Who Said Print Is Dead? Uses for Newspapers
Old newspapers are a great resource for packers and movers. They can be used for everything from cheap packing sheets to cleaning materials, and there are dozens of good tips and tricks that involve them.
The most obvious use for old newspapers is as packing material. Bunch up a sheet and it can be used to stuff the inside of a fragile vase or a delicate wine glass, or stop a box full of pots and pans from rattling around and getting dented. Large sheets can be used to wrap plates and more or less anything else. However, do remember that the ink most newspapers use is slightly toxic. Make sure to wash all glasses, crockery, and cutlery after unwrapping them.
Newspapers can also be used to absorb excess water. Before wrapping pot plants in plastic to keep the moisture and soil from escaping, wrap the pots a few layers of newspaper first. It’ll make the unpacking process much less messy.
Here’s best part of using old newspapers for storage & moving: they’re easily available for free. If you don’t have enough in the house, ask neighbors if they have some or go down to the nearest corner store. They’ll almost certainly have plenty lying around and be only too happy to hand them over. Using recycled (and recyclable) packaging materials also does the planet a favor, so there is more than one reason to use newspaper.
Once the long distance movers have packed up and gone home, all that newspaper in your boxes can either be recycled straight away or re-used again. It can be used to mop up spills in the kitchen or dampened to clean windows. Torn into strips, it can line hamster cages or fill cat litter trays. Putting down a good thick layer of newspapers can also protect floors from new puppy ‘problems’.
Flat newspaper sheets can be used to line drawers- this has been done for generations, and the old newspapers found in antique furniture are often fascinating. If you need to redecorate your new home, newspapers are the easiest and cheapest way to protect floors and other flat surfaces. They can be taped in place to help painters finish the job neatly or simply laid down to catch drips.
Twists or balls of newspaper make perfect firelighters. They can help a healthy flame take hold in traditional fireplaces and in barbecues, so if your housewarming party will be an outdoor affair, save some of those storage & moving newspapers to get the charcoal grill going. Newspapers can also be used to wipe the grease off the cooking surface later.
If the weather isn’t good enough to let you enjoy the garden, an old newspaper makes a great mat for wet shoes. Place it just inside the door and your carpets won’t have to get muddy and dirty. When your shoes get really soaked, stuff a lightly crumpled ball of newspaper into each one. It’ll help absorb the moisture and dry the inside of the shoes faster.
