With many basic items in short supply in Cuba, frugal Cubans, who have an average income of about $25 per month, have gained a reputation as being amazingly resourceful with whatever they DO have. The repurposing of unlikely materials reaches new heights with the use of condoms, in abundance due to public health policies. The AP reports that Cubans who make their own wine employ condoms are inflatable “corks” that indicate when the grape juice is ready for bottling.

Ramon Espinosa:AP

In effect, condoms are used a release gauges for wine jugs. As the fruit ferments, it releases gas, which inflates the condoms making them stand erect. Once they deflate and become flaccid, the winemaker knows that the fermentation is complete.  The condoms are pricked with a pin once or twice to allow the slow release of gas, mimicking sophisticated valves used in more technologically advanced winemaking countries,

Home winemaker Orestes Estevez told the AP:  “Putting a condom on a bottle is just like with a man.

Ramon Espinosa:AP

Cuban fisherman often use inflated condoms as improvised floats to carry bait far out to sea.

Michael Warren

The clever uses of condoms by Cubans got us thinking about other ways to use the thin, highly expandable, inexpensive material (non-lubricated, that is.)

Michael Warren

Elastic Bands: Unroll a condom completely, then carefully cut it across its width to create rings…

Water balloon: Fill with water, tie the end to seal…then throw.

Cold Pack:  Fill with water and freeze.

Balloon Animals:  Blow a condom or two up like a balloon, tie the end and twist into shapes; use a marker to draw faces, fins, paws, ears etc

Jar Opener. Stretch a condom over the stubborn jar lid and twist. The condom acts as a rubber gripper.

Medical supply and small electronic protector. To protect bandages, medicines or small electronic devices from moisture, place one in a condom and tie the end.

And then, there is condom couture...

norebeccaforayear.blogspot.com

 

With thanks to Editor-at-Large David Saltman for the title.

via Quartz via The New York Times

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

5 replies on “10 Ways to Stretch Your Condoms

  1. Some years ago at the D-Day museum in New Orleans we noted in a display that the soldiers used condoms to cover the ends of their rifles before they disembarked from their landing crafts in order to keep out water and sand as they stormed the beaches at Normandy.

  2. Oh, my IL – you always come up with such wonderful stuff! How clever.

  3. Hi, I saw a mention online of covering parts of rifles with a condom but couldn’t think why. This makes such good sense…
    I hope the soldiers got to use condoms for more pleasurable pursuits before they landed in that terrible battlefield.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *