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Lowly no longer: 13 productive uses for dryer lint

Posted Jan 07 2008, 04:34 PM by Karen Datko
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Just think of the waste: All these years you've been throwing away dryer lint when you could have been putting it to perfectly good use. Who woulda thunk it? In a post that ranks right up there with Leah Ingram's about things you didn't know you could compost (human hair is among them), Stephanie at Stop the Ride offers "13 ways to use dryer lint." Make that lint work for you as a fire starter in the fireplace, as lint paper and lint papier-mâché. Give it to critters for nesting material.

Stephanie says you can use lint for plant mulch or put it in the bottom of planters to keep soil in while allowing excess water to drain. How about lint as packing material? Or you can return it to its previous state by spinning it and knitting a sweater. Got an old sock? Fill it with lint for a homemade door draft stopper. 

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Comments

 

I just wanted to let all you people know that I have spent the last two years spinning my dryer lint into a sweater, and it doesn't look too good.  I found someone who will brush my cat and make a purse out of her fur, but I don't think it will match my dryer-lint sweater.  My cat is yellow.  

Plus, I had to PURCHASE the spinning wheel.  

Sandy (Posted 04.14.09 4:10 PM ) Report Abuse

Used dryer sheets are awesome at cleaning the bathtub!! You know the pink stuff and dirt that build up in a bathtub and shower?? Well, take some used dryer sheets, get them wet, and wipe out that tub or shower. They work great but they have to be the used ones from the dryer-the ones that haven't been tumbled and heated don't work!! I can't remember the last time I bought tub and shower cleaner.

dixie (Posted 04.14.09 4:12 PM ) Report Abuse

The 'pink stuff' you mentioned is mold..you do know that, don't you?

Kimber (Posted 04.14.09 4:27 PM ) Report Abuse

Oh jeez, Sandy, I can't stop laughing.......

Kathie (Posted 04.14.09 5:25 PM ) Report Abuse

Pink stuff sounds much more appealing than MOLD. I want to think of it as pink stuff thank you :)

D (Posted 04.14.09 6:17 PM ) Report Abuse

Just to add about dryer sheets anyone who has to deal with bugs stuck to the front of your car just use a new dryer sheet wet, rub the bumper with it and the bugs come right off!

Rachel (Posted 04.14.09 6:20 PM ) Report Abuse

You could make little sachets filled with dryer lint and tie them off and decorate them and spray them with your favorite fragrance and store them in drawers to make your clothes smell Good!

barb (Posted 04.14.09 7:26 PM ) Report Abuse

You must not have any pets. A sweater would be mostly my dogs hair. I love my dog, but ewwww.

lolo (Posted 04.14.09 7:41 PM ) Report Abuse

If you are a country person and have rabbits the lint makes great nesting material

when mother rabbit does not do what she is supposed to do.

Kay

Kay Bostwick (Posted 04.14.09 9:22 PM ) Report Abuse

Oh my gosh, I love this site. I too came from a time when we had to be frugul and this makes very much sense to me. If things keep going, some folks my wish had read and heeded some of this. Thank you.

Maryann (Posted 04.14.09 10:29 PM ) Report Abuse

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