Recently an email with the subject line “Good Info to Know” landed in my inbox. Dismissing it as an annoying joke email, I nearly deleted it without reading it before I saw what it was all about—dryer sheets. The clever author of this email lists a bunch of uses forthese little miracle products have besides keeping laundry fresh smelling and static free. They include:

– Chase ants away and repel mice and moquitos

– Remove musty odors from old books and photo albums

– Eliminate static electricity from television and computer monitors—and keep dust from resettling on them

– Dissolve soap scum from shower doors

– Freshen closets or drawers

– Keep thread from tangling (run a threaded needle through a sheet before starting to sew

– Prevent musty suitcases (put a sheet in empty luggage before storing)

– Freshen air in cars—place a sheet under the front seat

– Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan (put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight and sponge clean—the antistatic agent weakens the bond between food and pan)

– Eliminate odors in wastebaskets (place a sheet at the bottom of the basket)

– Collect cat hair

– Eliminate static from Venetian blinds

– Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering

– Eliminate odors in dirty laundry

– Deodorize shoes or sneakers

– Golfers keep bees away by putting a sheet in their pockets.

– Use in sleeping bags and tents before storing to keep them smelling fresh

Who knew that this little product—a nonwoven—could solve so many household crises? I wonder if the marketing teams at Procter & Gamble, Unilever and other dryer sheet marketers know about them.

Karen McIntyre
Editor
[email protected]