If you use dryer sheets – you can find some fun creative ways to reuse, re-purpose and recycle them. They are quite a handy dandy little thing to have around for many purposes! We keep a bag hanging on our laundry room door (we actually have two bags, one for the lint too for something we will share later ;)). So we just go through this list and find the next place to use (used or even new for those tough smelly jobs) the dryer sheets to help around the home!
So here’s a quick list for some fun and practical ways to reuse your dryer sheets:
In the laundry room:
- Bottom of hamper to keep fresh smelling
- Cut in half and only use a 1/2 sheet per load
- Use once, save and then use again with another used sheet (using two used sheets per load is like using one new one)
- Clean lint trap
- Clean washer/dryer on the outside both a dry wipe and a wet wipe
- Remake dryer sheets again. See the instructions and recipe HERE on our 4 Easy Ways To Make Your Own Fabric Softener
In the Kitchen/Bathroom:
- Soap scum cleaner
- Clean chrome around house (like your sink/shower fixtures)
- Washing dishes
- In the bottom of garbage cans
Outdoor Use:
- Bug repellant – don’t rub on your skin, but maybe stick in pocket instead. Bugs don’t like the smell.
- Clean car plastic and chrome on both the inside and outside
- Wash windows outside on house and vehicles
- Car deodorizer under seats/glove compartments, etc.
- Tents and camping gear and inside sleeping bags between storage
Bedroom/Other Household Areas:
- Lay under mattress cover before making bed
- Filter on air registers – just place the sheet down and put the register back up and replace after it is dusty
- Filter in plant pots – place in the bottom of plant pots before planting to help keep the “dirt in the pot”
- Freshen up drawers (specifically clothing drawers)
- Freshen up gym bags, stinky shoes, or other stinky spots
- Clean and dust blinds
- Clean electronics – great for computer and t.v screens especially
- Laminate floor Swiffer sweeper alternative – even attach to your current system
- Dusting
- Miscellaneous wet or dry cleaning jobs
- Miscellaneous scrubbing jobs
- Use to remove pet hair on furniture
- Rub directly on your nylons, clothes or anything that has some static
- Quick dusting on drapes as well as a “freshener” to rid of the musty/dusty/stale smell in between the washings
- Under couch cushions to help freshen up and keep smelling clean
- Hide under pet areas and pet beds
- Place under mats and rugs and replace as needed for an extra layer of freshness
Storage Area:
- Store in luggage between uses to stop stale smell
- In clothing or other storage containers to tone down musty stale smell
- Freshen up musty books by placing a used dryer sheet in Ziploc with a book for a few days and it will smell better after
- Stick in musty basement corners to keep fresh (we have also heard that it can repel rodents as they don’t like the smell, not sure but could serve double duty for this purpose if that does work!)
PLUS – Just give to kids and let the creative juices flow for crafts and fun! Pull out crayons, markers, paints, scissors, etc.! You never know what they will create!
Now the fun part is that you can download and print this list to hang in your laundry room for quick ideas on where to use that next used dryer sheet that you just pulled out of the dryer! It might also be fun to start at the top and run through the list each day you do a load and then everything will get redone/replaced every couple of months! It is a good way to rotate your cleaning and freshening routine!
 |
<== Download your printable list HERE. |
Do you have any ideas to share? Please leave your comments below for us all to get more ideas. We would love to hear from you!
Joanna
Thanks! I was just looking at my used ones the other day and trying to come up with more ways to use them.
I’m not sure what you do with your lint but this time of year especially I place it outside for birds to take and use for their nests. It’s pretty neat when I find an old nest later on and see that dryer lint was used to make it!
Cassie
Hi Joanna! That is a great idea for reuse on the dryer lint! I hadn’t ever thought of that! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that!
Brandee
Unfortunately, once dryer lint gets wet it loses it’s insulation properties, so it’s not a good idea to give it to birds for nests. 🙁
Amber
I have two more uses to add to your list 1. Place in smelly Tennis shoes or other shoes to absorb the bad smell ( it really works!) 2. Rub a dryer sheet over your dogs fur, the dog will smell clean and fresh!
Cassie
I hadn’t thought about it for the pets, so that is a great idea! Thanks for sharing that Amber!
Lynda
Way cool ideas! Thanks!
Joanna
I have a couple more suggestions for used dryer sheets.
They work well for defrizzing hair. Just rub one across dry hair.
You can degunk the bottom of your iron, (This would probably work on curling irons too.) Set the iron to low and run it across a used dryer sheet that you have laid on your ironing board.
Lavender is a natural flea repellent. Either use lavender scented sheets or sprinkle a used sheet with lavender oil. I tuck them into furniture crevices and unzip cushions and pillows and slip them in there too. I also put them under our dog bed covers. (There are some other really cheap ways to repel or get rid of fleas that I found while I was pregnant and didn’t want to use harsh pesticides. The surprising thing is they work better than all those icky sprays and chemicals.)
Dryer sheets work really well at getting rid of soap scum in your bathroom. Just sprinkle the sheet with water and scrub.
If you have pot or pan with stuck on hard to scrub mess, just fill it with warm water and add a used dryer sheet. Let it soak over night and in the morning it will be easy to clean.
