Preserve your pantyhose: know how to buy, protect and reuse

Protect your nylon stockings and pantyhose from runs as best you can, but don't throw them out when you do find a run.

If you seem to go through a new pair of pantyhose everyday, here are two tips on purchasing ones that will last you much longer

.Size: When purchasing pantyhose, be sure to check the sizing chart on the back of the package. One brand's size B may be another brand's size A. If your weight is in one size and your height in another, go with the larger size.

Fabric: Choose opaque pantyhose over sheer pantyhose. Opaque pairs have more fibres in the fabric and therefore are more durable than sheers.

• Your nylon stockings and pantyhose will last longer without runs if you soak them in alum before you wear them for the first time. (Alum is a pickling spice that can be purchased in the spice aisle of your local supermarket.)
• Powder your feet and put lotion on your hands before pulling on nylons.
• Another preventative measure is to place nylons in plastic bags and before storing them in the dresser.

Although you can minimize runs, you can't prevent them altogether. But sometimes you can still use the nylons when runs happen.

• If the run is on the thigh, knee, or calf area — and doesn't stretch down to the ankle or heel — wear the nylons under pants for extra warmth.
• If you have a run in the right leg of one pair of pantyhose and a run in the left leg of another pair, cut off the legs with the runs and put on both pairs of one-legged pantyhose for a complete pair.

A pair of pantyhose may not have long life, but it can have a new life. But before you throw pantyhose out, consider the many uses for this piece of clothing:

• Use as a polishing cloth for your shoes.
• In the garden, use pantyhose to stake plants, store flower bulbs in the winter, or deter deer by stuffing pantyhose with clippings of human hair and hanging them outside.
• Fill pillows, aging toys, or seat cushions that are losing their stuffing.
• Keep clothes tightly rolled in your suitcase while travelling, allowing you to pack more into your suitcase.
• Use rings cut from the legs as giant rubber bands to hold together blankets going into temporary storage, or newspapers going out to be recycled, or to keep plastic trash bags in place in the can.
• Store potpourri for homemade drawer sachets or store mothballs in your closets.
• Dry a sweater by threading the pantyhose legs through the sleeves and hanging the sweater, using clothespins to attach the feet to the clothesline.