Alternative Uses for Dryer Lint

Dryer lint is one of the most widely produced waste products across the world. After a load of clothes has finished drying and you empty the lint trap of your clothing dryer, many people will simply toss the lint in the wastebasket. There are many handy ways that I have found to recycle leftover dryer lint in the home.

One of the best ways to recycle leftover dryer lint in the home is to use it to start fires including fires in the fireplace, wood stove, and bonfires in the yard during summer party season, even fires on the grill for summertime cooking. Use a double-handful sized wad of dryer lint to start any good fire. Be sure that you use dryer lint that which hasn't been exposed to gasoline or burned motor oil.

Used dryer lint makes an excellent pillow. For one to two weeks, each time you empty the dryer lint trap, empty it into your favorite pillow case until the case is filled with dryer lint to the outer open seam of the pillowcase. Either use a sewing machine or hand sew the open end shut. This kind of pillow is well-suited for those of us who enjoy a pillow that forms to the shape of our lower heads to the base of the neck for a comfortable night's sleep or power nap during the day. Use slightly dryer lint for couch cushions or car seat cushions.

Used dryer lint is also good for soaking up used motor oil. Before you begin changing the oil in your car, be sure to put down a sheet of dryer lint under the car and on each side of the front of the car. If you spill motor oil cover the spill in dryer lint, and firmly step in the dryer lint so that it adheres to the spill for easy absorption. After you change the oil discard the soiled dryer lint in the wastebasket. Absolutely do not use the motor oil soiled dryer lint for anything else as this can cause risk to your health by inhaling used motor oil. Sheets of dryer lint are also good to put under the dish drain and in children's beds in case they have an urination accident in the middle of the night.