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Creative Dryer Lint Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner
By JEANA HARRIS
Fire Starter
Lint's shape and texture ensure easy airflow, so when heat is applied, it combusts easily. To make a fire starter with lint, loosely fill a toilet paper tube with it.
Next, spread a gob of petroleum jelly across the lint sticking out from each end of the tube, roll up the tube with a piece of wax paper, and then twist the ends to secure it.
Compost
Lint helps add carbon and fiber to your compost. However, only use lint that came from laundry without a dryer sheet to ensure you're not adding chemicals to the compost.
Simply spread the lint evenly across the top of your compost pile, and spray it with your hose, ensuring not to oversaturate it. Then, gently mix everything with a shovel or rake.
Draft Stopper
Lint can be used to make draft stoppers to place along any doors or windows where you feel a chill. Reducing drafts in rooms can lead to huge energy savings annually.
Firmly pack a sock with lint, tie off the end of the sock, and place it at your door or window. It's more affordable than purchasing a draft stopper at the store.
Small Pet Bedding
Save money on the cost of replacing your pet's bedding every day by using lint. It's soft and cozy for them to burrow into and a free byproduct of your dryer.
To ensure it’s safe for your pets, use a natural detergent; do not add fabric softeners, scent beads, etc.; and avoid dryer sheets, as these chemicals can irritate their skins.
Garden Pots
When too much soil seeps out of a plant pot's drainage hole or water runs through it too quickly, you can create a liner made from dryer lint to solve the issue.
Line your pot with firmly packed lint, bringing it up the sides a bit and not just pressing it flat across the bottom. Add your soil, the plant or flowers, and water as usual.