a simple fix to a fuzzy situation

by | May 22, 2018 | All Things Home, Decorating, Kitchen, My House, Tips and Tricks | 40 comments

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You know those annoying little things around your home that you just live with, because you figure that’s just the way they are?  Like a chair with a leg that wobbles or a remote button you have to push at the top right corner to make it work, or the oven you have to set 20 degrees higher than the dial, so it gets to the proper cooking temp?

….or the fuzz and dust that collects around any chair, stool, or table leg that has a sticky felt slider underneath to protect your wood floor?  That’s been bugging me for years!  Sometimes, it’s so bad that it looks like a small furry animal was pinned under a leg.

I finally decided to try something different.  On the bottom of each leg of my barstools are plastic caps nailed into wood.  Those are not wood-floor friendly, so I stuck a felt pad onto each one.  Not only are they magnets for dust and fur, but they fall off regularly and have to be replaced.

So, I removed the felt pads and the plastic caps.  I pried them gently with the tip of a flathead screwdriver and then pulled them off with some vice grips.

I replaced each one with some furniture glides that nail into the bottom of each leg.

I just nailed them in gently with a hammer…

It took about five minutes to change them out on all three bar stools.  I’ve been watching them for about a week and they are so much better!!

I intentionally didn’t vacuum right before I took the picture, so you can see there isn’t a collection of dust bunnies stuck to the bottom of each leg.  You can also see my crumbs, but it is a kitchen we actually use, so…

Anyway, it’s one of those little things, you know?  Does it matter if you have fluff stuck to your chair legs?  No.  I’ve lived with it for over 15 years.  But, is it nice if you don’t have fluff stuck to your chair legs?  Yes.  For $12 and 5 minutes?  Worth it.

Any little annoying things you found quick fixes for lately?

In other kitchen goings-on, the kitchen backsplash started going in today.  Here is the tile I chose…

It’s a 3 x 6 venatino marble subway tile from Lowe’s and it’s looking so pretty so far!

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    40 Comments

    1. Jessica Derstine

      I hope the glides hold up for you! We tried them on our chairs, but the “handscraped” wood floor was death on them. The nail head pushed through the padding and made very distinct marks. ?

    2. Botanic Bleu

      Marian,
      Thank you for showing this. I have the same kinds of chair leg tips as you did before you changed them to the new ones and have the same small-animals trapped to the bottom of my chair legs. I will be going out to buy the Everbilt ones. Goodbye small furry animals trapped to the bottom of my chairs.

      Judith

    3. Cayla

      Tried that before and didn’t work for us! We bought some furniture leg caps and that worked fine!

    4. Sarah Gouin

      Thanks for the tip about the chair pads – I will try this!

    5. Jenn

      I love that you’re so “real” with your blog posts. EVERYONE has fuzzies on the felt pads of their kitchen chairs. I even like that you left your crumbs on the floor because EVERYONE has that too! Thanks for being relatable and keeping it real 🙂

    6. Kim

      Watch those chair leg pads carefully! As soon as the soft part wears down, either the plastic rim or the nail underneath will start scratching the floor. I’ve had better luck with the pure nylon nail-in heads lasting longer, and also the nylon wearing down and nail being an issue takes a lot longer to happen.

      I’m eagerly awaiting your backsplash, as I have the same project coming up in my kitchen and am not sure what to choose at this point!

    7. Laura

      We had the same experience as Jessica with the slides. Lee Valley (in Canada) has self leveling feet which come in grey or brown and a great range of sizes and have great reviews. I have had some on chairs for 5+ years with no issues.

      • Marian Parsons

        Good to know! I will keep an eye on these and look into the ones you’re using. It’s just so nice to not have those felt pads!!

    8. Peggy

      Great Tip Marian. I love the new photo of you.

    9. Lyzz

      This is such an issue – I can’t abide seeing half a cat attached to each furniture leg!! Particularly in the dining room where the front half of the chair sits on the rug, while someone is actually seated, or when they push their chair back, but the back half is on the wood floor – each requiring a different material for a smooth glide. So far the little chair leg “cups” have been my best solution. Thanks for sharing your newest solution.

      • Marian Parsons

        Man, I hear ya!! There are a lot of good suggestions and feedback in the comments. Hopefully we can all find the perfect solution!

    10. Karen Baruth

      I lived in Japan for two years and chair socks were a thing there. I found some on Amazon and they do a great job. I got them in a color that matched my bar stools. They’re easier to see, but so soft on the floors. I was sick of the stick on pads that don’t stay and make things stickier. Check them out.

