I'll have to try this! We just got new baseboards, along with our hardwood floors. :)

I actually use the "used" sheets after they've been through the dryer. It makes me feel like it's less of a waste. I use them on the bathroom counter too.

using used sheets like EBARRETT3 is a lot more sensible and viable :)

I have been meaning to try this on our wide window blinds, now I can double-duty!

I'm going to try this on my louvered bi-fold doors (live in Florida, need the air circulation....)

i don't find baseboards difficult to clean to begin with... i just use the arm + brush attachments on the vacuum. maybe not every time i vacuum, but like every 2nd or 3rd time.

I save my used ones and use them for dusting already. I wipe down furniture and the central air/heat intake vent covers. Those suckers get really dusty.

I will definitely try this!

Yuck. Try to purge dryer sheets from your life. They (as well as mass-market fabric softeners) contain animal fat. Do you want that all over you? Your house? Your furniture? I'm no vegan - nor even a vegetarian, but that is seriously nasty. I learned this when buying a front-load washer. I asked why so many people had problems with mildew, as I lived in Europe for years and never heard of the problem. Turns out the animal fat in U.S. fabric softener creates a very rich environment for bacteria. You want that on your sweet underthings?

Cosign on MelanieQ's comment. We've switched to Mrs. Meyer's dryer sheets after trying "Static Eliminator" sheets and felted wool balls, neither of which reduced static to our liking (hubby haaaates static). So now we use Mrs. Meyer's dryer sheets--compostable/biodegradable, no animal products, work wonderfully! I wonder if they'd work for this baseboard thing.

I want to be just wealthy enough that I buy only Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products and don't even think twice about the cost. Love love love their lavender everything.

Dryer sheets (with or without animal fat) = First world product I have easily lived without for years.

Doesn't anyone in the USA hang their washing out in God's good fresh air anymore even in the Spring and Summer.? Dryers are an environmental nightmare, a waste of power and a fire hazard. Clothes and linens last longer and keep their shape and colour better if line dried. We only use them when the weather is wet

USEREXISTS: Not everyone has that option. I am allergic to virtually everything that grows, so hanging anything of mine out to dry would be a health nightmare for me - especially during spring and summer when pollen counts are high and just leaving my apartment to go to and from work is enough to trigger an attack.

Just being near a dryer sheet makes me itch.

Ha! I love the Mrs. Myers lavender sheets, too, @Suzee, but cut them in thirds and use them for guest sheets, or "special stuff". One package lasts about a year, cheap yankee that i am.

I have hung my stuff out to dry in winter and got frozen (and still wet) laundry back, so not all of us can line dry all the time. Though truly nothing can match the scent of clean sheets of the line - heaven. Ikea has a great rack with tons of space for hanging in our basement, though, which is always in use.

An electrician told me that a dryer uses the equal of Hundreds of TV's turned on all at once. So we use it sparingly, for sure.

EVERYONE can line dry all year long. I do! I live in a 400 sqft condo and line dry to my hearts content inside. I have a retractable line I installed above my tub/shower. I mounted it to the front of the tub, added a hook on the opposite wall (near the middle of the wall), then a last hook on the same wall as the line, but on the back of the tub. Thus creating a V shaped line. Those two lines and the shower rod hold one load of laundry. I wash 1 load of laundry at a time and the clothes are dry in half a day (usually hang over night). It cost me $10 for supplies and has saved me $800 in the 5 years I've used this system. Now, the towels aren't as fluffy, but the cost savings is worth it to me.

I have a foldable drying rack that I keep in the washer/dryer closet alongside the machines. If I'm only doing one load I usually won't bother with the rack-- I'll just drape stuff around the house-- but it's useful if I've done several loads of laundry at once.

I HAVE used my dryer on one or two occasions, when I had guests coming and I wanted the towels to be extra-fluffy and the sheets wrinkle-free. But I could certiainly live without the dryer.

How is this different from a well-wrung sponge or wool duster, once the boards are relatively clean, and all you are removing is dust?
Is it a streak issue, a don't want to get it wet issue or something else?
I'm truly confused by this one.

