Surprising Uses for Dryer Sheets Around Your Home

Dryer sheets are a laundry room staple in most households—and with good reason. They reduce static and the cling that comes with it, preventing such irksome tasks as having to search for errant socks hiding in blanket creases. And many do their job while imparting a pleasant fragrance in your clothing.

But don’t toss the sheet after you’ve emptied the dryer. Both old and new dryer sheets have multiple uses that may surprise you.

Anatomy of a dryer sheet

Credit the dryer sheet’s ingredients for its versatility. Dryer sheets’ non-woven materials are made from polyester or cellulose fibers that contain softening and antistatic ingredients, including fatty acids, according to Whirlpool, a major manufacturer of laundry and kitchen appliances. They also have a modifier, such as clay, to disperse the ingredients when the dryer heats up.

Dryer sheets work well on items with natural fibers, reports Whirlpool. Pro tip: Avoid using them with athletic clothes, water-repellant fabric, and flame-resistant clothing. Don’t add them to towels since they affect absorbency and leave a coating. That’s particularly true for microfiber towels; wash these separately and line-dry. (Also keep in mind that dryer sheets with fragrance may affect some people negatively, including causing migraines, asthma and skin issues.)

Bottom line: It’s the qualities of dryer sheets that give them purpose beyond the laundry.

Clean sweep

Because dryer sheets absorb static, you can use them to collect dust. Bonus: They’ll also leave a residue that repels dust. Baseboards, TVs and fan blades respond well to the treatment.

Have pets? Use dryer sheets to remove pet hair—or even your hair—left on surfaces, suggests the house cleaning company Molly Maid. To get more bang for the sheet, periodically brush built-up hair into the trash and continue brushing.

Sparkle and shine

As another ingenious application, Molly Maid puts the sheets to use on bathroom chrome splotched with calcium deposits and shower doors caked with soap scum. Simply add water before scrubbing, and rinse afterward.

Molly Maid lists soiled oven racks as another target area. Place the racks in the bathtub with a half-cup of dishwashing detergent and six dryer sheets—and soak overnight.

Towel, please

Instead of paper towels, use a dryer sheet to pick up powdery spills, such as flour, which will stick to the sheets. You can use them to help loosen candle wax on marble and wood surfaces, too.

Rubbing the sheets on crayon marks and deodorant stains can work wonders, too, according to the home experts at Taste of Home.

Bye-bye, bugs

Some people recommend the practice of placing a dryer sheet in your pocket to keep bugs away. The effectiveness is debatable, but at least you’ll smell fresh on a hot summer’s day.

A fresh scent 

Dryer sheets retain their fragrance after use, so they’re perfect for tucking into smelly spaces, including sock drawers, shoes, old tents, sleeping bags, athletic bags, vacuum bags, luggage, trash cans, cars, closets, and bathrooms. (Tuck the sheet inside the toilet roll.) 

The list goes on—you can even place sheets in diaper bags, behind vent covers, and between the pages of musty books. The well of ideas for dryer sheet hacks won’t likely…well, run dry.