Truly duct tape is one of those products that has so many uses that I like to refer to duct tape like table salt as a super product.
Right now I think you’ll agree with me that duct tape is easy to find, cheap and has been used by many people. It’s not just used to tape the seams on duct work to prevent heat loss (though it works extremely well for this) but it has been used in a myriad of ways and works great in many other odd applications.
So, today we’re going to delve into many varied duct tape uses. I promise that when we’re done you’ll have discovered new ways you can put to good use this wonderful product to save time and money and make your life just a bit easier. That’s a pretty bold statement but one that I’ll back up with this article.
More to the point we’re going to give you 46 detailed step-by-step uses for duct tape! You’ll learn how to use it when camping if that’s your thing, how you can use it around your home or office, on your car or if you can imagine even on your body!
This super product that works quickly was made during World War II when the US military needed a flexible, durable, waterproof tape to use when making repairs in the field. Today, duct tape colors are many and varied.
As reported by Today I Found Out, duct tape was invented back in 1942 by Permacell, which was a division of Johnson and Johnson. Yale Scientific wrote an excellent article entitled, “How Is Duct Tape Made?“. It’s said that the GIs way back during World War II called it “duck tape” because it was waterproof, meaning like a duck’s back.
1. It’s simple to repair a tear in a tent using duct tape but first, brush off any leaves or dirt before applying the duct tape to get a good seal.
2. It’s easy using duct tape to tape curtains shut to keep light out from nosy neighbors. It sends a message and works quite well, I’m told unless you’re looking for some new company when camping.
3. Twist the tape into a rope of sorts to use as a makeshift clothesline. The ends can even be tied to a pole or more often a low hanging tree limb.
4. Tape a flashlight to a wall or a tree. This is a quick way to relieve yourself from having to hold the light for a long period of time.
It gets better:
5. This trap works quickly to trap and kill flies. Simply lay a few duct tape strips ensuring the sticky side is up. Once the nasty bugs land on the tape their doom is sealed. Sprinkle a bit of sugar on the tape to lure them in.
6. Tape your pants around your ankles to keep out nasty ticks and other insects off your legs.
7. You can quickly twist duct tape into an emergency shoelace. It works quite well.
8. Tape up valuable supplies in bubble wrap or newspapers to keep them secure and safe.
9. Patch holes in an inner tube, air mattress, or a canoe! Just be sure to clean the surface well before you apply the duct tape.
10. Tape your pants around your ankles to keep them from getting caught in the bike pedals.
11. It’s really simple to reseal a bag of potato chips, pretzels or any others bag containing food using duct tape to keep out bugs and keep in freshness.
1. Right now I remember my dad duct taping a paint brush to a wooden stick to extend his reach when painting some outside porch rails which extended up to the front porch roof ceiling. He never stepped on a ladder or step-stool to complete the job!
2. Duct tape a torn water hose on the car. This won’t last real long because of the hot hose line but it should get you to the nearest repair shop or back home where you can replace the hose yourself. Don’t try this with a gas line on your car, the adhesive on the take will quickly dissolve.
3. Frazier Crain’s dad, Martin, used duct tape to repair his favorite recliner.
How can you actually use this?
Well, for one thing, my dad did the same thing to repair a rip in his car seat. The repair lasted until he traded his old buggy in for a new one.
4. Dad once quickly wrapped several wrappings of duct tape around a broken lawn mower handle to repair it. He was able to get one more season out of our old lawn mower.
5. You can temporarily repair a broken water pipe by drying the pipe first.
But there’s a catch.
You may have to drain the water if the leak is too large before taping the crack. Simply wrap several turns of duct tape around the pipe to seal the leak. This isn’t meant to be the final fix but a quick temporary repair to tide you over.
6. Hang pictures with duct tape. Roll a bit of duct tape into a small circle, sticky side out. Then stick it on the back of a small picture before pressing your picture onto the wall.
7. You can easily patch a hole in the wall until you can find the time to fix it permanently. This will keep the damage contained until you’ve got the time and energy to give the hole a proper fix.
8. You can use duct tape to hold down a dangerously loose carpet. You can make small loops with the tape keeping the sticky side of the tape outward. Stick the tape to your floor then press your carpet over the tape and relax knowing that your former loose carpet will slip no more.
9. For an easy way to stop the edges of a rope from fraying., simply wrap the end of the rope with a few turns of duct tape and it will never fray.
10. You’re quite the handy person when you duct tape a loose outside mirror on a car. Just be certain you’ve thoroughly cleaned the area that you’ll apply the tape to. It will last for quite a while until you can get the mirror repaired professionally.
