Life Hacks for Mobility Challenges: Pool Noodles to the Rescue

When you’re living with a rare disease or loving someone who does, mobility challenges can be both physically and emotionally demanding. Here are a few clever ways to use pool noodles.

Just like noodles are a versatile food, pool noodles are a versatile product that offers utility – at a low cost! They can often be found at dollar stores.

Here are 5 clever uses for pool noodles that may just provide the right level of assistance right when you need it.

1. Act as a bumperWhen you have mobility challenges, you may bump into door frames, countertops, and bed frames more frequently than you’d like. Pool noodles can be cut into any shape to hug a frame and soften the blow.
2. Extend a faucetSometimes, you just need to fill a pot, a pail, a watering can – and you don’t want to have to lift it out of a sink or carry it from a kitchen sink to another room. Attach a pool noodle to any faucet and it instantly redirects water into your container.
3. Add gripWhile a plumber’s pipe insulation is a great hack, pool noodles can also add grip to items that are hard to hold or carry, particularly larger items like buckets, pots, or even flashlights or garden tools. They can also be used to prop up items like flashlights, smartphones, and books.
4. Keep items in place in drawersReaching into deep drawers can be frustrating. Draw organizers may help, but if they aren’t custom designed for the drawer, your items may still shift around every time you open or close a drawer. Pool noodles can be cut to size to keep frequently used items in the front of drawers where they are easier to grab. For example, utensil holders can be held in place using a pool noodle so forks, spoons, and knives are easy to grab instead of sliding all over the drawer.
5. Saving walls and car doorsWith some mobility challenges, you need doors open as wide as possible for easy pass-through, especially with assistive devices like canes or walkers. But, with wider door access, you may be dinging that car door in the garage or banging a door into a wall. Even just small pieces of pool noodles can save doors and walls. Simply slice a small piece of the noodle to hug a door frame, or adhere a slice to the wall where you typically open your car door.

These are just five uses for pool noodles, but there are many more. Given that they are cheap, easy to find, and so versatile – noodles may have other uses for you!