C M Strawn 6/27/2023

Imagine what you could do with a one-dollar pool noodle that could save you between $9 and $29 or more. Your imagination is your only limit.

In the past, I have saved money by adapting pool noodles for different applications that I would have purchased commercial products for from retailers or online. Also, pool noodles can be trimmed and adapted to fit anything a person can imagine.

One of the many benefits of using the ubiquitous pool noodles instead of prefabricated commercial products is their versatility. Did I mention that an 8-foot-long pool noodle costs between $1 and $1.50? ($1.50 is pricey.)

Then I saw this idea on Facebook about using pool noodles for something that I planned to buy and decided to give it a try. This idea is ingenious but only one of many.

One of the things that I need help with is typing on my laptop because of its low profile. I usually rest the heels of my hand on the laptop to type instead of holding my hand up over the keyboard, which is extremely tiring.

In this position, my thumb drags over the touchpad causing multiple typos, misspellings, etc. Using a wrist pad to hold my wrist up is more relaxing and improves accuracy.

By cutting a pool noodle in half and placing the flat side down, covering the touchpad, the pool noodle makes a perfect wrist pad, preventing many errors, reducing fatigue, and saving me $10 or more for virtually the same thing I would purchase from retailers. Again, ingenious.

Another advantage of using pool noodles is that I can trim them to the most comfortable dimensions for me. Something I would not be able to do with a commercial product. And, if I make a mistake or want a different size, the cost of replacement or addition is only pennies instead of dollars.

Wrist pads for laptops or keyboards are only one of the many creative uses for pool noodles besides floating in the water. Imagination is the only limit.

These remarkable buoyant tubes that are made of polyethylene foam have been adapted for use as tool hangers, extension hoses for vacuum cleaners, decorative features, and, my personal favorite, roof rack protectors. And the list goes on.

Because of the unique composition of the pool noodle, the only tools required to adapt it to any particular use are a knife or a pair of scissors. The material is tough enough to withstand the roughest application for indefinite periods of use.

Fun fact; Steve Hartman, CEO of Industrial Thermal Polymers, invented backer rods 30 years ago, which became the pool noodle of today. Also, about the same time, Richard Koster invented the Water Woggle, which, as a simple description, is a pool noodle. There may be around 12 to 16 million sold in the North American market alone.

Next time you see a pool noodle or are floating on one, think about the many uses that have not yet been imagined. What could you do with a pool noodle that no one has thought of yet?