5 Surprising Uses for Dryer Lint

There are many things in this world that have absolutely no purpose (stunner shades, selfie sticks and male nipples to name a few). Until recently we would have included dryer lint on this list. Not anymore!

There’s actually several uses for this hodgepodge of dryer leftovers that can be used in your everyday life. Below, we’ve compiled a list of our TOP 5 ways to reuse dryer lint.

1. Fire Starter

Winter is cold and you need heat, pronto. You could spend 20 minutes lighting newspaper scraps with your bic or you could grab a wad of dryer lint to get things going quickly. Dryer lint is extremely flammable. It is the culprit of 15,000 dryer fires in the US every year. Bad for your dryer but great for your fireplace. For easy storage, put balls of lint in an empty egg carton and cover with wax.

2. Gardening

Protect your plants from cold temps by using lint as a mulch (great for composting too). Or use it to start seeds inside your home; grab empty toilet paper rolls, fold in the bottom and add dryer lint with seeds to create a biodegradable seed starter. Make sure you are using natural detergents/softeners so that your lint does not contain harmful chemicals.

3. Art

Yes, you can make Art with dryer lint. Set your stove to low heat and put your lint in a pot with 2 cups of water, 1 cup of flour and a little bit of vegetable oil. Stir it for about 10 minutes until everything is well blended. Remove your newly created goop from the pot and place it on wax paper. Wait until it cools then get to molding! Your clay lint sculpture will harden in about a week. Now you will have a unique conversation piece to display on your mantle.

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4. Cleaning

Don’t reach for a paper towel when the next spill occurs. Instead soak it up with your saved lint. Keep an old coffee container with your lint under your sink for easy access or in the garage for quick clean up when changing your oil.

5. Pets

If you are a pet owner of the rodent-variety (hamsters, gerbils, rats etc.) save up your dryer lint and use it as bedding. It’s free which beats spending money on commercial products. Dog owners can use it too as stuffing for a bed. Take an old blanket/comforter and fold it in half. Sew around the sides leaving an opening to fill with your dryer lint. Stuff your dryer lint through the opening then sew it shut. Viola! Instant dog bed.

More Ways to Reuse Dryer Lint:

paper mache
stuffing
dust bunnies
insulation
felt
candle wicks
packaging

Ready to repurpose your dryer lint? Whatever you decide to do be sure to empty your dryer trap between every load to prevent your dryer from catching fire. We also recommend getting your dryer vent professionally cleaned at least once every year, twice yearly if you do 5 or more loads per week or have laundry with a lot of pet hair.

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