Dryer Sheet Ideas
- The static control properties of dryer sheets aren't just useful in the tumble dryer. Control flyaway hair by gently rubbing a dryer sheet over your head before your daily styling regimen. Wipe a computer printer with a dryer sheet to reduce the static that builds up between sheets of paper, causing them to stick together. Prevent static shocks after getting into and out of your car by rubbing the seats with dryer sheets.
- Unless they are marketed as unscented, dryer sheets contain perfume, usually a pleasant floral scent. The scent is pervasive enough that dryer sheets can be used to scent places which tend to develop an unpleasant or stale smell, like cars, stored luggage, basements, storage rooms, closets and bathrooms. You can stuff dryer sheets in all sorts of out-of-the-way places to freshen an area, including under seat cushions and inside rolls of toilet paper. The perfume may also have some effectiveness as an insect repellent.
- The loose polyester fabric of a dryer sheet is very good at trapping dirt, so sheets can be recycled after a trip through the dryer and used to dust surfaces all over the home. With the addition of water and a bit of soap, they make good scrubbing pads as well. The chemical compounds in unused dryer sheets also make them fairly effective at removing soap scum from showers and other bathroom surfaces.
- Sweet-smelling dryer sheets are an excellent material for making sachets, since they allow the scent of the contents to escape and add their own floral perfume. They make a perfect backing for appliques or reinforcement for quilting squares since the polyester fiber is light but strong. Dryer sheets are also an interesting medium for making fabric transfers and can give a wide variety of results with different fabrics and techniques.
