Clever Ways To Reuse Pool Noodles In Your Garage

Lightweight, flexible, and cheap, pool noodles can be repurposed for a range of uses around the home, from the laundry room to the living room. One place they're extra useful? In the garage. Since most of us don't spend a lot of time there, aesthetics are less of a concern, making pool noodles the perfect cheap accessory. Pool noodle hacks for the garage can help you keep your space more organized and protected. 

Ideally, reuse old pool noodles from summer activities (it will save them from the trash, even if you're only able to reuse a portion). But if you need to buy new pool noodles, they're very affordable. Pool noodles are so versatile for DIY garage projects because they can be easily cut to size. Some of the best tools to use are a serrated bread knife and a utility knife. 

Most noodles come in bright colors that are perfect for summer days, but not necessarily ideal for the home. To improve aesthetics, you can paint your pool noodles to match your decor. All of these pool noodle upcycles for the garage are very easy to execute — you just need household items to cut the pool noodles to size and a few more supplies from the hardware store. From tool organizers to scrape preventers, here are some ways to reuse a pool noodle in your garage.

Cut some vertical slices into a pool noodle to turn it into an organizer for long-handled accessories, like rakes, brooms, shovels, and more. Once you've cut your spaced-out slices, mount the noodle to the wall using screws. You can also repurpose this project for smaller tools and supplies like cleaning brushes, squeegees, and any other items with a long enough handle to fit into the slots. If you're holding lighter items, you can use mounting tape to attach it to the garage wall instead of screws. A good choice is the Gorilla Glue Mounting Tape for $12.24 from Amazon.

If you have a few fishing rods, you'll want to store them in a way that protects them. Pool noodles work well for storing fishing rods, using the same idea as the previous hack. Cut vertical slices across the pool noodle where you want to place your fishing rods. You can also make a base piece, cutting holes into another noodle to place the fishing rod handle into. This cheap system keeps your rods organized, and since fishing rods are pretty lightweight, you can use adhesive to attach the noodles to the wall.

This hack is one of our favorite pool noodle projects because it can save your walls from a lot of damage, but it costs almost nothing to set up. All you'll need is a pool noodle, which you'll use as a bumper to protect damage-prone sections of your garage wall. Two places to place noodles include where your car doors open and might ding the wall and the back of the garage where your bumper can make contact. Since the pool noodle isn't holding anything, there's no need to use screws for this project: Some type of adhesive or easy-to-remove Command Strips will get the job done.

An interior garage door that slams into the wall when it's opened isn't just annoying, it can also damage the wall over time. Similar to the previous hack, you can use a lightweight and bouncy pool noodle to protect your wall. If your door has a long handle, you can cut a slit horizontally down the pool noodle and slip it over the door handle. Otherwise, just attach a section of pool noodle to the wall where the doorknob sits to prevent it from making direct contact.

Doors and bumpers aren't the only possible contact point between your car and your garage. If you have a large trunk door, it can also hit your garage door when it opens. To prevent any dings and scratches, attach a pool noodle where the trunk door might make contact with the garage door. Again, you can use adhesive to attach the noodle. But it also might be possible to cut a slit in the noodle and slip it over garage door parts for adhesive-free installation.

If you're tall, you're probably not a stranger to hitting your head on low-hanging items. But even if it's happened before, it doesn't mean you want it to happen again! Garage door parts can be right in the walking line of tall members of your family. To make sure they don't injure themselves, add a bit of pool noodle cushioning to cover problematic pieces. This hack is a very cheap way to prevent injury, since the foam material of pool noodles provides a good amount of cushioning.

Whether your friend with young kids is popping by to work on a project or you like to practice certain active hobbies in a garage (like roller skating or calisthenics), you might want a little more protection from any sharp edges. A pool noodle can become a furniture protector in a pinch, and is an easy hack for those trying to baby-proof their home. You can use it on shelf edges, furniture edges, and other sharp corners in your garage. This way, if you take a tumble when trying out some new skating tricks, you're at less risk of injury.

Sure, you may have deadbolt locks, cameras, and alarms for the front door, but did you know that one often-overlooked point of entry for burglars is the garage? You can use a pool noodle to make your garage a less likely target for robbers. After all, home intruders tend to look for the easiest target on the block. Intruders can try to use the garage door release cord to gain easy access to a garage. Cover this cord with a pool noodle to make it harder for them to get a grip with their handmade devices.

Most vacuums come with extension wands, but they might not be long enough to reach some garage corners. If your garage has hard-to-reach cobwebs or dust, attach a pool noodle to a vacuum to access those spots. Make sure to use a pool noodle with a hole through the middle. You can cut the pool noodle shorter if it's a bit too long. Attach it to a vacuum that has a crevice or small extension tool (something with a small enough diameter to fit in the pool noodle hole). If necessary, you can widen the hole to fit onto your vacuum.

Garages are often a storage place for a lot of sharp tools, particularly garden tools like rakes and shovels. If you have a cramped garage, you'll want to protect yourself from these surfaces. No one wants to accidentally scrape by a dirty rake! To do so, cut a pool noodle to size, then cut a horizontal slice into it. Fit the noodle piece over the sharp edges of the tools. As a bonus, this is also one way to turn a rake into a squeegee for emergency water removal. If there's ever a big water spill in your garage and you don't have a proper squeegee, you can use a rake with a pool noodle over the tines — it's better at moving water than a regular broom.