Oh, and I dry clothes year round inside. I did so in -16F, I do so in 80F with humidity.

For me, it is sry clothes without the local pollens, which seem to wage war in my nose.

Considering all the emphasis on recycling, re-use and other green matters this post really surprised me. The dryer sheets contain many nasty chemicals, and the fact that people can stand the odor on their clothing amazes me. But to suggest spreading it around your house? I would think that you guys would be discouraging people from using a wasteful and unnecessary product. If you are concerned about soft clothing, or odors, use white vinegar in the washing machine. It will eliminate odors (not just cover them up), and makes your clothing nice and soft.
And use a sponge or a rag on the baseboards. I mean, really.

I am at work and I get off in...tick tick...1 hour and 10 minutes and I promise you...as soon as I walk through the door I am going to try this...Thanks for the info!!!

Yeah, good idea, thanks

But ... "because it actually coats as it cleans (which is why we're not huge fans of it for laundry)" Of course it does. Why would you not be a fan for that reason? So does fabric softener, hair conditioner ... lotion. The difference between how the clothes feel with and without softener is not magic. It's a residue. Not a nasty residue. Just a very very thin layer of something that likes your skin a little better than cotton fibers do.

And I doubt many softener brands use 'animal fat' as someone else mentioned. That would probably be too expensive when they can easily get the same stuff from corn and palm oil. It used to be made from that, and so did ... soap. Many of the current chemicals used for these purposes can be made with renewable resources, and many many of them are biodegradable (that's really good--non-degrable versions of these chemicals are dangerous for microscopic ecosystems), and a quick google shows that the main ingredient in bounce is in many many cosmetic products.

Dryer sheets have stearic acid, which is rendered from animal fat. It is not dangerous to us. I don't understand what the fuss is about. You're not wiping suet on your clothes or baseboards for mildew or germs to grow on.

Stearic acid is commonly used in soaps and cosmetics.

Of course, if you're an extreme vegan and eschew all things animal, then you may want to stop using anything that contains stearic acid made from animal fat, but you will also have a much longer list of things to worry about.

Dryer sheets have worse ingredients than animal fat. A recent study by the University of Washington about the toxins in dryer sheets found that typical dryer sheets used in household dryers emit over 25 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the dryer vent emissions, including seven hazardous air pollutants (HAPs ) and two probable carcinogens (a list is included at the end of the study). Virtually NONE of the VOCs were listed on the ingredient list of the dryer sheets - they instead listed "perfume" or "softeners". Amazing and sad.

http://depts.washington.edu/exposure/Steinemann%20et%20al.%202011.pdf

We read about a lot of seemingly frightening things these days, and we need to think intelligently about them.

Seems to me that the U of W report was about dryer vent emissions so I would think that those emissions are the result of exposure to heat, which is not the case when you clean your baseboards with dryer sheets. As for harmfulness to humans, everything depends on the quantity. Arsenic is poisonous but, at correct quantities, it also has medicinal uses.

Have you tracked down information on possible bad chemicals released when cooking a steak dinner? I'm sure there are some, but are the chemicals released actually harmful to you in the quantities that are released?

Buy unscented dryer sheets. A lot of the nasty VOCs are probably coming from the cheap perfumes they use. Cheap fragrances are loaded with nasty synthetic crap. (Of course, even the unscented sheets might have a mysterious "masking fragrance".)

We just don't use dryer sheets. Or pretty much any cleaning product that has hazardous chemicals. Both I and my son are sensitive to the chemically-created smells, so it's not an option.

Plus, a good cotton cloth goes a long way toward cleaning (even if it doesn't "coat" the baseboards with something or create static).

I actually went home and washed down some of my baseboards as I was dusting. Just a damp towel. Thanks for the reminder A.T.

if you ever wanted to repaint your baseboards, it would be a big pain in the butt to scrub off all the waxy stuff that'd built up over years of wiping with dryer sheets.

I've been doing this in my home for a while. Discovered the idea after I had just swiffered the floor and was ready to throw it out. Still had some clean spots on it so used it along my baseboards.

