Life Skills Blog

April 2nd, 2009 | by Lynn | Tags: Advice, Clothing, Fabric softener, Frugal, Grocery Game, Home and Garden, Laundry, saving, Shopping, Textile, Towel 

Today I was muddling through the laundry.  To me it is a chore, but to “The Chief”, it is a great challenge.  He wasn’t home today, so it was my turn

I noticed I have dryer sheets in every room of the house.  Am I obsessed with them?  No, but it occurred to me that I have read, heard about or discovered on my own a few handy tricks that involve the use of dryer sheets. Yes, it drives “The Chief” crazy, but he quietly indulges me.

I don’t buy expensive brands and I don’t buy them unless I find a good sale.  Most of the time I stockpile them (see my post about the Grocery Game).  They have to smell pleasant.  It does take me awhile to go through a box, however.  I can say that I can really get my money’s worth out of these little squares of fiber.

Here is a quick list off the top of my head.  Feel free to add your own ideas at the end!

• Wipe out the lint trap in the dryer and the residual dust that clings to the appliances.

• Spray with fabric freshener and reuse in the dryer with the items that need to be “refreshed”

• Use in the kitchen by tossing in a pan that needs to soak–especially overnight.  It loosens the stuck on mess over several hours.

• Use them as light scrubbing clothes with delicate glass vases or your kitchenware.

• Place several inside smelly shoes (especially in gym bags).

• I use them to shine up my Bathroom, Chrome and Kitchen sinks.

• Place inside dresser drawers to keep the musty smells away.

• Use to discharge static electricity.  Run over static filled hair or a blouse that has too much “cling”.

• Wipe down a wet smelly animal after the moisture has been towel dried off of them.  Gives them a freshen smell.

• Reuse them in the dryer a second time for good results with jeans,heavy clothing or blankets.

• I pack inside clothing and items that I use for storage (such as my spacebags) or packing for a trip.  I usually throw a few unused sheets in a baggie and pack along, using them to dispel any unpleasant odors that clothing might absorb while you are out and about (like cigarette smoke.)

• Use several reused dryer sheets in your load of shop towels, rags or “dog laundry”.

• Quickly dust a piece of furniture.

• Attracts opposite charged material, so use it to wipe up clinging items, like hair on the counter or hair around the neck after a haircut.

• Repels bugs so place in areas that you might have problems.  Also, rub the kids down with an unused sheet before heading outside in the summer to keep mosquitoes away.

Share your dryer sheet tips with us…
~Lynn~