14 Jobs You Didn’t Know Dryer Sheets Could Do

By Amanda Green |
Mike Mozart, Flickr // CC BY 2.0
Mike Mozart, Flickr // CC BY 2.0 / Mike Mozart, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Dryer sheets are designed to soften and freshen clothing, but they've got loads of other uses—and we've made a laundry list of them.

1. DEODORANT MARK REMOVER

Scrubbing deodorant marks from clothing with a damp paper towel doesn’t do much good. Instead, remove errant white streaks with a few quick strokes of a dryer sheet. It's faster than changing your shirt.

2. SHOWER SCRUBBER

Dryer sheets also come through for tougher jobs, like cleaning soap scum from your shower doors. Add a few drops of water to the sheet and get scrubbing. When you're done, use one last wipe to shine your faucet and remove hard water stains.

3. STATIC STOPPER

'Tis the season to be attacked by static. Dryer sheets neutralize charge and act as a lubricant to tame static on clothing, TV and computer monitors, and—no shocker—your head.

4. SHOE REFRESHER

Everyone's got stinky shoes from time to time. If you have a pair that's particularly appalling, give them a breather by cutting a dryer sheet in half and placing one piece in each shoe.

5. BOOKMARK

Freshen up musty books—and get a whiff of laundry day every time you read—by using a dryer sheet as a bookmark.

6. AIR FRESHENER

Fresh dryer sheets are an inexpensive, subtle alternative to air freshener sprays or plug-ins. Tuck them into areas that attract a lot of traffic, bad smells, or both. Some candidates include the bottom of a trashcan, musty storage areas, or your sweaty gym bag.

7. INSECT REPELLANT

What are the only creatures that don't like the smell of dryer sheets? Bugs, apparently. A study published in the journal HortScience found that gnats were repelled by dryer sheets, possibly due to the presence of the compounds linalool and beta-citronellol (which also repels mosquitoes). So stuff dryer sheets in your pockets when you're outside and tell bugs to buzz off.

8. PET HAIR REMOVER

If your couch is sporting more fur than your actual pet, skip the lint brush and wipe it down with a dryer sheet. You'll kill two birds with one stone by removing the hair and the smells shed by your dog or cat.

9. DUSTER

While you're at it, dust appliances, baseboards, blinds, and more. If you're a Swiffer fan, just add cleanser and use a dryer sheet instead of the pricey branded mop cloths.

10. IRON CLEANER 

Starched shirts look great, but all that starch will eventually dirty the bottom of your iron, known as the soleplate. The solution: Turn your iron on low heat and rub the dryer sheet over the soleplate until the residue disappears.

11. SUPER SCRUBBER

For dirtier jobs, like cleaning paint brushes or scrubbing last week's pots and pans, steep a dryer sheet or two in hot water and then let the item soak. Crusty grime will slide right off in a delightfully disgusting way. 

12. CAR WASH

Wipe that bug collection off your car—and even polish bumpers and rims — with soft, swift wipes of a wet dryer sheet.

13. NAIL POLISH REMOVER 

Glitter is a nuisance in almost every form. If you're trying to get the nail polish variety off of your hands, replace your usual cotton balls or remover pads with a dryer sheet. Mani cured! 

14. SHOE DE-SQUEAKER 

Squeaky rubber-soled shoes aren't just embarrassing—they'll drive your coworkers up the wall. Avoid this dilemma by rubbing the soles with a dryer sheet. Seriously, do it now.