be_ixf;ym_202403 d_28; ct_50
used tires for tire swings
Using an old or used tire for a swing might seem like a good idea, but the cost savings do not outweigh the potential safety hazards.

Think using an old tire for a swing is a good idea? Think again! Let’s say you’ve got some old tires lying around that aren’t useful on your automobile anymore. It might make sense to you at first, but please beware of using old tires!

Less Tires in the Landfill

It’s great to reuse items to save them from the landfills and plan for ways to let things break down naturally. It’s good for the environment. But find another use for your old tires, using them for a tire swing is not a great idea.

Old Tires are Old Tires…

First off, old tires are, well, old! There are reasons we have safety guidelines on the materials and structure of our swing sets. Using an old piece of rubber that’s been driven on for years, could lead you to a cracked swing, a fallen/hurt child.

Swing sets are fun to play on, but safety around your swings is imperative. Children can become easily hurt if the material used is substandard recycled junk.

Now here’s a bit of irony. Let’s say your tire is not that old, so you think, “Cool, I’ll go ahead and use it.” Think again.

New Tires Release Harmful Chemicals

kids notice smellNewer tires are associated with heavy levels of off gassing. So, if you were going to use a recycled tire for a swing, it would be better to use an old one so that it had undergone the process of oxidation. This is why new tires have that certain new tire smell and old tires don’t.

Old Tires are Toxic

are rubber tire swing toxic
Rubber tire swings are toxic.   Image source: http://thinksteroids.com/news/are-steroids-from-underground-labs-contaminated-with-toxic-metals/

Secondly, another reason not to use old tires for a tire swing, tires contains the toxic, heavy metal, cadmium. Cadmium is used to affix the color in the tires. While it’s probably safe to expose the underside of your car to a bit of cadmium, you definitely don’t want to allow your children to rub all over it throughout the year while running, sweating, and playing. Cadmium exposure has been linked poor adrenal and thyroid function in rats.

Cadmium exposure has also been linked to breast cancer. While by itself, small doses of the metal are probably too low to give your child any severe health issues, why risk it by exposing your child to something that can be avoided? The way I see it, we are exposed to so much we can’t help, might as well avoid certain things when we can. When you add up all the other toxins you and your kids are ingesting every day from the rest of the world, might as well make your own home a little bit less toxic.

 

Old Tires Attract Mosquitoes

old tires attact mosquitoes
Most people don’t realize that old tires are the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Image Source:http://www.mosquitoes.org/backyard.html

Thirdly, old tires are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. With a little water left inside after each rain and that nice cozy rubber to build a nest, mosquitoes will surely eat you and your kids alive if you have an old tire in your backyard year after year.

Personally, I am ALL for recycling as much as possible. But there are lots of other uses for your old tires aside from using them as a tire swing. And most cities have recycling programs for old tires.

Buy a Tire Swing that is Actually Made for Play Sets

So there you go… Using an old tire for a swing might sound like a good idea until you look at the potential pitfalls. You can still have a tire swing, just buy one that was made for play.

tire swing for kids

Kid’s Creations Tire Swing Specs

 Material Made with heavy duty plastic
 Warranty 3-year Warranty
 Measurements 29″ W x 29″ D x 11″ H
 Deck Height 5 ft. and 7 ft. (fits 5′ or 7′ deck heights)
 Weight Limit 250 lbs.
 Length of chain 36 in.

 

Links for Tire Recycling:

1-800-Got-Junk

EPA.GOV

Environmental Leader

 

3 responses to “Beware of Using Your Old Tires for Your Tire Swing

Posted by Bonita Hogan

Hi, could a little girl wearing a dress and swinging for 10 minutes high in a tyre swing, develope painful friction sores between her inner thighs from the swing? Regards, Bonita.

Posted on January 7, 2014 at 5:43 am

Posted by Brennan

Is this from a rubber tire swing?

Posted on January 7, 2014 at 3:53 pm

Posted by Mac

Are there any scientific scholarly peer-reviewed papers confirming this?

Posted on July 20, 2017 at 8:04 pm

Leave a Reply

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

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Family of Brands

Share
Share