10 New Uses for Old Ratty Towels

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Most people throw away old towels without a second thought. Once it starts fraying at the edges or has a few holes, you may as well toss it, right? Not if you're living a self-sufficient lifestyle. If you want to be frugal and self-reliant, you need to save and reuse everything you can.

Old towels are one of the most underrated resources in your home. They’re thick, absorbent, durable, and easy to repurpose. Whether you're trying to save money, reduce waste, or just enjoy upcycling things, you'll like this article. There are dozens of ways to breathe new life into worn-out towels.

Below you'll find 10 practical and creative ways to repurpose old ratty towels.

1. Reusable Cleaning Rags (and DIY Mop Pads)

Old towels make excellent cleaning cloths that are sturdy, absorbent, and low cost. Repurposing them will save you money on disposable wipes or new cleaning supplies.

How To Do It:

1. Use scissors to slice towels into 12” × 12” squares or rectangular strips. These work great as general-purpose rags
2. If you want the rags to last longer, hem or stitch the edges to prevent fraying.
3. Keep separate stacks for dirty jobs (like the garage or garden) and lighter tasks (like dusting inside).

Bonus Hack – DIY mop pad:

Cut a towel to match the size of your mop head (like a Swiffer), and secure it with snaps, Velcro, or elastic. When you're done, toss it in the wash and reuse. Here's a tutorial.

2. Garden Helpers: Weed Barrier & DIY Plant Watering System

If you're a gardener, you know every little thing that can help your garden is worth doing. Old towels make excellent, low-cost allies: they suppress weeds and serve as an improvised drip irrigation system when you're away.

Weed Barrier:

1. Lay the towel flat on exposed soil in raised beds or in your planter.
2. Secure it down with gravel, mulch, wood chips, or landscape pins so it doesn’t shift.

DIY Drip Irrigation / Plant Moisture Feed:

1. Fill a bucket with water and cut your old towel into long strips.
2. Place one end of each strip into the bucket and insert the other end just under the soil surface in your plant pots.
3. The towel acts like a wick, drawing moisture from the bucket and slowly feeding it into the soil.

3. Pet & Livestock Comfort: Bedding, Mats, and Toys

If you have animals, then old towels can serve multiple roles: cozy bedding, soft pads for sensitive areas, or even DIY chew and tug toys.

How to Do It:

• As-is use: Clean, worn towels make great bedding layers in crates, shelters, or nesting boxes.
• Layered mats: Fold and stack multiple towels to create cushioned pads for chicken coops, dog beds, or rabbit hutches.
• Braided tug toys: Cut towels into long strips, braid them, and knot each end. These are great for dogs to chew or play with.

4. Draft Stoppers for Doors and Windows

Keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer isn’t just about comfort. It's also about efficiency. Old towels can be transformed into simple, no-cost draft stoppers to block airflow under doors and leaky windows.

How to Make a Towel Draft Stopper:

1. The simplest method is to tightly roll the towel into a log shape and place it along the bottom of your door or window.
2. Use rubber bands or string on both ends to help it hold shape.
3. For a more permanent solution, sew a tube of durable fabric (like canvas or denim), stuff it with the towel, and sew the ends shut.

If you want the stopper to stay in place as the door opens and closes, create a double-sided one that hugs the bottom of the door. Here’s a great video tutorial that shows how:

5. First-Aid Cloths and Emergency Bandages

You never know when a cut, scrape, or burn might happen. Old towels are great for cleaning wounds, controlling bleeding, or creating makeshift slings.

Ways to Use Old Towels for First Aid:

• Store clean towel pieces with your first-aid kit. Zip them into plastic bags or small cloth bundles so they stay ready for emergencies.
• Cut or fold for bandages: Use clean strips or squares to apply pressure, wrap wounds, or secure dressings in place.
• Make a sling from a triangle-shaped towel: Fold a towel into a triangle, tie the ends, and use it for arm or shoulder support.
• Apply pressure or form a tourniquet: Use a clean towel strip to control bleeding in a pinch.

6. Make a Garden Kneeling Pad from Old Towels

Spending hours kneeling while gardening or working on the homestead can leave your knees sore. Old towels are soft, absorbent, and free. Repurposing them into a kneeling pad is easy and perfect for reducing wear and tear on your joints.

How to Make It:

1. Fold or stack old towels until you reach a comfortable thickness for kneeling.
2. Cut the layered stack into a rectangular or oval shape.
3. Optional aesthetic upgrade: Stitch a simple fabric cover (canvas, denim, or oilcloth) to hold the layers and make it easier to clean.

7. Upcycle an Old Towel into a Dish-Drying Mat

Old towels make excellent dish-drying mats.

How to Make It:

1. Select a clean old towel, preferably one with good absorbency.
2. Cut it to size for your countertop or sink.
3. Optional finish: Add binding or hem the edges for a cleaner appearance and better durability (especially useful if the towel frays easily).
4. Place the mat next to your sink for dishes, produce, or drying jars.

8. Towel as a DIY Plant Tie for Vulnerable Stems

Support for young or delicate plants like tomatoes, peppers, or squash vines is essential for a bountiful harvest. Store-bought plant ties may work, but they can damage stems. Old towels cut into strips serve as a soft, reusable alternative that won’t harm plants.

How to Use Towels as Plant Ties:

1. Cut clean towel scraps into strips about a foot long (it depends on what plant it's for).
2. Position carefully: Loosely tie the strip around the stem and support. Don't tighten too much or you're constrict growth.
3. Secure gently, knotting softly or fastening with a small clip that won’t crush the stem.

9. Turn Old Towels into Oven Mitts

If you do a lot of cooking, a good oven mitt is a must-have. An old towel can be transformed into a durable, heat-resistant oven mitt using basic sewing skills.

How to Make It:

1. Choose a thick towel with decent padding. Cotton works best for heat resistance.
2. Fold and trace your hand on the towel, leaving a ½ inch seam allowance all the way around.
3. Cut two layers of the towel using your traced shape.
4. Optional: Add a third layer or some batting between for extra heat protection.
5. Stitch the layers together around the edge, leaving the wrist end open.
6. Turn it right side out, and hem the open edge for a finished look.

10. Upcycled Towel Rug

When you live on a homestead, you're constantly tracking in dirt, water, grass, and worse. Instead of buying expensive rugs or doormats, you can turn old, ratty towels into a thick, absorbent rug that’s machine washable and made to take a beating.

How to Make It:

1. Gather several old towels, ideally similar in thickness for a more even texture.
2. Cut them into strips, roughly 5–6 inches wide.
3. Braid the strips, or sew them into layers or coils, depending on your preferred rug style.
4. Stitch the pieces together securely by hand or with a sewing machine.
5. Optional: Add a backing layer (like rubber shelf liner or denim) to prevent slipping and extend the life of the rug.

You May Also Like:

• 65 Things You Should Stop Trashing and Start Reusing
• 2500 Survival Uses for Everyday Items
• 19 Crucial First Aid Items for Homesteaders
• 40 Off-Grid Uses for Cable Ties
• How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed

The post 10 New Uses for Old Ratty Towels appeared first on Homestead Survival Site.

from Homestead Survival Site https://ift.tt/aKcyYpQ