There’s nothing we love more here at TipHero than finding alternative uses for affordable things we already have around our homes anyway. After all, who wants to run to the store for some pricey gadget when we can check under our kitchen or bathroom sinks?

That’s where our multipurpose tool is hiding today. That’s right, friends— we’re talking about the humble sponge. Turns out, there are tons of unexpected ways to use them. How do we know? Thanks to our favorite experimenter, the Crazy Russian Hacker.

Some of them might be familiar to you. Some of them might seem totally crazy. But we guarantee, at least one of them will make you slap your forehead and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” Let’s take a look at two of our favorite ideas from his video.

  1. Protect your walls.

    Use sponge to protect wall when pulling out nailsCrazyRussianHacker

    Need to pull a tiny nail out of your wall but hesitating because you know the claw of the hammer is going to scratch up your paint? Use a sponge to protect it!

    All you need to do is place a sponge beneath the nail before you pull it out. Then just pull the nail out as normal, bracing the hammer claw on the sponge. The nail will come out easily, and your wall will be spared. Wonderful!

  2. Make DIY ice packs.

    Soak sponge in water and freeze to make DIY ice packCrazyRussianHacker

    Here’s a tip that’s just in time for summer! With just a sponge and a plastic zip-top baggie, you can make your own lasting ice packs for a fraction of the price of a store-bought one.

    All you need to do is completely soak your sponge in water, then place it in a plastic baggie. Be sure to squeeze all of the air out of the baggie, then seal it up. Stick in the freezer until frozen, and voila! DIY ice pack.

    Use smaller sponges to make the kind of packs you need for injuries or headaches. Cut up larger sponges and follow the same method to make DIY cooler packs for your picnics and camping trips. Much better than melting ice that’ll just soak your food and drinks in slushy water.

Smart! The Crazy Russian Hacker isn’t only transforming sponges into other useful items; he’s also adapting them to make using them for their more traditional purpose even easier and more hygienic. No more difficult-to-use, oddly-shaped, or germ-infested sponges for us.

To see the two above hacks in action, plus to learn the ways the Crazy Russian Hacker has figured out to dry out, disinfect, and adapt sponges for cleaning oddly-shaped jars, be sure to give a look at the video below.

Do you know any clever alternative uses for sponges? Which one of these helpful hacks will you be trying next?