35 Unusual Things To Do With Dryer Sheets

For many years we lived in the country near my Daddy. Both us and Daddy had long gravel driveways that met next to each other on the main road. Often as I was getting home from work, I would see Daddy walking to the main road to get his newspaper and I would stop and visit with him a while. One day I noticed something hanging on his straw hat – kinda like Minnie Pearl’s famous price tag but larger. Turns out it was a dryer sheet!

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Daddy said mosquitoes didn’t like the smell of the dryer sheet and would stay away from you. Later that week I was sitting outside at home and was getting eaten up with Tennessee mosquitoes, so I tried the dryer sheet trick – and it worked! My sweet Daddy never used a computer or mobile phone, but it turns out reading a lot and having good old-fashioned sense served him well!

Since then, I have come across a lot of uses for dryer sheets. Turns out fabric softener sheets are not just for the dryer anymore!

Unusual uses for dryer sheets

Here are some interesting and maybe a bit unusual ideas for using them.

1. As mentioned above – repel mosquitoes. Tie a dryer sheet to your belt loop or on your gardening hat when you are outside during mosquito season.
2. Cleaning hairbrushes. Add 2 dryer sheets to a jar of water. Let your hairbrushes and combs soak for a few hours. Hair spray and other build-ups will come off. Just rinse and let air dry.
3. Put a dryer sheet in the trunk of your car to keep away musty odors.
4. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors by cleaning with a dryer sheet.
5. Prevent sewing thread from tangling by running the needle through a sheet before sewing.
6. A sheet left inside luggage or travel bags can prevent musty odors. Place a single sheet inside the empty luggage before storing it.
7. Placing a sheet at the bottom of the wastebasket to help prevent odors. Get the same results by putting a sheet in the bottom of a laundry basket.
8. Remove static from TV screens and computer monitors by wiping the surface with a sheet.
9. If you are having trouble getting baked-on food out of a casserole dish, fill it with hot water and add a fabric softener sheet. Let it soak for a couple of hours and then rinse. Most of the caked-on food will slide right out, and the rest will come out with a swipe of the sponge.

10. Eliminating static electricity from blinds and window coverings to help prevent dust from resettling.
11. Placing a sheet in your shoes or sneakers overnight will help to deodorize and freshen them.
12. Keep a dresser drawer smelling fresh and clean by placing a dryer sheet on the bottom of it.
13. Freshen the air in your car. Place a dryer sheet under the front seat or in the back window where the sun will warm it.
14. Place a sheet in your coat pocket to avoid the shock you get getting in and out of the car in the winter.
15. Used dryer sheets make great dust cloths. They easily wipe away dust and leave a wonderful fragrance behind.
16. Keep sleeping bags and tents fresh and fragrant. Put a dryer sheet inside before folding and storing them.
17. Put dryer sheets in with your fold-out sofa bed complete with sheets and it will always be fresh the minute you need it for guests.
18. Add a dryer sheet with blankets and sweaters that you put in vacuum seal bags to condense for space.

19. Put some in your closet for a fresh scent.
20. Help remove water spots from chrome faucets by rubbing them with a dryer sheet.
21. If you have musty books, put the book and a dryer sheet into a sealed bag. Leave it for a couple of days and the smell will go away.
22. You can remove crayon marks from walls by rubbing the mark with a dryer sheet.
23. Temporarily sharpen dull scissors by buffing the blades with a dryer sheet.
24. Use a damp dryer sheet on your vehicle windshield and bumper to remove bugs and dirt.
25. If you have a wood fireplace or fire pit you can create your own fire starter by putting dryer sheets inside a toilet paper tube.
26. You can use a dryer sheet to clean your iron. Set the iron temperature low and run it over the sheet until the iron is clean.
27. Put a dryer sheet in your vacuum cleaner to freshen your carpet.

28. Get pet hair off your clothes and upholstered furniture by rubbing a fresh dryer sheet over them.
29. If you get chewing gum in your dryer, use a wet sheet to scrub the gum off.
30. If you have deer that get in your garden, cut dryer sheets into strips and place them around the area you want to protect.
31. Freshen stuffed animals by rubbing them with a fresh dryer sheet. You can also leave the stuffed animal and dryer sheet in a sealed bag for a while.
32. Place a dryer sheet in the heat and air vents to freshen the air.
33. Use them as an inconspicuous air freshener by putting them under sofa cushions or baskets.
34. Soak a dryer sheet in warm water along with dirty paintbrushes. Within a few minutes of soaking, the paint should wash right off.
35. Use a dryer sheet at the beach to clean off dried sand.

Spring Cleaning When You Hate To Clean

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