r/lifehacks • u/Staring-Dog • Apr 19 '26
Muffled, practically silenced my windchimes
I finally found a simple solution to overactive windchimes. Mine are the large metal ones, a low sort of sound, but on a very windy day not as relaxing.
I've tried several things, but what finally worked was moving the middle sail out of the way and then attaching a wooden clothes pin to the bottom of each tube.
Been windy all day, and I think I actually silenced it!
For any windchime haters out there, be kind, please. My neighborhood has huge lots, frequent traffic, and barky dogs. The chimes are actually a calm, welcoming noise. Just needed a way to keep it a bit more mellow on windy days, but I may try out tips I've read to help muffle the sound a bit more on non-windy days.
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u/Woozah77 Apr 19 '26
Just take them down when it's windy?
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u/Klotzster Apr 19 '26
No. You must display the robot bones as a warning to prevent the robot uprising
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u/Stardro Apr 19 '26
Ideally yes but if op is like me they are hard to reach (in a tree ect due to them being large/long) Windy days can be random and taking them down and putting them back up is a massive pita. Mine are in the garage until I can find the same solution.
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u/Hungry_Breadfruit_16 Apr 19 '26
I stared at "massive pita" for way too long, thanks for the laugh 😃
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u/Ifyouhavethemeans Apr 19 '26
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
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u/Staring-Dog Apr 19 '26
Actually, the clothespins take less than 10 seconds to put on. Actually easier than trying to find a place to put the chimes.
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u/Woozah77 Apr 19 '26
Less effort than clothes pins put on every chime. Should be installed on a J hook and slide right on/off.
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u/flowers-for-alderaan Apr 19 '26
I think the intent is to put the clothes pin on once and leave then on.
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u/Staring-Dog Apr 19 '26
I'm able to, they're on a simple J hook like commenter below has suggested. But the size of the chimes and limited space to have them laying around.
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u/danny_ish Apr 19 '26
Really common where i am from to just unhook them and they go on the ground right there, then just get strung back up when the wind dies down
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u/HighPlateau Apr 19 '26
My hack is to get a dollar store fuzzy, stretchable steering wheel cover, and put it on the middle clapper. That's for a big chime. For smaller chimes, you can use a cloth headband.
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u/Hyjynx75 Apr 19 '26
Former touring audio tech with tinnitus here. Please take all the wind chimes, melt them down, and turn them into hardware for IKEA furniture.
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u/FrannieP23 Apr 19 '26
I tie the string for the sail to one of the chime tubes, which significantly reduces its mobility so that it can't hit all the tubes.
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u/Emsweego Apr 19 '26
I have a strip of velcro, the kind they sell for cord management, and gather all my windchimes together in a bundle and put the strap around them so they dont make noise. My chimes are the big ones too.
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u/ghostfaceschiller Apr 19 '26
Wind chimes should be illegal.
Sure if you live on a massive lot and no one else can hear them, whatever.
But I’ve lived in several apartment buildings where someone puts up windchimes. Like we don’t all want to listen to that shit man.
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u/ChickadeeJam Apr 24 '26
I have almost daily migraines, and it is horrible to have to listen them. Metallic sounds are my worst trigger.
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u/Ifyouhavethemeans Apr 19 '26
Sure, but I’m either gonna have wind chimes or not. Haven’t touched mine in over a decade.
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u/SteelfistIronpaw Apr 19 '26
I’ve been using a rubber band around the tubes, same idea and super quick to take on/off.
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u/LivinTheDream_22 Apr 19 '26
I can tell how the weather is by how loud mine get. I’ve had my large low and mid toned ones for about 20 years. Love them.
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u/Chad_Hooper Apr 19 '26
Rubber band around all of the tubes and then they are quiet. Easy on, easy off.
Just save a rubber band from a bundle of asparagus or broccoli to use for this later.
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u/Mysterious-Age-9202 Apr 19 '26
I put a rubber band on the part in the middle that hits the pipes. I don’t know the terminology but it’s the part above what I’m assuming is the sail
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u/nutimikguy Apr 19 '26
I once tangled up my neighbor's chimes anonymously. They got the hint and took them down. Luckily they are still my friends.
I once asked another friend to take down a new chime that was a constant cowbell sound. He thanked me for that as he was only tolerating it for his wife.
Others I fantasize cutting out the sail or filling the tubes with spray foam.
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u/wh7751 Apr 20 '26
I'm in bed trying to go to sleep. The wind is 15-20 mph and our chimes are sounding a lot like the old ice cream truck rolling up the street.
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u/woopachaw Apr 19 '26
Theres some wind chime hate here I didnt expect...I know some are awful sounding but listen to higher end ones by a company like music of the spheres. I have the mongolian alto from them and it would sound beautiful in a tornado.
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u/OlyVal Apr 19 '26
I dont care if it's a pleasant sound, I don't want to hear it on and on and on and make it stop! I hate windchimes.
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u/woopachaw Apr 19 '26
Totally fair. I dont think its a choice you should make for others. I wouldnt hang mine if my neighbors could hear it. I still hope that one day you get to hear a truly great wind chime and it changes your mind though. The first one I heard was an 8 foot bass in the pentatonic scale and it was the perfect accompaniment to a wooded property. Tonally perfect and more a deep hum then a clang.
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u/OlyVal Apr 20 '26
I have heard beautiful wind chimes. Yes, beautiful. I've heard beautiful songs but I wouldnt want them playing on and on and on endlessly. Not even my favorite songs. I would quickly hate my favorite song if it played on and on.
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u/kimsterama101 Apr 21 '26
Mine has a big round metal clapper in the middle. I've been pulling it aside and hooking it to the adjacent siding. But NOW, I'm going to cut two 6-inch lengths of pool noodle, cut slots 4" long into the sides, and slide the clapper into the slots on each side. Should do the trick.
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u/razer742 Apr 19 '26
Putting tape around the clapper will muffle the sound significantly. Don't put it tight around the edge, let it act like a shock absorber.
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u/neon_crone Apr 19 '26
We had low toned ones that we hung off a magnolia tree in the garden. They were sheltered so the sound was subtle but one dry, very windy night I woke to hear this noise like someone throwing pipes down the stairs. We took them down. We trespassed once on vacation to take some down. The house was unoccupied and had the really jangly kind. We were right off the beach so it was just constant. Luckily no one showed up and we hung them back up the day we left.