      • Marian Parsons

        Well, okay…now I have to check out chair socks! You learn something new everyday. 🙂

    11. Lyzz

      Marian thanks for sharing that you have those hair balls, too! Reading this reminded me of a joke going round when I was a child.

      A little boy retrieved one of his model cars from under a bed and asked his grandmother if it was true that from dust we come and to dust we will return. “Yes, indeed,” she answered. The little boy said, “Well, someone’s either coming or going under that bed.” ?

      • Marian Parsons

        Oh my, so funny!!!

    12. Debi

      The “carpet” pads on the bottom of the glides you used will pack down and eventually either the hard plastic frame surrounding the pad or the tack used to secure the pad will scratch your wood floor. Be aware.

      • Marian Parsons

        Darn it! I will keep an eye on them, but I’m learning that there seem to be issues with all of the chair pad solutions!

    13. Heather

      Your tile back splash is the first I’ve seen in a good while that is being put on like real subway tile – off center from each other. Good to see.

      • Marian Parsons

        Yeah, it looks really nice!

    14. Bonnie May

      yikes I too have the dusty/hairy (we don’t even have pets). Once in a while …… when I think of it ……. I wipe the bottoms of the chair legs with a damp paper towel, just takes a sec. I also have the problem of the pads coming off over time and not noticing until I’m scraping the floor. 🙂

    15. PJ

      My understanding is that any of these chair leg solutions need to be replaced every six months. Time to make a note on the calendar?

      • Marian Parsons

        Possibly! I didn’t realize they needed to be replace that frequently, but I’m sure it depends on the floor and how often the chair is used. Thanks for sharing that info, though!

    16. Karen

      Marian,
      I absolutely love your new picture! Love your hair – you look amazing!

      • Marian Parsons

        Thank you!

    17. Debbie

      What a great picture! Love your new “hair-do”!!

      Dust-bunnies are a part of every-day living. I laughed when I opened our upstairs bedroom windows in the spring and let the breezes blow through. Soon the dust-bunnies were right there for the picking up – no bending and stretching to run the dust mop under the bed!

    18. Arlene

      I just looked up chair socks on Amazon, after Karen’s suggestion. I did not know about these being on the market. Years ago, I made some for my folding chairs, as I didn’t know if they would scratch my wood floors. I used polar fleece, actually I cut them from a tired polar fleece jacket. They have worked great, and I’ve had them on for years. My kids thought I was a little over the top, but then they always do, LOL!

      • Marian Parsons

        Ha! Now you can inform your kids of your brilliance!

    19. taria

      I just take a damp rag and the fuzzy stuff comes off the chair felts with a swipe. We are pretty casual around here.

    20. Karin

      Love the back splash tile! Are you doing a herringbone behind the stove?

    21. Cheryl

      I love your new look, you are so beautiful!!
      I ended up cutting up corks you get from wine bottles and hot gluing them to the bottom of the chairs. They don’t harm the floor but they to wear down so I have to redo them about once a year. They still collect the dog hair but not as bad as without for some reason!
      Love your backsplash, can’t wait to see it all done!

    22. MaryLisa

      Great hairstyle! Sounds like we will all continue to have fuzz problems with our floor protectors.

    23. Cari

      Good morning…I have the very same backsplash…mine’s been up for a few years and I love it today just as much as I did that first day…I’m sure you will love yours for a long time as well…it’s so classic!

    24. Jessica | Petal + Ply

      Thanks for the tip! Can’t stand the fuzz collection either. Also, that tile is gorgeous!!

    25. Janice

      Great picture, Marian! I’m learning so much about chair pads, haha. I’m betting that the new backsplash looks awesome with your new countertops. Can’t wait to see the photos…

    26. Meg

      O. My. Word. Bless you!!! This just made my day. I am swinging by the store on my way home!

    27. Sheila Sabin

      Love the chair socks idea. I went on Ravelry and found a pattern. Now I can knit my own!!

    28. Wendy

      I had to look up “chair socks” too, and oh my goodness – they some toes!

    29. Vera Stewart

      ery interesting, good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog. Your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up!

    30. Rebecca Hill

      I haven’t seen these before. I think they look nicer than the other felt ones. I have these on a lot of my furniture. So I’m curious if they make a difference.

      In another note, I really like the legs of your stools! Where did you get them?

    31. Gayle

      That dust that collects on the felt feet drive me crazy! I use a lint roller. It works like a charm.

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    Marian Parsons - Miss Mustard Seed

    I’m Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, a wife, mother, paint enthusiast, lover of all things home and an entrepreneur, author, artist, designer, freelance writer & photographer.  READ MORE to learn more about me, my blog and my business…

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