8 Surprising Uses for Dryer Lint

Make Fire Starters

Dryer lint is super flammable stuff, so use it to make your own fire starters. Just tuck a bunch inside a toilet paper roll, wrap the whole thing in newspaper, tuck in the ends, and you're good to go.

You can also make longer-burning fire starters by following a few simple steps. You'll just need to gather cardboard egg cartons and candle wax in addition to the dryer lint. It's an easy project that takes just 15 minutes.

Compost It

Toss your dryer lint on your compost pile, and wait for it to turn into free soil for your garden. Do this only with lint from natural fibers such as cotton and linen: human-made fibers may not break down as readily.

Of course, you can buy compost at any garden supply center, but why spend the money? It's is very easy (and less expensive) to make your own from dryer lint and many other household materials. Whether your garden is indoors or out, compost will help all your vegetables grow better.

Use It as Pet Bedding

Do you have a pet hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, or rat? Take all that fluff that you pull out of the lint trap, and deposit it into their cage. They'll be thrilled to have it as bedding material, and you'll have one less thing to buy for them.

Make Dryer Clay

Whip up a quick batch of clay for the kids. Dryer clay is easy to make and lots of fun to play with. In addition to the dryer lint, you'll only need to gather 1/3 cup of white glue, one tablespoon of dishwashing soap, and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of warm water. The process is simple, quick, and inexpensive.

Use It as Stuffing

Dryer lint is nothing more than freshly laundered fiber that's come off of your clothing, so save some cash by using it to stuff pillows and stuffed animals. Or, together with wadded newspapers and old clothes, dryer lint is great for making stuffed dummies and scarecrows for Halloween.

Soak up Spills

If you get motor oil on your driveway or garage floor—and you don't have any kitty litter on hand—grab a wad of dryer lint, and use it to soak up the mess. If you also run out of dryer lint, you can use cornstarch to soak up spills.

Make Paper

Save up your dryer lint. Then, use it to make beautiful, handmade paper for your cardmaking and scrapbooking projects.

Make Papier-Mâché

Use dryer lint in place of the newspaper strips in your next papier-mâché project. You'll find it's much easier to mold ​and requires fewer layers.