Many of us will have a tube of tennis balls gathering¹ dust in the bottom of a cupboard.

想必很多人都会有一管尘封于橱柜底的网球。

But the sports balls have many uses beyond the tennis court, and are in fact one of the handiest objects to have lying around the house in a pinch.

但这小小网球除了在赛场大显神通外，也有很多其他用途，在必要时也能化身家用神器。

From getting rid of static in the tumble dryer², to cleaning the pool and removing static, the bright green balls are remarkably³ versatile⁴.

家务万能的鲜绿色网球不仅能去除滚筒式烘干机里的静电，还能在清洗泳池的同时消除静电。

Static in your clothes can be a nightmare to remove, but if you don't have a box of dryer sheets handy - or are unwilling⁵ to shell out for the expensive laundry product - tennis balls are the solution.

衣服上附着的静电可谓是挥之不去的噩梦。如果你手头没有一盒干衣机布，或者不愿花钱去买这种昂贵的洗涤产品，你可以尝试用网球来解决这一麻烦。

Homemaking blogger I'm A Lazy Mom suggests wrapping a tennis ball in aluminium⁶ foil as an alternative.

家政博主“我是懒妈妈”建议用包裹了铝箔纸的网球代替。

'You get the benefit of the foil for the static, and you get the benefit of the tennis ball for faster drying and fluffier⁷ laundry!' she wrote.

“神器在手，不仅没有静电烦恼，衣服干得还快，手感也更柔软啦！”博客中如是写道。

Changing up your curtain rod finials can be as simple as using a cutting out a hole in a tennis ball (enough to get for the rod to fit through).

要给窗帘杆换个装饰头很简单，只要在网球上挖个洞就好了（洞口要和窗帘杆的粗细相匹配）。

Then wrapping it with cloth matching your curtain, pop it on the end like a finial as shown on home DIY blog In Her Own Style.

接着给挖好洞的网球包裹上与窗帘风格相符的布料做装饰，最后将它按到窗帘杆上即可。这一创意由居家DIY博客“特有风格”提供。

Mums with school children will probably have scuff⁸ marks around the home.

家中有学童的妈妈们可能会为他们留下的各种磨损痕迹伤透脑筋。

To get rid of those pesky eyesores try rubbing a dry tennis ball on the black streaks⁹.

为了消除这些碍眼的印记，你可以试着用一个干燥的网球在黑色印记上来回摩擦。

Forget using a pool cleaning machine that costs hundreds to run a year, tennis balls can be used as a pool cleaner.

使用一个泳池清洗机每年要花费数百美元，所以赶紧弃用吧，网球们完全可以代替它清洁泳池。

Throw in a couple of tennis balls in the water to absorb up body oils and any small bits of trash on the top layer of the pool and you've got yourself an affordable¹⁰ pool cleaner.

往水里扔两三个网球就可以清理其中掺杂的护肤油及任何漂在池面的细小垃圾，这样你完全可以自己清洁泳池。

But if you have got a painful knot in your back, try using a tennis ball as massaging¹¹ device by laying back on it and rolling back and forth¹².

如果一直感觉后背疼痛，你可以试着把网球当作按摩工具，躺在上面让它前后滚动，帮助缓解背部不适。