Thank you Apartment Therapy for this wonderful and useful tip! I'm sure a few single dryer sheets would go a long way, I think we have much worse things to worry about like people not recycling their plastic food containers and washing other hazardous chemicals down the drain, than just using dryer sheets around the house.

Used dryer sheets make the best dusters I have ever used. I use them to clean dust off all our furniture as well as the baseboards and sometimes the floor. I always get a second use out of them now.

Stopped using dryer sheets at all. So usual vacuum brush for me.

There are no reasons to purchase dryer sheets.

What on earth is a dryer sheet?! I don't think we have these in Australia, or if we do I don't know anyone who uses them...

Yeah, I'm in Australia too, and had never heard of dryer sheets before reading Apartment Therapy. When you posted recently about using them to clean shower doors I looked in our local supermarket. It took me a while to locate them, but there were two brands, both scented, neither of which promised anti-static properties, so I don't even know if they are the same as what you are talking about.

I didn't buy them, because I don't actually own a dryer. We dry on the line in good weather and inside on a drying rack otherwise.

Also, they are really expensive. $6 for 30 sheets or something. I guess if you are using them one at a time in dryer loads, that might last a while, but for cleaning, I imagine you'd go through them pretty fast.

One word: very toxic, heated in drier, or right out of the box. Those of us who are sensitive to many chemicals are usually bugged by chemicals and fragrances that are almost always cancer causing, when you look them up, and often banned in Europe. We're the canaries in the coal mine...I've found dryer sheets particularly noxious ever since they were invented. Noxious cleaning products are the reason some homes smell as toxic as the inside of a laundromat dryer, and are also a cause of much childhood and adult athsma. The "unscented" products with the toxic chemicals are as bad as the scented versions.

Never used them, never use fabric softener since, as a frugal college student, I quickly realized it was completely unnecessary. Think all that anti-static is for yucky synthetic clothing made of acrylic and polyester. Even that is likely fine if you don't overdry it. Cotton, mostly cotton, partly rayon, even tencel...all comes out of the dryer just fine without fabric softener. Try it...you'll never go back.

Thanks for the tip! Going to try this out ASAP.

So many things to be alarmed/horrified/worried/critical about, so little time! :)

it has been said before, and I am going to say it again.

Dryer sheets are the worst.

I am terribly allergic to them, as are a lot of other people. I have a hard time breathing when standing next to someone who recently dried their clothes with them. There are so many horrible chemicals on them, why would AT be promoting them?

Here is an idea on how to clean your baseboard in a jiff: get a piece of crafting felt from a dollar store. It is cheaper and easier and reusable.

Use vinegar and verbena (lemon) works great, vinegar is a great cleaner.

Or, dry things on the line. Fresh air and sunshine, they're free... no static electricity either. Once that's out of the way, fabric softener is just bizarre; either the fabric is soft or it isn't. No need to go out and buy impregnated disposable bits of cloth in a box. More stuff, it's endless...one unnecessary product generating a perceived need for another, and another...

These strike me as one of those products where the demand was created by advertising. And now a new insecurity: Do you suffer from embarrassing dusty skirting boards? Down on your hands and knees to coat them with fabric softener! After enough of it has built up to cause yellowing or mould, or the fear thereof, just go out and buy the fabric softener remover, in handy impregnated sheets!

That'll keep you busy all right. How about just using a duster on a telescoping stick? As long as the boards are clean to start with, you don't even have to bend over to dust them, just stroll past and wiggle your wrist... works for architraves, tops of doors, picture rails, easy as. Shake it out or rinse it when you're done and hang it up for next time, no rubbish, no running out to buy refills.

I don't know how some of you get through the day.

OH MY GOSH, ANIMAL FAT IN MY DRYER SHEETS, AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!

