Have you ever had those times when you thought you’d lost your hankie in the dryer, only to find out that it clung onto the cloth of your sweater?
Or maybe you plan to wear a freshly laundered dress, only to feel a rigid texture instead of the soft texture you expected?
These are the prevalent side effects of the washing and drying cycle in the laundry. When all these happen, clothes tend to stick together because of static electricity. But dryer sheets make a vast difference.
Adding a dryer sheet to your laundry routine can help you make your clothes fresh and fragrant-smelling all day.
Dryer sheets are designed with an anti-static property, so these laundry staples can provide more uses than just solving your typical laundry problems. However, how to use dryer sheets is discussed below:
How To Use Dryer Sheets?: Top 10 Ways
Beyond the laundry room uses dryer sheets
The use of dryer sheets is not limited to laundry purposes only. However, its utmost purpose is to solve your laundry dilemmas by preventing static electricity from your clothes once tossed in the laundry, while ensuring that your clothes are left fresh and soft.
Today, there are two 2 main types of dryer sheets on the market. The first is made with a polyester substrate, a non-woven base. The other one is made with cellulose ingredients, which allows you to recycle it as a paper product after usage.
When applied to clothes and activated by heat, these dryer sheets transfer their silicon-based fabric softeners to your clothes, making them soft and smelling fresh all day.
Not to mention, dryer sheets can come in two varieties: scented and unscented. You can grab your preferred scent for your go-to freshening hacks and buy the unscented ones to aid you in other tasks.
Scrubbing away stubborn food from pans & pots
Are you tired of spending seemingly endless hours scrubbing away stubborn food residues on your scorched pan? Consider using a non-woven polyester dryer sheet to lessen your struggle.
You’ll only need to place the dryer sheet in your pan and fill it with hot water. Then, leave it overnight to soak.
This hack works because the dryer sheet contains a silicone coating that helps soften stubborn food in the pan. The next morning, you must use the dryer sheet to wipe the stubborn food away from the pan.
The polyester woven sheet’s texture will help remove stubborn food residues without harming the finish of your non-stick pans.
Calm your fluffy friends during a storm.
Most dogs are terrified of the sound of thunder. The primary reason is that they do not know what it is, which causes them to think it is dangerous or threatening.
During a thunderstorm, rubbing your fluffy friend’s coat with a dryer sheet (preferably an unscented and plant-based one) will help to calm the pet.
Dryer sheets help by reducing the static electricity in pets’ fur. Using an unscented, plant-based dryer sheet will ensure your pet’s safety against the toxic ingredients that some dryer sheets may contain.
Removing pet’s fur from clothes & furniture
Most pets, primarily dogs and cats, tend to shed a lot of damaged and old hair, and it’s completely normal. However, cleaning up these shedding in your clothes and furniture can be a bit of a hassle, especially if you have an on-the-go and busy lifestyle.
Thankfully, dryer sheets are here to save the day. Their anti-static properties will help you prevent your fluffy friend’s hair from sticking to your clothes and furniture.
This hack is simple: You’ll just need to rub the sheet over your clothes or furniture to loosen and remove the fur. You can also use dryer sheets (new or used) to remove dust or fur from shelves, windows, books, and the like.
Deodorizing shoes & quieting squeaky soles
Shoe odor builds up primarily because shoes are considered a breeding ground for bacteria to multiply, causing foul odor in running shoes.
If you currently have smelly shoes, don’t worry—you can use dryer sheets to get rid of the odor once and for all.
You can get rid of the dirt and smelly odor by adding a dryer sheet to your desired shoes.
You can also use dryer sheets to stop the squeaky noise at the bottom of your shoes by simply rubbing them against the sole of your shoes.
Getting rid of the static cling
There’s probably nothing worse than arriving at your office or workplace, only to realize that one of your panties or socks got stuck on the back of your clothes.
If you ever get caught in this situation, it is best to use a dryer sheet to reduce static and to de-cling those stubborn pants or socks that cling to your clothes.
Make sewing and needlework effortless.
Incorporating dryer sheets into your sewing and needlework routine can help you get more use out of them. This will lessen your frustration over threads that tend to get knotted up as you stitch.
Running the thread between your folded clothes can keep your clothes tangle-free during hand sewing and/or needlework.
The silicon in the dryer’s material sheet eases the process while keeping the fabric smooth and fresh. Using a dryer sheet also helps strengthen the stitches of your thread.
Deodorizing your gym bags & luggage
Sweaty workout clothes and used towels can leave your gym bag and luggage with an unwanted odor. Luckily, dryer sheets provide an answer to this prevailing problem.
Simply tucking a piece of dryer sheet inside your gym bag or luggage before you put it away will help add a fresh scent and eliminate the nasty odors left in your bag.
But before doing this, make sure that you remove all your smelly workout clothes or used towels from the bag first.
Through this deodorizing process, your gym bag or luggage can return to its original scent or even a more fragrant one without you having to buy purifiers to eliminate the awful, sweaty scent.
Clean gadgets & electronic screens
You can clean your gadgets and electronic screens without worrying about the right material. You can use your used dryer sheets to clean the screens of your mobile phone, laptop, TV, and other gadgets.
Because they are made with silicon materials, dryer sheets can be used as heavy-duty wipes. They will pick up the dust and remove the static from your gadgets and electronic screens.
However, it is important to note that you should not use a dampened dryer sheet because the moisture may harm your gadget or electronic screen.
Removing the sludge from an iron or dryer drum
Melted gum, adhesive stickers, and crayons are just some of the sticky things that may be placed in your dryer. This can be worrisome because it may damage the interior finish.
But don’t be wary. The next time you encounter such, all you have to do is wet a piece of dryer sheet (preferably a non-woven polyester) and scrub the stubborn gum or sticker away without harming the interior finish.
A dryer sheet may not clean the inside of the iron, but it can still keep it tidy and clean by removing the scorch marks left on it. All you have to do is dampen a piece of dryer sheet and rub it against the bottom of your iron.
You also have to ensure your iron is not hot during that time. Then place your iron on a low setting and run it a few times to remove anything that’s left in your iron.
A word of caution on how to use dryer sheets
Dryer sheets are indeed handy, especially for those on the go and busy people.
However, you should also consider the ingredients of the dryer sheets you use because some on the market contain harmful ingredients that are not disclosed on the product’s label.
So, using a plant-based dryer sheet is advisable to ensure your safety.
Conclusion
While dryer sheets play an essential role in people’s laundry routines, these woven sheets of fiber can also be used in many ways in our day-to-day lives.
In fact, it can be used to clean electronic gadgets and furniture, deodorize bags and shoes, calm pets, remove static from clothes and electronic screens, and so much more.
Despite their enormous usage, dryer sheets are often left unappreciated and their uses are swept under the rug.
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