Cassie
Love these extra ideas Joanna! See my comment below but I am certainly looking forward to trying some more ideas 🙂
Analicia
This is for Johanna… How did you get rid of fleas? My causin had fleas while on a treatment for cancer and she used dryer sheets to repellent them. I’m doing the same but what else did you use?
Lisa
my hairdresser told me to keep a dryer sheet in my girls coat pocket. During the winter when their hair gets a lot of static all they have to do is wipe the dry sheet over their hair to eliminate the static.
Cassie
I live in a super dry climate so I don’t often get frizz, so this is a fabulous idea for those humid climates, plus a lot cheaper than the hair products. I know that if I am in an area where there is a bit of humidity my hair is nuts! I totally love that idea!
Lindy
it’s the dry that causes the static, not humidity.
Cassie
I love that you all are sharing more ideas as it helps out all of us! Thank you all! I hadn’t heard of the dog fur, hair static or even placing in a dirty pan overnight! I can’t wait to try that. Using them as rags for scrubbing for normal washing is how I have used them, but if I can soak with the used dryer sheet and wake up and wipe clean, then you know that may be where most of my used dryer sheets are going. 🙂 I have several very large family size pans and cookware where I have at least 2-3 per day used as I do a lot of big family cooking each day and these pots/pans take so much of my time to clean as they won’t fit in the dishwasher either! Keep more ideas coming! Thanks!
Mary Foerster
I save dryer lint to stuff into empty toilet paper/paper towel rolls to keep on hand for firestarters. Great for campfires or for backyard firepit/fireplaces in the summer! You could even stuff old candle/crayon remnants in for extra fuel.
Lindy
Get cardboard egg carton bottoms, put dryer lint in the egg holes, melt any kind of wax, pour it over the lint till wet. Best, free fire starter cubes ever.
Cassie
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!!
Dusty
Great tips! Some I had heard of, but others I had not! I will be saving and printing out this list for sure!
Shelby
Any ideas on how to reuse in the kitchen?
julie ann martin bailey
As a seamstress and crafter I rely on used dryer sheets (that I get from work; since I make my own now at home!) for a number of things including:
As stabilizer when sewing or embroidering
As stuffing (along with recycled stuffing from other sources) in my dolls, softies and amigurumi .
I also sew up the sides and make little gift bags with them!
Cassie
What fantastic tips! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Lindy
How can you say to use them like scrubbies then say to use to clean a TV or computer screen? Do Not use on computer or tv screen or you’ll scratch them.
Why say to put them everywhere for the fresh smell? Why would everyone want to smell like cheap perfume? They attract mosquitoes….like they are attracted to shampoos and perfumes. They do not repel fleas since most places reek of cheap perfume of dryer sheets. You walk by a house with the dryer running and you can smell the sheets from the street. Who would want to smell like that?
Cassie
Hi again Lindy, They aren’t a corosive scrubby, more of a soft cloth that you scrub with. However, it is also a wise point to be careful with televisions and computer screens. We had the old tv’s with the hard screens. Dryer sheets were perfect as they were a soft dust collector. But we now have an Plasma screen and I probably wouldn’t use it now for that. Same with computers, so this is based on what you have 🙂
Also, there’s no need to get offended by the smell of dryer sheets. This wasn’t a “must do” list, but suggestions and some people really like the smell and prefer dryer sheets over stinky garbages, stinky shoes, stinky gym bags and stinky hampers, but it’s just a suggestion. Also, if you don’t like the smell of dryer sheets, consider nixing them altogether and make your own instead: https://thethriftycouple.com/2013/05/02/four-easy-ways-to-make-your-own-fabric-softener/
Joyce VanStan
very nice answer. When we walk our dogs at night, we love smelling the clean laundry smells coming from the houses.
Cjb
Can be used wet to clean baseboards. I use the unscented /free type as allergies are an issue in my home. If you use new sheets wet, be advised there is a soapy like residue left behind. However, it rinses off easily with water or damp microfiber towel. Works great on sticky hairspray on the floor as well.
Cheri
Love, Love all of your hints!
If I may add one little addition, I suggest using coffee filters ($1.00 for about 100) for your homemade dryer sheets. Stack some in a resealable container (I got my filters and a round container at the dollar store), fill the container with white vinegar and I add about 10 drops each of Lavender and Lemon Essential Oils and about 3-5 drops of Pellermint Essential Oil. Sometimes they are difficult to separate, when tbey are new. I just leave 3 or so stuck together, give them a gentle squeeze and throw them kn in. They separate while drying. The really neat thing is that they are reusable! They come out crumpled, but just straighten them out (very easy to do), and axd them back to the container. They are ready for another round! The previously used ones are easy to separate too! Yay! I have used the same coffee filters at least 10 times each…probably more like 20 times. I have only had kne to get a s.all hole in it.
Generally, I use about 3 of these home made dryer sheets in each load. I gently saueeze them just enough so that they don’t drip on the floor when adding them to the dryer. Hope this helps!
meds canada
medicine prices meds canada meds canadian compounding pharmacy
VecArown
where can you buy viagra without a prescription