<arms flailing>

Please STOP using DRYER SHEETS-they are toxic, and they stink! Please people, my lungs shut from overexposure to the chems in these things-really! If everyone keeps using this kind of stuff in their homes, ALL their kids will be as chemically sensitive as I am-and trust me it's NOT FUN! Trying to avoid these kind of products is a nightmare-they are everywhere, and the average person has no idea how awful they are for our health. (Not something the manufacturers will admit-shocking) The trade secrets on the "fragrances" in these keep them from ever having to tell us what's in it. I have to avoid all products that list fragrance as an ingredient. Everyone should, then we could all breath healthy air.

You can vacuum your baseboards, and wipe them with a damp cloth to clean them.

^^ Modernkitty...i hear you :)...i am active with my comments on the renest and can feel what u are saying :)

Don't use dryer sheets or other disposable stuff like that. As far as baseboards, I bought a ton of microfiber cloths about ten years ago that I use for all kinds of household jobs and they work great for dusting, as well as counter cleaning. When they are dirty I throw them in the washing machine. Added bonus, they dry really quickly. I expect to use & reuse them for the rest of my life.

*Softener* - in heading.

Some of us live in areas where the Home Owners Associations have gone bananas with bans on anything outside---as a result, you can't have anything that even resembles a clothes line hanging around your outside area. The thought of having wet clothes hanging all over my house is not a pretty thought.

For those of you that dry clothes inside - mildew spores are much more dangerous than anything that comes off dryer sheets. Damp clothes create moisture in the house/flat and unless you open the windows once a day for an hour or more (yes, even when it's cold outside), small areas of mildew and damp will form. Those spores are nasty and can cause asthma attacks and long term health damage. Wiping a skirting board with an old dryer sheet is much safer.
Saying that - although these things are cheaper in Europe - we never use them. They are pretty pointless? So I rarely have them at home (they do work as wardrobe fresheners though).
Stearic Acid is mostly made from Palm Oil as it is cheaper and a by-product of bio-fuel-making. I don't think I have seen Stearic Acid made from animal fats for a while.
Our washing powder and conditioner in Europe is the same and a badly looked after washing machine in Europe will also start smelling. We don't have waster softeners installed here very often. Those can cause havoc with washing machines, but nothing that a vinegar rinse doesn't clear.

I like this idea. I use one dryer sheet for about every three loads. The idea of using the sheets more than once makes more sense. Because my feet sometimes get moist while wearing certain shoes too long, I'll cut up dryer sheets and place them in the shoes after I remove them. Keeps them fresh and dry. I also use them sometimes for keeping my closet and clothing drawers fresh. I'll try this with used sheets. Oh, and I'm allergic to Tide, so I've learned to use other products o_0

Have never been a fan of Dryers and the Drier sheets. As much as I would love to take the benefit of Sunshine and wind to dry my clothes, I can't do so per my apartment policy. No hanging/drying in the patio so have to use the Driers. I feel so bad for using so much electricity and letting the beneficial free thing go waste :( :( Cleaning the baseboards with an old rag seems more safer in all counts
Also, is there anyway to switch on and off all those appliances that always seem to be connected ever. Wouldn't they be consuming power when they are just connected though not in use?

I agree with janjanjan ... how do some of you get through the day?

Geez, if you don't like them, don't use them.

Being vegan and concerned about the environment I make an effort to eliminate wasteful single use items from my home. Also for those of you who have made comments about "Who cares if there is animal fat in your big brand dryer sheets." Think about it would you dip your clothes in vat of animal fat? Using fabric softener or dryer sheets with tallow in them is pretty much the same. However, I also LOVE soft clean smelling clothes so DIY vegan softener sheets are my answer! Check out my blogpost http://vegantableforfive.blogspot.com/2012/03/vegan-diy-dryer-sheets.html I'm sure these could be used to wipe baseboards down too and help prevent the dog and cat hair from gathering :) I'll give it a shot tomorrow, thanks for the tip.

Everyone take a deep breath. Dryer sheets are not the "devil". If you don't like them don't use them. This is a good tip for those of us who are ok with them.

