Dryer Lint: 6 Surprising Uses

Dryer lint doesn’t have to go straight into the garbage. You can repurpose dryer lint in these surprising and fun ways. Read on to learn how to re-use it!

If you use a dryer to dry your laundry, you’ll know one of the most important steps is to make sure that the lint catcher is clean. Due to the fact that dryer lint is highly flammable, it’s necessary to remove it from the machine. While it often just gets thrown in the trash, it doesn’t need to be – it can actually be repurposed and recycled in surprising ways. Let’s take a look at how to re-use dryer lint. 

1. Compost Dryer Lint

Did you know that you can add dryer lint to the compost pile? Be aware that not all dryer lint should be tossed in with your compost. Any dryer lint that includes synthetic sources should not be used in this way. This method is only good for dryer lint that comes from natural fabrics, like cotton, jute, flax, wool, mohair or silk. 

2. Use Dryer Lint as Stuffing

If you have pillows or stuffed animals that need a breath of new life in them, you can use dryer lint. It can be added to teddy bears and throw pillows to make them look extra plump. It has other use for arts and crafts, and can even turn it into a yarn for knitting. 

3. Protect Fragile Items

Dryer lint is an easy packing material between fragile items, and can work well whether you’re moving to a new house, or want to ship breakables across the country. Simply add it as a layer between plates or around fragile things you want to protect. 

4. Plant Liners

Dryer lint soaks up moisture, which means you can line the bottom of a planter with it to avoid the water coming out the drainage hole. This will help hold the water for the roots later on. If you’re not careful, you can easily end up overwatering your plants, and which can cause moldy soil – so use with caution. 

5. Clean Spills with Dryer Lint

Dryer lint can soak up water as well as oil and other spills. If you have an oil spill or antifreeze spill in your garage for example, dryer lint is a great way to soak up the excess. Just be sure to dispose of it properly once you’ve soaked up any oil – if using it for water, you can dispose of it as normal. 

6. Use Dryer Lint in the Garden

It can be used in the garden as mulch (as long as it is natural materials), as a prevention of soil erosion, and as a weed preventer. Simply add the dryer lint to your garden and let it soak up water. The materials should protect the plants, soil, and keep weeds from sprouting.

Avoid Using Dryer Lint as a Fire Starter

Many believe that a great repurpose for dryer lint is as a fire starter, however, this is not a particularly good item to use. Dryer lint is the excessive lint and fibers that come from your clothes in the dryer, but some clothes are made of synthetic materials that should not be burned. If you use fabric softener or dryer sheets in your dryer, these chemicals are released when you burn them which can be harmful if breathed in.

Dryer lint is also one of the reasons why many house-fires start, because although easily flammable, they should not be burned purposefully. Instead, remove the lint from your dryer and repurpose it safely using one of the above methods. 

Read on:

• Drying Laundry Naturally: An Alternative to Your Dryer 
• How to Shrink a Sweater: An Easy, Eco-Friendly Method 
• How to Remove Lint From Clothes: 4 Eco-Friendly Methods

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Tags: Green Living Guide Practical Tips Sustainability