10 Unexpected Uses for Dryer Sheets
You can thank this common household item for making your linens smell fresh, but did you know about these other ingenious uses?
Photo: Nicole Hill/Getty Images
1. Removing Soap Scum
The next time you notice a bit of buildup on your shower door or bathroom tiles, skip the heavy-duty spray bleach and reach for a dryer sheet instead. Wet it lightly under the faucet, and the rest is elbow grease.
2. Loosening Food Residue
A well-worn baking sheet tends to give away its age. To remove stuck-on food residue and dark spots, place a dryer sheet in the middle of the pan, add warm water and a generous squeeze of dish soap, and let it soak. After an hour has passed, remove the dryer sheet, drain the water and simply wipe away the stains with a sponge.
3. Picking Up Pet Hair
When it comes to stubborn pet hair on your sofa and clothing, cheap lint rollers just don't cut it. Save yourself some aggravation (and cash) and dip into your dryer sheet stash instead. Rubbing a fresh sheet against your clothes and upholstered furniture does the trick every time.
4. Making Your Screen Shine
Since television and computer screens are electrically charged, they tend to attract dust particles. Lucky for us, dryer sheets are designed to reduce static cling—meaning they remove the dust and prevent it from resettling.
5. Wiping Down Your Windshield and Bumper
You may think your car needs a top-to-bottom hose-down, but before you rush off to the car wash, try this quick home remedy: Dampen a fresh or used dryer sheet and run it along your windshield and bumper. The dead bugs and dirt will disappear.
6. Lifting Melted Wax Off Hard Surfaces
Give an old candlestick new life by placing it in a sink or bucket with hot water and a dryer sheet. After an hour's soak, use the dryer sheet to wipe away even decades-old wax with ease.
7. Removing Deodorant Marks
That shirt you wore to brunch last weekend still has one more wear in it before it's ready for the hamper, so don't let those telltale deodorant streaks give away your secret. Grab an unscented dryer sheet—you won't even need to wet it—and gently dab at the smudge until it's gone.
8. Keeping the Creepy-Crawlies Away
Before mosquitoes put the kibosh on your cookout, try tucking a dryer sheet or two into your pocket. Outdoor enthusiasts swear the bugs can't stand the scent.
9. Sharpening Your Scissors
As if by magic, carefully running a dryer sheet against a dull blade will restore some of its sharpness. Although it isn't a permanent solution, you'll get enough of an edge back to carry on with that weekend craft project you've been eager to start.
10. Taming of the Do
As if this humble hero of the laundry room didn't already have plenty to do, there's yet another hidden use for the dryer sheet: taming flyaways. Just run one from root to tip and you'll soon be winning the war on frizz and static.
The next time you notice a bit of buildup on your shower door or bathroom tiles, skip the heavy-duty spray bleach and reach for a dryer sheet instead. Wet it lightly under the faucet, and the rest is elbow grease.
2. Loosening Food Residue
A well-worn baking sheet tends to give away its age. To remove stuck-on food residue and dark spots, place a dryer sheet in the middle of the pan, add warm water and a generous squeeze of dish soap, and let it soak. After an hour has passed, remove the dryer sheet, drain the water and simply wipe away the stains with a sponge.
3. Picking Up Pet Hair
When it comes to stubborn pet hair on your sofa and clothing, cheap lint rollers just don't cut it. Save yourself some aggravation (and cash) and dip into your dryer sheet stash instead. Rubbing a fresh sheet against your clothes and upholstered furniture does the trick every time.
4. Making Your Screen Shine
Since television and computer screens are electrically charged, they tend to attract dust particles. Lucky for us, dryer sheets are designed to reduce static cling—meaning they remove the dust and prevent it from resettling.
5. Wiping Down Your Windshield and Bumper
You may think your car needs a top-to-bottom hose-down, but before you rush off to the car wash, try this quick home remedy: Dampen a fresh or used dryer sheet and run it along your windshield and bumper. The dead bugs and dirt will disappear.
6. Lifting Melted Wax Off Hard Surfaces
Give an old candlestick new life by placing it in a sink or bucket with hot water and a dryer sheet. After an hour's soak, use the dryer sheet to wipe away even decades-old wax with ease.
7. Removing Deodorant Marks
That shirt you wore to brunch last weekend still has one more wear in it before it's ready for the hamper, so don't let those telltale deodorant streaks give away your secret. Grab an unscented dryer sheet—you won't even need to wet it—and gently dab at the smudge until it's gone.
8. Keeping the Creepy-Crawlies Away
Before mosquitoes put the kibosh on your cookout, try tucking a dryer sheet or two into your pocket. Outdoor enthusiasts swear the bugs can't stand the scent.
9. Sharpening Your Scissors
As if by magic, carefully running a dryer sheet against a dull blade will restore some of its sharpness. Although it isn't a permanent solution, you'll get enough of an edge back to carry on with that weekend craft project you've been eager to start.
10. Taming of the Do
As if this humble hero of the laundry room didn't already have plenty to do, there's yet another hidden use for the dryer sheet: taming flyaways. Just run one from root to tip and you'll soon be winning the war on frizz and static.
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