8 Ways Your Hair Dryer Can Rescue You from Common Household Issues

I really love my hair dryer. It makes the chore of taking care of my (very) long hair so much easier. It also blow-dries my parrot after his weekly bath (although I'd say his feelings towards it are somewhat less fond than my own). But recently it has come to my attention that my loyal companion has many other useful helps up its sleeve as well. Learn about 8 neat ways your in-house hair dryer can make quick work of common household issues.

1. Set icing on cakes and cupcakes.

I love that slightly hard, "crinkly" taste when the icing sets just so. But I live in a very humid place, and often my baked goods look anything but professionally iced.

• What to do: If you hold your hair dryer about a foot away from the cake or cupcake and set it on "hot," the hot air will firm up the icing right away.
• How you save: No more runs to the grocery store to buy replacements for an icing recipe gone wrong.

2. Unstick cakes, breads, cookies and more.

I really love baked goods. But what I don't like is when the baked good in question refuses to come loose from the sheet or pan I baked it in. Often this happens because the item has cooled and stuck itself to the surface.

• What to do: Lift up the sheet or pan, and set your hair dryer to the "hot" setting. Then blow for 30-60 seconds and try removing the cookies, breads, or cake again.
• How you save: See #1. 

3. Remove stubborn crayon and waxy spills and stains.

A hair dryer is really just a mini-heating element, and as such it can soften even the toughest wax-based stains.

• What to do: Set your hair dryer to "hot" and blow until the wax or crayon feels warm to your touch, then use a knife or sponge with some soap and hot water to clean up the mess.
• How you save: You don't have to repaint or treat your painted walls. You don't have to replace the top of whatever surface got damaged by hot spilled wax.

Note: This also works very well to un-stick contact paper from shelves, old photos from photo sleeves, and other "stuck" items that refuse to budge.

4. Unwrinkle clothes…and more.

A hair dryer can be a handy stand-in for professional dry cleaning in a pinch. Whether the issue is an unbearably wrinkled sheet, shower curtain, or silk blouse, in a pinch your hair dryer can help.

• What to do: Set your hair dryer to "hot" and blow at the wrinkled item. For clothing, if you can spritz just a bit of water on first, the wrinkles will come out faster (and the hair dryer will dry up the clothing for you). For sheets, try removing them from the dryer before they are fully dry, then hang them up and blow dry them.
• How you save: You don't have to worry about burning expensive items with your iron or replace your shower curtain every other month.

5. Thaw out just about anything.

Whether the problem at hand is freezer de-icing, a frozen lock that won't open, an automatic ice maker that won't make ice, a thoroughly iced-over windshield, or an ice cube tray that won't loosen its hold on those valuable cubes, your hair dryer will help.

• What to do: Aim the hot air from your hair dryer at the iced-over area and wait. Just be careful of puddles that may form!
• How you save: This one can be a big time-saver, for sure, but can also save you funds on de-icing products (which often have toxic chemicals in them as well).

Note: The opposite holds true as well—if you have a steamy bathroom mirror or window you need to de-fog in a hurry (or even a pair of eyeglasses), your hair dryer is just the helper for the job!

6. Set your mani/pedi when you are in a hurry.

Late for the party but nail polish just won't dry? Big salons use the equivalent of a hair dryer to do this job—why shouldn't you?

• What to do: Just point and aim and let the hot air do the work.
• How you save: You are on time to the party and you don't have any do-overs that waste expensive nail polish.

Note: This also works great for any kind of glue, adhesive, or paint—on walls or a canvas—and for crafts that use glue or paint.

7. Remove gummy labels…or Band-Aids.

Personally, I've never bought into the whole "ouchless" Band-Aid myth. All Band-Aids produce an "ouch" in my opinion—especially when you consider that a Band-Aid is really just a sticker for bare skin.

• What to do: If you have a gummy sticker or label (or a Band-Aid) that doesn't want to come off, heat it a bit with your hair dryer first to loosen the adhesive. It should come right off.
• How you save: Salvage the item the label is sticking to…and save yourself a few applications of Neosporin on newly tender post-Band-Aid skin.

8. Mold plastic wearables into a custom fit.

Have goggles that won't sit right or glasses that lean to the left or right? Chances are all they need is a bit of warming and a tweak to sit properly again.

• What to do: Warm up the plastic a bit, place the goggles or glasses on your face, and then mold them to fit properly on your head.
• How you save: No need to buy a new pair of glasses or goggles when the hair dryer can help you reshape the ones you already own.

Note: If you wear custom-shaped night guards, whitening trays, or earplugs, this trick can work well for these items too!

 

This is a post by Shannon from Texas.