Eight Good Uses for Old Newspapers

Old news is good news-or at least the paper it's written on. From cover to cover, newspaper's best features are its ability to absorb and cushion. Here are eight good uses for newspaper once you've read it:

1. Line your cat's litter box with newspaper. It will soak up fluids and odor so that you won't have such a miserable time cleaning up the box when you remove the litter. You may even be able to go a little longer between complete litter box changes.

2. Spread newspaper out on a table or workspace when you're doing any crafts involving glue, paint, glitter, water colors. When you're done, just fold the newspaper up and toss it.

3. Crumple it up and stuff it in shoes and purses to help them keep their shape. You know how shoe salespeople always try to sell you those devices to keep your shoes inflated? With newspaper you can accomplish that just as well without spending extra money.

4. Line your refrigerator drawers with it. Newspaper is great for absorbing spills and the seepage from those overripe tomatoes and other veggies that you often forget about. You'll save yourself a lot of scrubbing when you empty a drawer from the fridge because the newspaper soaks up all the yuck. In fact, use newspaper to line any drawers that are prone to spills or moisture. When the newspaper gets soiled, it's easy and inexpensive to remove and replace.

5. Use newspaper to pack or store breakables from impact. It's lightweight and creates a great buffer for dishes, glasses and ceramics when you're moving from one location to another. Newspaper is also a lot cheaper and easier to get rid of than other packing materials, such as Styrofoam pellets.

6. Use newspaper to wrap up fresh vegetables the farmer's market or fish from fish shops. The newspaper does a good job of confining the freshness of fruits and vegetables and the odors from smelly seafood.

7. Wrap up wet paint brushes in newspaper. The newspaper absorbs the water and allows them to dry faster.

8. And here's my favorite. Stuff soaking wet shoes, boots and gloves overnight with crumpled newspaper. You'll be surprised by how the newspaper will soak up all that water, and the inside of the boots will be dry when you put them on the next day. If your boots got a really good soaking the day before, the outside may still be wet, but the inside will be dry.

Oh, and there's one last good use: cats love to play under a sheet of newspaper.

And when you're all done, please recycle (the newspaper, not the cat).