Even if you can’t find a place for them in your current kitchen routine, don’t toss those old kitchen tongs just yet! A simple set of tongs may seem like one of the more purpose-driven items best used for flipping burgers, mixing salads, and tossing pasta. But when tongs are old or broken and no longer fit for their normal job, you can find all kinds of creative ways to repurpose them in your home and garden. Often made from heat and wear-resistant materials like silicone, stainless steel, and aluminum, the tongs themselves likely have plenty of life in them even if the locking mechanism fails or the hinge loses a little springiness.

Repurposed tongs can be a budget-friendly benefit around the home and garden with only a few minor adjustments. They could even help you right now with your laundry routine, as this kitchen essential can reach the bottom of the washing machine when your arm just barely falls short. And the possibilities only get better from there! Take advantage of their unique shape to craft neat DIY holiday décor with a small set of tongs, or turn them into your latest plant maintenance tool. Give it some thought, and you’ll discover at least a few household and garden problems your tongs can solve, especially when you take inspiration from these clever hacks.

Dusting indoor foliage has two-fold benefits in a plant lover’s home. Removing built-up filth on lush greenery will maintain its luster while supporting photosynthesis. Upkeep should be routine, and an old set of tongs can play a vital role! Attach a couple of microfiber cloths or sponges to each tong with rubber bands. With these, you can gently wipe down both sides of the plant leaves at once, helping you speed through the process. When you’re done, this time-saving dusting hack can also make it easy to clean window blinds or even long glassware, such as vases.

Tending and propagating a cactus can be painful business with bare hands. While a pair of thick gloves will come in handy when you work on prickly succulents, you can also add an old set of kitchen tongs to your gardening arsenal for harmless handling. When propagating your cacti, you can use your tongs to detach the desired piece, saving your hands and making it just a little easier to expand your garden. The same is true when pruning thorny plants, with the tongs giving you a safe way to hold long stems as you cut them down.

A pair of old metal barbecue tongs can be a great solution for the garden when they’re no longer fit for the grill. The hard, sharp edges and the sturdy grip supply an excellent weed removal hack, helping you efficiently extract emergent plants sullying the lawn and garden. Dig into the ground and grab the plant to pull it out, roots and all. Aside from weeds, this technique makes it easy to extract seedlings and their soil for transplanting.

It won’t work with all tongs, but if your old set is thin enough and broken down enough, you may have a clever hack for saving time when cutting a cake. When opened, the tongs make the ideal V shape to yield a perfect slice. After cutting, the tongs then grip and lift the piece to transport it to the plate. Plus, it’s easy to get the desired size. Close them to make slimmer portions for the kids, and open them as wide as possible when it’s time to cut your own slice.

A few leftover sets of tongs are simply ornaments waiting to happen if you’re looking for a fun DIY to knock out during the holidays. The open V-shape translates perfectly to a tabletop Christmas tree decoration, giving you a frame to wrap with lights and other details. And the possibilities don’t stop there, as TikTok channel @emsminiverse proves with a delightful mini tong creation. Wrap several holiday-colored tongs around a circle to make a wreath to stand on a tabletop or hang on the wall for a unique seasonal accent.

Chopping herbs and veggies can feel like one of the most laborious parts of meal preparation, so any help getting through it quicker is always appreciated. To get started on these leafy ingredients, you can make it easy to pull apart sprigs of parsley or separate kale leaves from their stems with an unused pair of kitchen tongs. The hole in the locking mechanism is the key here, allowing just enough space to fit the stem so you can pull it through and cleanly strip off all the valuable bits.

After helping you pull apart your parsley, those old tongs can hang around to continue pushing your mealtime prep along. Maybe you have to juice a lime or lemon to liven up the dish and need an effective, mess-free solution. Well, if you want to repurpose your tongs once more, you can place a piece of citrus between them and effortlessly squeeze out the juice, saving your hands from getting messy or cramped.

With a little experience, you eventually learn there are dozens of household items you can repurpose into bottle openers. And an old set of tongs certainly falls in that category! Aside from having a hard edge to grab the bottle cap, metal tongs often have a locking lip that lets you use them almost like a standard bottle opener, making them a better alternative than many other materials.

Perhaps the most obvious way to repurpose tongs, using them to extend your reach is plenty of reason to keep an old set handy. A short stature doesn’t have to hold you back when you have these to grab items stashed on the highest shelves. Any tongs can offer some benefit, but silicone-tipped might be ideal. The soft ends will be gentler on delicate materials while providing a bit of added grippiness. If you only have metal tongs, don’t worry; just grab some electrical tape to wrap around the ends for a simple upgrade.