By Lisa Turner
Columnist
Of all the things that we look at and say, “I wish I had invented that,” Velcro is one of the most amazing. It’s so simple. Where superglue definitely took some chemical engineering, Velcro is just plastic cloth.
In the 1940s, Swiss engineer George de Mestral would come back from walks in the Alps with little cockleburs stuck to his pants, socks, and to his little dog. This inspired him to develop a two-sided fastener we now know as hook-and-loop tape. The name VELCRO is a combination of the French words “velour” and “crochet.”
There are different grades of Velcro, including some varieties that can hold up to 15 pounds or more. That is substantial. Here are a few tricks you can do with this remarkable material.
Hold doors open or shut. Have an interior door that keeps closing? You need a door stop for this trick. Simply cut a piece of sticky-back Velcro and put one side on the stop and the other on the door. You can also use it on the door jamb if the door keeps opening. You can buy Velcro in many different colors to math your décor.
Resize a ring. I have ideas about rings that won’t fit over arthritic knuckles. As an engineer, I envision a simple two-piece design where the two sides of the ring interlock together with a couple of finely machined screws . . . but until I invent this design for my own fat knuckles, simply cut a small rectangle of Velcro to fit under the ring either on the top side of your finger or the underside. Use the soft side of the Velcro because the other side is rough on the skin. Slip it on once the ring is on your finger, or you can try applying it before you put the ring on. Use some lotion and it will compress. It will take up enough space so that the ring does not fall off your hand, and it’s comfortable and washable. When it’s time to remove the ring, just take the Velcro piece out and slide the ring off. When you put the ring back on, use a new piece of Velcro.
Create padded feet for furniture. If you slide your furniture around on hard wood floors, you know that the hard plastic feet they come with can scratch the wood, especially when you’re resting on a bar stool. Remove the hard plastic feet with a pair of vice grips and throw in the drawer or discard. Then get some Velcro and cut four pieces the size of the feet. Use only the soft side of the Velcro, not the rough side. Now you can slide the stools or chairs around and not damage the floor. And it’s easy to replace if it wears out. I’ve found that this trick works even better than buying the pad feet that are supposed to stay in place but end up moving off center.
Other ideas include:
· Fasten the remote control to the side of the chair or to the side of the TV
· Sew with non-sticky sided Velcro to replace buttons
· Fasten file folders shut
· Use for cable ties to keep cords neat
· Keep chair cushions in place
· Keep drawers closed
· Arrange stuffed animals on the wall for your children
· Attach objects to the dash of your car
· Hold rugs down
I’m sure you can think of many more. Be creative.
Local columnist Lisa Turner is an engineer, building contractor, and home inspector. See Lisa’s books at https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Turner/e/B018O79HFO.