What to do with old earplugs..

[wafter]

As much as I hate disposible plugs they're the only ones I've found that are soft / comfortably enough to sleep in. Because I'm tight I'll get weeks of use of of one se, however they eventually harden / get manky so have to be junked.

Because I'm not sure of their ability to be recycled I've idly stashed them in a bag but could do with getting rid of them... so, does anyone know if foam earplugs are typically recycleable, and if not any novel ways they could be repurposed?

 

[Brandane]

How "manky" is manky? I find foam earplugs can be hand washed in hot water with washing up liquid and re-used. Have always toyed with the idea of putting them in the washing machine (in a net bag or similar) to see what the result is, but haven't got around to it yet.

 

[Slick]

I'm sure it's because they are manky bastardo's, but we hand out multiple sets of foam plugs a day in some cases, to avoid reusing and risking infection.

Mostly we use purpose made reusable washable plugs, but even they get discarded without a care, which is why we then issue the foam type.

Full time employees get issued the moulded type specifically for them, that are expensive but if you are using them all the time, would be a wise investment.

 

[numbnuts]

When I was at work we use to throw them in the fire had about four pairs a day, Oh I was a Blacksmith

 

[cyberknight]

get them free at work , i have to wear them all the time when working so they have about 3 different sorts .

 

[DRM]

poke a length of string through the middle and use them as candles

 

[Kingfisher101]

How come its so noisy you have to wear ear plugs to sleep? I couldn't be doing with that at all.

 

[Aristotle Kristatos]

How come its so noisy you have to wear ear plugs to sleep? I couldn't be doing with that at all.

Oxford is brutal

 

[cyberknight]

i used to wear them when i used to work night shift , only way i could sleep

 

[steverob]

How come its so noisy you have to wear ear plugs to sleep? I couldn't be doing with that at all.

Try sleeping next to a snorer and you'll soon change your mind! I'll admit I didn't like using them at first but it was something I got used to, plus it's better than sleeping in a separate room to your other half.

To the OP, I also have the foam disposable plugs and for me they start to lose their comfort and noise reduction after about 5-7 nights of use, but until now I've just been binning them with my regular rubbish I'm afraid.

And from the looks of this article - https://knowhowgate.com/foam-earplugs-eco-friendly-options - it looks like they can't be recycled either (or at least not very easily), not just because of the earwax contamination issue, but also the material that they are made from isn't much use in any recycled form except perhaps carpet underlay.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Try sleeping next to a snorer and you'll soon change your mind! I'll admit I didn't like using them at first but it was something I got used to, plus it's better than sleeping in a separate room to your other half.

To the OP, I also have the foam disposable plugs and for me they start to lose their comfort and noise reduction after about 5-7 nights of use, but until now I've just been binning them with my regular rubbish I'm afraid.

And from the looks of this article - https://knowhowgate.com/foam-earplugs-eco-friendly-options - it looks like they can't be recycled either (or at least not very easily), not just because of the earwax contamination issue, but also the material that they are made from isn't much use in any recycled form except perhaps carpet underlay.

I wouldn't sleep next to a snorer or in the same room as one either, like in a shared room YHA or something. No chance, no way would I be shoving things down my ears, they would have to sort themselves out and sleep elsewhere.
No way would I put up with someone making that my problem. Its really ignorant.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I'd just throw them in the brown bin. If you put them in recycling they are unlikey to be recycled due to contamination. You can wash visible ear wax from them but some would still penetrate to the centre.

On the subject of snoring, I know many people who decamp to a spare room or sofa as they don't want to wake their partner up. I just sit and listen to it; if I'm actually tired then I'll fall asleep. If I'm woken by snoring then it's probably something else, as I sleep through snoring most nights (I'm guessing). I did stay in a YHA for a few nights with a chap who snored loudly and constantly; me and my friend used to bang on the bedside table to wake him up and then pretend we were asleep

 

[vickster]

I wouldn't sleep next to a snorer or in the same room as one either, like in a shared room YHA or something. No chance, no way would I be shoving things down my ears, they would have to sort themselves out and sleep elsewhere.
No way would I put up with someone making that my problem. Its really ignorant.

Guessing you sleep alone then

 

[wafter]

How "manky" is manky? I find foam earplugs can be hand washed in hot water with washing up liquid and re-used. Have always toyed with the idea of putting them in the washing machine (in a net bag or similar) to see what the result is, but haven't got around to it yet.

Thanks - I've successfully cleaned them in the past, however oddly sometimes they seem to swell and never return to their original size. Plus as per the OP they tend to harden over time (not sure why, exposure to air..?) making them too uncomfortable to use.

I'm sure it's because they are manky bastardo's, but we hand out multiple sets of foam plugs a day in some cases, to avoid reusing and risking infection.

Mostly we use purpose made reusable washable plugs, but even they get discarded without a care, which is why we then issue the foam type.

Full time employees get issued the moulded type specifically for them, that are expensive but if you are using them all the time, would be a wise investment.

Cheers - fingers' crossed I've never had an infection despite re-using them many times. I'd happily spend money on a set of decent properly re-useable ones, however have never found any that work as well as these disposibles..

How come its so noisy you have to wear ear plugs to sleep? I couldn't be doing with that at all.

I'm a light sleeper anyway and it's worse in the summer with the windows open and multitudes of dickheads thrashing their attention-cravingly-loud vehicles on the outskirts of the village. Even in a "quiet" location the he sensory isolation becomes quite addictive..

Oxford is brutal

Yeah, anywhere near the ring road is shite. Viewed a flat last year where you could still hear the road in the bedroom through the triple-glazed windows

To the OP, I also have the foam disposable plugs and for me they start to lose their comfort and noise reduction after about 5-7 nights of use, but until now I've just been binning them with my regular rubbish I'm afraid.

And from the looks of this article - https://knowhowgate.com/foam-earplugs-eco-friendly-options - it looks like they can't be recycled either (or at least not very easily), not just because of the earwax contamination issue, but also the material that they are made from isn't much use in any recycled form except perhaps carpet underlay.

Thanks - emailed the manufacturers and they confirmed that they can't be recycled

 

[Electric_Andy]

have never found any that work as well as these disposibles

Don't know if you've tried them, but I bought a mouldable set for my motorbike, I think they were about £15 but you got enough gloop and hardener to do 2 pairs. You just mix the two pastes together, form a ball and then stick as much or as little into your ear as you want. I found them the most comfortable, as you can mould them around the ear passage so don't have to rely on the main bit being stuffed in to stay in, if that makes sense