11. You can create a simple a file handle made from duct tape. Simply wrap the file tang repeatedly with duct tape until you’ve built it out to the size you want. It’s extremely durable.
12. Stop a cracked commode from leaking, dead in its tracks with duct tape. Simply drain the water from the tank and dry the area completely before applying the duct tape over the crack from the outside of the commode.
13. Repair a torn storm door screen or a window screen. Ensure your screen is clean and free from dirt and debris before taping the tear.
14. You can construct a temporary roof shingle if you’ve existing wooden roof shingles. Start by wrapping duct tape in strips across a piece of 1/4-inch plywood that you’ve previously cut to size. Wedge your homemade shingle in the missing shingle’s place. The duct tape will close any gaps and water will be repelled for quite some time.
1. You can easily duct tape a broken fishing pole in a pinch.
Why does this matter?
Imagine all the time and money wasted for a fishing trip only to have to leave because your only pole decided it had enough in this life. No need to shorten your fishing trip because of a broken fishing pole.
2. Duct tape a cracked vacuum cleaner hose and finish the job the first time. I’ve done this on more than one job.
3. Stop a window from cracking more by duct taping the existing crack with duct tape until you can replace the window. This one I’ve done several times over the years.
4. Duct tape works quickly to repair a torn convertible top on your car. One of our staff used duct tape on her car.
5. Duct tape removes dust bunnies lurking up high. Make a small circle of duct tape sticky side out and stick it on the end of a long pole. Reach up and lightly touch the dust bunnies to catch and remove them.
6. Stop the edges of a carpet from fraying by duct taping the edge with duct tape. I did this for a carpet our basement that was fraying and it lasted for years.
7. I once duct taped my tomato cages to our back yard fence to help them stand firmer. This worked better than using rope which gets wet and weakens or loosens over time.
8. I’ve removed lint and cat hair from my suit jacket using duct tape. Just wrap duct tape around your hand sticky side out and lightly brush your clothing and you’ll quickly see the tape captures all the lint and pet hair.
9. I duct taped my flashlight my bike handle bars to see at night. My regular bike light was broken. I thought I was cool at the time riding around with a flashlight taped to the handlebars.
10. When I was single I duct taped my spare car keys under the car to the car frame.
What’s the bottom line?
Not only were they were well hidden and kept safe using duct tape but they were where I needed to have a spare set of keys when I was out on the road and discovered that I accidently locked my regular set of car keys in the car.
11. It’s quick and simple to repair the broken leg on a self-standing picture frame. Just use a small piece of duct tape to secure the leg to the back of the frame.
12. You can hang your Christmas lights using small strips of duct tape. Just tape the light to your gutter or where ever you like to hang your Christmas lights. I duct taped ours to the railings around our front porch.
13. You can apply duct tape to a shipping box to securely close it before dropping it off at the post office. This works better than the regular tape they use in the post office.
14. You can repair a torn swimming pool liner. You’ll need to remove the water at least to below the tear and dry the area. Clean it well with soap and water and dry it completely before applying the duct tape.
15. Is the binding on your favorite book coming loose? Tape it back into place using duct tape. You can purchase colored duct tape to match your book’s cover as close as possible to make for a nicer looking repair.
1. Remove a wart using duct tape. Cover the wart a few days with duct tape and when you remove the tape the wart should be gone. I’m not sure why this works but I was told it does.
This is crazy:
2. You can quickly remove body hair using duct tape. Ouch! Okay if you must just stick the tape over your hair and rip it off. I guess it’s like waxing.
3. Duct tape a paper towel over a cut for a temporary bandage. It’s not pretty but it works quite well. This will keep out the dirt and moisture until you can get the cut cleaned properly and bandaged with gauze if it’s a large wound or covered with a band aid if it’s a small cut.
4. You can use duct tape to insulate your boots. Just tape the insole on your boots. The reflective shining side of the tape will reflect the heat back up to your feet making them a bit warmer on a chilly winter day.
5. You can wrap a sprained ankle using duct tape. Just wrap the sprain with paper towels before taping it to make it easy to remove when you are ready to wrap it with your ace bandage.
6. It’s easy and quick to fashion a splint for a broken ankle or leg. You’ll need a small smooth board for the splint that you’ve padded with wrapping the board using paper towels. Then tape the splint to your leg using the duct tape by wrapping the tape several times around the splint and your leg.
Okay, that’s enough for now about duct tape. I realize that there are many many more uses for duct tape. Please share some with us in the comments and if you’ve enjoyed this article please share it with others on your favorite social platform.
Thanks for reading and we hope to see you next time.
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