To Reuse Old Pillows And Old Towels

6 Ways To Reuse & Recycle Old Pillows

Did you know that the National Sleep Foundation recommends you replace your pillow every one to two years?

This may not seem like long, but pillows go through quite a bit of wear and tear. And because you rest your face on them, they can accumulate quite a few unpleasant things like saliva, skin oils, makeup, dead skin cells, and yes, even dust mites and mold.

So, if the average person is replacing bed pillows that often, what happens to all the old pillows? Luckily, these squishy cushions can still be useful after their days on the bed are done.

Take a look at few creative ways to reuse old pillows and keep them out of landfills!

1. Make Floor Cushions

If you have several old pillows to reuse, making larger floor cushions is one practical solution. Perfect for impromptu video gaming, movie parties, or gathering around board games, a few large cushions make a welcome addition to any family room or playroom.

It can be as easy as finding pre-made cushion covers (some may fit two or more bed pillows). Or you could sew your own covers with fabrics that match your decor. 

2. Use Them In The Garden

Gardening is hard work, especially on your knees. Reuse an old pillow and swap its usual soft cotton pillowcase for a trash bag (or some waterproof fabric, if you’re feeling crafty) to slip under your knees while you transform that dirt patch into a vegetable garden all the neighbors will envy. Rather than buying a new knee cushion, double up an old pillow in a sturdy pillow case. Or if you’re crafty, make a cover with outdoor-safe fabric so it’s more durable. Much more comfortable, right?

3. Reuse Them To Use As Throw Pillows

Just because a pillow can no longer provide adequate support for you head or shoulders while you sleep doesn’t mean it’s not still comfy. Buy a few yards of colorful fabric and fashion yourself some new throw pillows for your living room. You can even remove the stuffing from multiple old pillows to make an extra fluffy throw or a pillow of another shape.

Or you can reuse them for outdoor seating. Similarly, you can reupholster your old pillows with a more weather resistant fabric to use out on the deck or for garden seating. And if an unexpected storm or flock of birds ruins them, you won’t feel as bad about getting rid of them as you would have with a set of brand-new pillows.

4. Make Pet Beds

You know how you can spend dozens of dollars on a fancy bed for Fido or Fluffy, yet they’d still rather curl up in your dirty laundry? A pet bed made from your old pillows can solve two problems in one go.

First, it’s an easy way to repurpose pillows and second, it smells like you and not a random factory so your pet may be more apt to nap there.

5. Use As Packing & Moving Material

Keep old pillows around to use as packing filler or for moving. Vacuum storage bags can be a good way to compress them until needed. Then, when you have a box of delicate items to ship or want to protect furniture from scrapes, you have them handy. This is a good way to reuse solid memory or latex foam pillows, since the materials can be cut to size.

6. Seal Up Drafty Doors

Drafty doors and windows can have your AC or heater working over time, equaling a lot of wasted energy. Draft stoppers are a pretty simple DIY project, and a good way to reuse pillow stuffing.

6 Tips To Reuse Old Towels

Have you ever stopped to think about how many towels you may have around the house? Or, about how often you go through towels and toss out your old towels? Seriously! When you have a family, it’s amazing how many towels there seem to be. Bath towels, pool towels, hand towels, kitchen towels… even washcloths!

Before you just toss out those old towels, reuse them by trying these genius ways to reuse those old towels! 

1. Cleaning Rags

Let’s start with the most obvious and the easiest to do. If you do a lot of work in the garage or just need a bunch of inexpensive cleaning rags for household chores, an old towel can save you a chunk of money. Old towels are the BEST for cleaning up a spill, leak or dealing with paint and other messes because you aren’t worried about messing them up. Save the money by recycling your old towels as cleaning rags – they last a long time!

2. DIY Blanket

Take old towels that are in generally good condition and sew them together creating a large blanket. It is great for kids playing fort, bedding for animals and even adding a backing to it and make into a quilt.

Old towels can be sewn together to make a huge picnic blanket. Take four to six bigger bath towels, and then using a sewing machine or an old-fashioned needle and thread, create a blanket two towels wide by three towels deep. Roll it up, store it in the back of the car, and next time you have an impromptu picnic, you’re all prepared.

3. Spa Slippers

This one takes a little more creativity and requires a few more materials, but it’s worth it. You also get to revive an old pair of slippers or flip flops that were destined for the trashcan. By tracing around the slippers and doing some careful sewing, you’ll get a great pair of spa slippers for almost nothing.

4. Use For Pets

Donate old sheets and towels to local animal shelters. Most shelters will accept old blankets, bath towels, hand towels, sheets, pillows, pillow cases, bathroom rugs, and t-shirts. Shelters use these for lining pet cages, cleaning up messes, drying off wet dogs, providing warm bedding, and covering kennel doors when pets need a rest from the light. Most shelters are under-served in this area, so any extra help is greatly appreciated.

On that note, if you have a dog, make some thrifty knot toy from your old towels. Cut the towel into strips lengthwise about five inches wide and tie knots along the length of the towel close together. Your dog will love chewing on it.

5. Packing Material

When you are moving or shipping boxes, sometimes, you need to pad breakable items so they don’t get broken in transit. This is a perfect job for reused towels! Wrap your breakables in them and use them to pad the sides of the box or fill in gaps.

6. Baby Wipes

New parents know how expensive supplies can be. Diapers, wipes, baby powder, formula — the list goes on. You can at least make a dent in that list by recycling your old towels and using them as baby wipes. Cut them into small squares and keep them by the changing table. When it’s time to change a diaper, soak it in a little warm water, wring out the excess moisture, and wipe away. Keep a pail by the side of the changing table to drop the used wipes into. If you do cloth diapering, you can wash them at the same time as those. Otherwise, put them in a separate wash when the bin is full. 

Here are the list of how to reuse your old pillows and old towels. These tips are super simple and easy to follow. Do you know any interesting tips to reuse them?

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