A blow dryer's great for drying and styling your hair, yes, but surely you could put it to work in other ways as well? When it's done making you look fabulous, consider these other uses...
8 Uses for a Blowdryer (Apart from Drying Your Hair)
- Take wax off of furniture: melt the wax using the slowest, hottest setting. Remove the wax using a paper towel then wipe off the residue with a clean cloth dipped in a mixture of equal parts vinegar (or vodka) and water. Use the same method to remove crayon marks from the walls.
- Or off candlesticks or small votives: melt the wax slightly and peel it off.
- Blow dust out of hard to reach corners: set your dryer on cool, aim and fire. If the items large and dusty, hang a damp sheet or towel behind it before you point your blowdryer at it. The dust will stick to the damp cloth. You can also use it to blow dust off of delicate objects.
- Remove a photo from an old photo album: Use a warm setting to loosen the glue from sticky photo pages.
- Defrost a freezer (or melt ice anywhere)
- Iron plastic tablecloths or shower curtains: Use warm air to make them wrinkle free.
And for two others, don't forget to check out our previous posts for using a blow dryer to removing labels from bottles, cans or paper and removing the white rings left on your table from hot plates and dishes.
[Image: apdk's flickr, with a Creative Commons License]
Comments (18)
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When our plastic water pipes busted in our basement (stupid construction), I had to buy a male-male connector. It was a tight fit, so I used a hair dryer to make the plastic more pliable. It worked perfectly.
view inkstainedwriter's profile
Blow dryers can also be used to dry freshly washed hosiery in a hurry. (Use a cooler setting from a few feet away to prevent scorching.) Not that I wear pantyhose (it's too hot where I live), but it's something female business travelers should know about.
The author of the Bad Girl's Guide books suggests using a blow-dryer like a leaf blower to corral dust, dirt, and pet hair. I generally prefer a vacuum, but there *are* some small spaces the darn thing just can't reach!
view Stiletto's profile
Also gets bumper stickers off, well, bumpers...
view gretchen's profile
I just read a little tip in a travel mag (can't remember, I had a stack): use a hair dryer to dry your toothbrush before packing it.
view beckerjess's profile
better than the vacuum cleaner for cleaning lampshades. just *whirrrr* the dust off.
view paintitbright's profile
I use it to defog my bathroom mirror when I'm in a hurry.
view Alyce's profile
I use it to quickly blow up air mattresses. Plus then they're all warm and cozy from the hot air
view chambrey's profile
Come'on... you're forgetting the best one of all. They make an excellent massage therapy tool. Have you ever laid on a massage table while your partner gently blows warm air up and down your body? It's heaven...!
view boulderorganic's profile
My pediatrician recommended (carefully) using a blow dryer on cool to make sure baby was completely dry before diapering when baby had diaper rash. This led me to discover other great use for diaper rash: lulling baby to sleep. Blow dryer and vacuum were great at getting newborn to sleep!
view dreamjean's profile
shower tablecloth? hehe. soggy food.
view closertotheocean's profile
...we used it in cold winter days: to warm up the sheets before going to bed!
view and's profile
Ugh, I meant a great use for blow dryer, not diaper rash! Not awake yet.
view dreamjean's profile
Its great for drying spackle wall patches in a hurry, especially if you have to do several layers. You can even secure it to a ladder so you don't have to stand there holding the hair dryer (just be sure to check it regularly).
view addy's profile
Thanks for the tip on "ironing" a shower curtain. I just bought the lovely Mariemekko Kaiku shower curtain and since it's 100% polyester I'm very afraid to try and iron out the creases, but I'm going to try using the blow dryer when I get home tonight!
view Monica's profile
@dreamjean: My doctor recommended the same thing for me! She said it's always best to have all the assorted bits and pieces nice and dry before getting dressed, especially in the hot, humid summertime! Sorry if this was TMI, but it really works!
view Monica's profile
I learned that a blowdryer is the best method for removing contact paper - especially for contact paper that has been on shelves for a handful of decades.
view twenty twenty-one's profile
I saw a tip on television - Use a blow dryer with an attachment (the one that looks like a duck bill) on hot to remove those white marks wood gets when you put something too hot on it.
view chusmabilly's profile
so totally didnt read the last bit of the post... ima 99 percenter.
view chusmabilly's profile