13 Creative Household Uses For A Hair Dryer That Have Nothing To Do With Hair

If you're like many people, using a hair dryer is a regular part of your daily routine. You might use it to dry your hair after a shower, get ready for the day, or refresh your style and reactivate products for second-day hair that looks freshly washed. However, tending to your hair isn't the only way to use your hair dryer. In fact, there are various ways to use a hair dryer around your home, adding another tool to your arsenal without needing to purchase anything new.

Hair dryers typically range from 140 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the wattage. While that heat makes them effective for all hair types, it also means your dryer functions like a smaller heat gun — though a true heat gun can reach temperatures between 140 to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. This difference means hair dryers can't handle every job a heat gun can, but they're ideal for tasks needing gentler heat, such as drying fabric or loosening price tags.

When using your hair dryer around the house, it's important to practice proper safety techniques, even if it doesn't get as hot as a heat gun. Avoid touching the opening, which may have a heated metal frame, and always unplug it after use.

Candles and wax melts are a great way to add fragrance to your home. However, there is one downside that can come with their use, and that's spilled wax. Whether you knocked over your candle or spilled the dish on your warmer while changing out fragrances, spilled wax is a common but frustrating accident that can be difficult to clean once hardened. Fortunately, gentle heat from a hair dryer can soften spilled wax, making cleanup much easier. Just keep in mind that this only works on wooden surfaces.

If you're renovating your home or working on your hobby, you may find yourself at the mercy of paint's drying time. This can be especially tedious when you can't move on to the next steps until the current coat is dry. By using your hair dryer to dry paint faster, you can speed up the process. However, it's important to test a small area first to see how the paint reacts to the heat, as well as keeping the dryer moving at all times and using a low setting to prevent distortion. Attaching a diffuser can also help distribute heat more evenly for better control.

When you have wood furniture, water stains can happen quickly, such as forgetting a coaster just one time. To preserve the appearance of your furniture, it's important to act as soon as it occurs, as set stains can be harder to remove. While several methods can remove water stains from wood furniture, one of the easiest is using a hair dryer. The heat from your hair dryer will cause the water to evaporate. Afterward, you can seal your furniture for future protection.

Faux flowers, lampshades, carefully arranged bookshelves – when curating the perfect decorations for your home, some rather fragile or delicate items may have ended up in your collection. Unfortunately, dust doesn't care about how difficult it can be to clean a silk faux flower. On the bright side, dusty decorations are another place your hair dryer can shine. Hair dryers can be the key to cleaning faux flowers. Using the cool setting and keeping a distance from fragile items, you can blow away dust without disturbing your display.

You've picked out and installed the perfect wallpaper, only to step away and see that it's wrinkled or lumpy. With how much work it can be to hang wallpaper in a room, the last thing anyone wants is to have to start over. However, your hair dryer can smooth out wallpaper creases, offering a quick fix for minor problems. To troubleshoot wrinkles or bubbles, simply use your dryer to apply heat to the problem area. This warms the adhesive, which you can iron out with the help of a smoothing tool.

Your hair dryer's ability to loosen adhesive also makes it useful for removing countertop contact paper. If you're looking to upgrade your kitchen on a budget, contact paper can offer you a beginner-friendly solution. However, there may come a time when you're ready for a change. If you want to use your hair dryer to remove contact paper, all you have to do is apply steady heat until the adhesive softens, then gently peel or scrape it away.

Much like dusting faux flowers, you can also use a hair dryer to dust other hard-to-reach areas around your home — like under furniture. By using the cool setting, you can blow dust from under your furniture to areas you can reach, allowing you to sweep it up. Just be careful using this method if you have allergies or respiratory sensitivities.

Repurposing jars helps reduce waste while giving you a clean slate for your next DIY project. However, removing labels or stickers by hand can be a tedious process that can leave you frustrated before your project even begins. Just like you can use your hair dryer to heat the adhesive on wallpaper and contact paper, you can also use it to heat the adhesive on your jar's label for an easy and clean removal. If any residue remains, a mix of baking soda and oil can remove it for a spotless finish.

Have you ever washed your hands before walking out the door, only to end up with a wet spot on your clothes? When you're in a hurry, a quick cycle in the dryer or finding a change of clothes may not be an option. No need to fret, though — in the same way your hair dryer can help with wet hair, it can be a fast solution for wet clothes as well. Make sure to use the appropriate heat setting for your clothing's material, and avoid keeping the dryer focused on one spot.

Crayons are typically made of paraffin wax and pigment, the combination that gives them their color. As a result, if a creative child has turned your walls into a canvas, your hair dryer can come in handy for removal, just like when you're dealing with spilled wax. While using the hair dryer to heat the crayon mess, you can remove it as it softens with a paper towel. When cleaning, dab rather than rub to prevent spreading the wax further.

Your hair isn't the only part of your beauty routine that a hair dryer can help with. Even with fast-drying paint, it can take time for your at-home manicure to dry. The longer your nails are wet, the greater chance you have of smudging your handiwork. On a low, cool setting, a hair dryer can help your manicure dry faster and set smoothly.

Puffy jackets lined with insulation can be a necessity for colder weather. However, getting these jackets ready to wear can be a hassle. After washing and drying, insulation often clumps, leaving you to redistribute it throughout the jacket. Fortunately, you can use your hair dryer to fluff your puffy jacket, especially when paired with a rolling pin for spreading out the insulation. When drying any type of clothing with a hair dryer,  check the garment's care label for proper instructions.

You're rushing out the door, only to throw on your shirt, and realize it's wrinkled. This is a common occurrence that can happen to anyone, and you may find yourself without the time to break out the iron. In this situation, your hair dryer can offer a quick solution that smooths out your clothing in a hurry. Start by misting your clothes with water – a spray bottle makes this process easier. Then, using the correct heat setting for the fabric, focus on wrinkles and creases until they smooth out.