Dryer Lint.... Outside the Box Thinking

Uses For Dryer Lint (11/13/10)

Just about everyone has dryer lint.  I
suppose most people just toss it out in the trash. But I don’t.  I’ve
been saving dryer lint for what seems like ages. I happen to know that
there are lots of other folks out there that do the same thing.  How do I
know this?  Because not only have I had LOTS of people actually admit
that they save lint, I have seen it with my own eyes.

  Walk into most laundry rooms and you will probably see a pile of lint
somewhere.  On top of the dryer, in a separate trash bag, in an old
coffee can and some even have a “special container” just for lint
saving.  I’m one of those.  I have an old trick or treat bucket stuffed
to the rim with dryer lint.  Somewhere I even have ANOTHER container to
dump the bucket into when it gets full. 

I was thinking about it one day (yeah I do tend to think of off the wall
stuff sometimes)  and asked myself just what in the world I was going
to do with all that fluffy, multi-colored recyclable material. I don’t
know why I even started saving it to start with.  I just kept thinking ”
There must be something I can do with this stuff”.  I also decided to
ask around and see what others had to say about the stuff.  The number
one answer, hands down, was to use it for firestarter. 

I started searching around and came up with a few  other things that
dryer lint can be used for. I’m kind of glad I did too.  Somehow it
makes me feel better to know that I’m not alone in my “harvesting” of
lint! 

 Here is where I have to put in a serious warning.  Dryer Lint is
EXTREMELY flammable.  Which is, I suppose, one reason that the #1 use
for it is for starting fires!

You have to be careful when you burn dryer lint as well.  Remember that
how it burns depends on what the lint was made out of.  Things that are
man-made will melt and/or smoke. It might smell like burnt plastic or
even put out fumes.  Cotton, wool and linen dryer lint will work just
fine.  If you aren’t sure about what’s in it you might want to take it
outside in an open area and burn some.  If it morphs into something (
like little beads etc) don’t put it in your fireplace or bbq pit.

  Some of the things people use it for call for caution and a bit of
common sense.  If you decide to use any of these ideas please use your
head and remember just how flammable this stuff is ok? 

Alrighty then….  We have the warnings out of the way.  Now on to some
of the interesting things you can use all that harvested dryer lint
for……

Here are a couple of  ways to use that fluffy stuff as a firestarter.  I
like a couple of these ideas because not only does it call for using
your dryer lint but also some of the other things just laying around the
house “just in case”.

 Try using it instead of lighter fluid the next time you fire up your
BBQ pit.  Lay little pieces around your briquettes to start your coals.

 Lint also makes a good woodstove or fireplace tender.  Just ball up
some of the soft lint and place it in your starter kindling. They should
ignite quickly and get your fire started easily.

   Take an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll and stuff it with old
newspaper and dryer lint. Close up the ends and you have a great
firestarter.  Use it in your fireplace or put a couple in your stash for
your next camping or hiking trip.

 This idea seems to be one of the most popular in the searches I’ve
done.  Take a cardboard egg carton and stuff lint into it.  Then, using
old candles, paraffin, or even used crayons, Pour melted wax over each
cup on top of the lint.  Use one or two of your “lint eggs” to start
your fire.

 Make firestarter “kisses”.  Take a small piece of wax paper and wrap
lint and little wax bits in it. Then twist the wax paper ends like a
candy wrapper.  Put them in your stack of wood and light the end of the
waxed paper.  This would be a good way to use up some of those little
bits of crayon pieces that the kids have laying around too.

Something else I ran across while reading about lint is to use it when
making small dolls and teddybears as well as the batting for quilts. 
Stuff your home-made cushions with it.  I saw where someone used it in
their old farmhouse for insulation against drafts. Personally I’m not
sure I would want to do this though because of the possibility of it
catching on fire. I only mention it because it actually would work.

You could leave some out in the yard somewhere for birds to make their
nests from as well as using it in your worm beds. Again, I would do a
bit more research before trying one of these ideas. 

How about using it to make a draft stopper? It would work well on a tile
floor, especially if you have a metal door or one of those metal
kickstopper on the bottom of your door. You could use a tube sock and
stuff it with dryer lint and then sew the end closed to keep the drafts
from blowing in under the door.

You know that nesting box material you pay an arm and a leg for at
PetSmart for your hamsters and guinea pigs?  Try using dryer lint
instead. Warm, clean, cuddly and cheap!

How about using it for packing material?  It can’t be any worse than
using those dang peanuts that get everywhere when you open up a
package. 

Use your artistic abilities and make a  masterpiece from old dryer lint.
Use it for kid’s craft projects.  You can shape the lint into almost
anything or even use it to replace cotton for things like snowmen or
clouds.  Just glue the “shapes” onto construction paper.  How about
using it for things like  hair or even fur for your craft projects!  
You can make some dryer lint clay from it or even make paper out of it. 
There are several places to get recipes for either of these projects on
the internet. 

You could make candle wicks from it, as well as rope.  Just roll it the
same way that the Indians used to make rope from plant fibers.  It would
take a bit of time but it would work!

You could use it to help with growing your plants.  You don’t want to
put the lint on the soil next to the plant.  It could mold.  But you
could use it in the bottom of your pots.  It will keep the soil IN the
pot and let the water OUT.  If you are going to do this though you might
want to be careful with what kind of lint you use.  Some fabrics and
some laundry detergents have chemicals that you might not want on your
plants.  But if you use the dryer lint from natural fabrics like cotton
and linen and eco- friendly detergents it should work just fine!

Here’s another use.  Use dryer lint to soak up used motor oil.  Before
you change the oil in your car, put down a “sheet” of lint under the car
and on the sides of the front of the car.  If you spill oil, cover it
with another layer of lint and firmly step on it so it soaks it up
well.  Be sure to discard the lint carefully. 

So there you have it!  Some actual uses for that stuff that seems to magically “grow” without much help.