9 Surprising Things You Never Knew Your Clothes Dryer Could Do
March 18, 2024
source: iStock
I’ve had my dryer for years now, and just like any other appliance in my home, I thought I knew all there was to know about it. Toss in wet clothes, hit a button, and voila, dry clothes. But boy, was I wrong! I’ve recently discovered some nifty tricks and uses for my clothes dryer that I had no idea existed. Let me share these revelations with you:
Reviving Wrinkled Clothes: Forget the iron and ironing board. If you have a shirt that looks like it’s been crumpled into a ball for a month, throw it in the dryer with a damp washcloth for about 10 minutes. It comes out looking surprisingly presentable. I’ve saved so much time in the mornings using this trick.
Drying Shoes Without the Banging: That annoying banging noise of shoes tumbling in the dryer used to drive me nuts, until I learned the shoelace trick. Just tie the laces together and shut them in the door with the shoes hanging inside, so they don’t actually tumble. Quiet and efficient.
Disinfecting Household Items: From stuffed animals to pillows, my dryer has become a go-to sanitizer. A good 30-minute session on high heat can kill dust mites and freshen up items that can’t be easily washed. I do this monthly now as part of my cleaning routine.
Speeding Up Laundry Day: Did you know tossing a dry towel into your dryer with your wet laundry can significantly reduce drying time? I didn’t, but now I save time and energy with this simple hack.
Making Homemade Croutons: Yes, you read that right. I’ve used my dryer to make croutons. Just cut up some stale bread, toss it with olive oil and seasoning, then put it in a mesh bag. A short, low heat cycle, and I have perfect croutons for my salad.
Freshening Up the Air: By adding a few drops of essential oil to a dry washcloth and tossing it in with your laundry, your clothes—and your house—can smell heavenly. It’s a game-changer for me.
Removing Pet Hair: Adding a dryer sheet and a damp washcloth to a load of laundry covered in pet hair does wonders. The dryer sheet helps reduce static, and the damp cloth helps pull the hair off. It’s saved me countless hours of lint-rolling.
Quick-Drying Hand-Washables: For those delicate items that I used to painstakingly hand dry, a few minutes in the dryer with a low or no-heat setting gets them dry without damage. Just be sure to use a mesh laundry bag.
Saving Plants: This might sound odd, but I’ve successfully dried herbs in my dryer. Wrapped in a paper bag and placed on a low heat for a few hours, my herbs are perfectly dried and ready for storage.
So, there you have it. My dryer, the unsung hero of my household, has capabilities beyond just drying my jeans and towels. It’s amazing how a little creativity can turn a mundane task into a series of clever hacks. Who knew?