Dogs and cats are some of our best friends. In fact, this may actually be a bit of an understatement. These four-footed companions have provided companionship, guarded our livestock, protected our homes, helped us find food, eaten pests, and have even comforted patients in hospitals. Pets have changed our lives in uncountable ways.
They can also be destructive little devils as they grow from puppyhood or kittenhood to adults. (So destructive!) Their curious nature draws them to the windows in our homes, and put their paws — claws, toenails, and all — on the windowsills. Dogs will bark at well, anything, and cause damage without intention. Cats can lounge in a window and use your windowsill as a personal scratching post. This behavior can be trained away, but that takes time and effort.
How do you protect those windowsills until then, if you even ever get around to it in the first place? Pool noodles to the rescue. There’s a reason why pool noodles are the ultimate DIY hack product. Believe it or not, you can use these affordable dollar-store items to make protective covers for the sills. Plus, it’s easy and effective … while installing a new windowsill is not.
Noodling over some details
The basic idea is that you take the pool noodle and cut it to the width of the windowsill you are trying to protect. Next, you want to slice open the hollow noodle the long way. Use a permanent marker to mark a straight line to follow while cutting. You can either cut it with a utility knife or a box cutter – both have razor-sharp cutting edges. Take your time and cut carefully down the line you’ve marked, through the full-thickness of the noodle to the hollow center. Now, take the noodle and slide it over the sill by spreading the cut you’ve just made around the front edge of the sill. You did it!
There are a few more things to consider. First off, if the noodle color isn’t the same as the rest of the window frame, you can solve that problem by painting it. Use a latex paint without any solvent that could possibly break down the plastic noodle. If you still don’t like the way it looks, you can use a pool noodle and its paint as a temporary solution until you teach your pooch or kitty not to jump on or scratch up the sills, or until you find a preventative alternative.
You could also buy white pool noodles, which may look fine as-is and would be easier to paint. If you are having trouble with the noodles popping off the sill, use some Alcolin sticky putty to hold it in place. It won’t stain or dry out, and it will keep those noodles in place.