LOL...I love how the conversation switched from cleaning the baseboards to instructions on how to air dry your cloth...I never comment on posts, but I just had to on this one, people get so personal on certain issues! Agree with Ericsgirl

For those who said that there were no reasons to use dryer sheets, I have 2 they make my clothes smell INCREDIBLE and I love that, and cleaning my blinds is easier that way. I wish everyone would stop being so judgmental and accept that everyone has a choice when doing their laundry. If you don't use them for whatever reason thats fine, but it isn't kind to try and make those of us that do, feel bad about it. Tolerance.

Bahhhhh. Okay I'm sorry....no offense to anyone but seriously....dryer sheets?? For the love of God I wish that's all I had to worry about...dryer sheets. They are full of this and that. I'm not gona eat them?? Let's worry about all the Crap that's in our food and regular air that we breathe daily. Dryer sheets. Come on!! I've used them for years and I love them!! I will continue to use them. This is not something that I know of that's ever killed anyone. Did you hear about stephanie? Yea...tragic....death my dryer sheet. Oye!! Get a grip.

To those who say hang everything to dry: try living in the desert. I CANNOT have all that dust, dirt and sand in my clothes, towels and bed linens. I am allergic to all of it and it smells disgusting. Not to mention leaving it hanging in this heat and sun ruins the colors in a very short period of time. So let's try NOT judging each and helping when we can, k?

I am all for tolerance—but to those taking the position of "if you don't like them don't use them" I have to point something out: other people using disposable, toxic products then affects those wanting/needing to avoid the chemicals as they end up in the water supply, air, etc. (not to mention harming the environment).

So, if what you choose does not harm others—by all means, go for it. But, please, keep in mind the global and communal impact your choices have on others.

Best cleaning tip I've seen in a long time. It works like a charm!

Use them to repel mice.

oh my gosh, this was a hilarious comment thread to read.

I use dryer sheets mostly in winter to deter static cling. However I use them several times and when they no longer contain softener, I use them for foundation piecing; I am a quilter and most work just fine (some are too thin and tend to fall apart). I like the idea of dusting baseboard; I hate this job and if this cuts down on cleaning time, I am for it.

Great idea! I'm definitely trying this out! It's been such a pain trying to clean that area with paper towels. Do you have any advice for cleaning mesh and upholstered chairs? I just want to make sure my favorite Aeron Chairs are as clean as they can be! They are probably the most comfortable chairs that I own.

This is a great idea. I have a box of lavender dryer sheets from the 99¢ store that I discovered gave me contact dermatitis when I used them with my clothes (see if I get laundry stuff there any more). I've been tucking them under the seat of my car as a deodorizer but I can't really use them for anything clothes or linen related because they make me itch so much. I'm going to try this!

emilyneai -- use the brush attachment on the vacuum for the mesh chairs. It works like a charm.

I hate cleaning my base boards... Anything that helps me clean them less is awesome in my eyes.
I use dryer sheets for everything... I put them in anything I store linens in. I don't have the luxury of having a place to store blankets in, so I put them in Tupperware tubs, when I fold dryer sheets in them it doesn't matter if it has been a week or a year they still smell freshly laundered.

this thread is why I no longer read AT. ....It's dryer sheets. Use them, don't use them. I don't care. I use them. I don't honestly care what they have in them. They take away the static that we get here in the winter. I'm sorry some people seem to have issues with allergies....but that doesn't affect me or my life. Sorry.
I am not going to put my clothes on a clothes line. I don't have that kind of time. Even if I did, I don't, if you get my drift. It is simply not worth the hassle. I am happy with a dryer. I don't care about the electricity cost....it's not that much and worth it to me...Maybe not to you- but that's your choice. I have a job and pay my bills so that I can do what I want.
We don't live in the 1800's anymore and I'm more than happy to let technology do it's thing. . A horse and buggy is better than a car for the environment, but I'm not trading my SUV in for a pony anytime soon....
It's a nice idea to have more than one use for any product even if I don't think I'm ever going to use a dryer sheet to dust my baseboards.

I hung my clothes for nearly 20 years and you are wrong. Sunlight bleaches clothing and fades colors. Sunlight also rots fabrics. Sunlight is a great disinfectant for cloth diapers though.