10 Unexpected Handy Uses for a Hair Dryer
The hair dryer was one of the 20th
century’s most useful inventions. Not only does it help dry our hair
much quicker when we need to leave the house, but it can also fight
frizz and accentuate curls and layers. But did you know that hair dryers
can be used for a variety of other tasks that don’t involve hair at
all? Turns out this appliance is one of the most useful and handy ones
out there, and the best thing is that most of us already own a hairdryer
anyway. Check out these 10 surprising uses for a hairdryer that will
make your life much easier.
1. Break in new shoes
Breaking in new leather shoes can be a
painful process, but you can avoid the blisters by simply using a
hairdryer. Put on some thick socks, then put on the new shoes and
blow-dry the tight areas for a few minutes. Walk around until your feet
cool off to loosen up the leather.
It’s important to note that this method is for genuine leather shoes; it
can work with some synthetics, but be careful as the heat might damage
certain materials if the hair-dryer is set on a high heat setting.
2. Adjust glasses
If you recently got new glasses and they
are too tight or too loose, your hair-dryer can help with that, too. Set
the hairdryer to hot and blow the hot air on the part of the glasses
that hooks over your ears until it bends easily with gentle pressure. At
that point, you can carefully adjust the fit - bend up to loosen or
down to tighten. Voila.
You can use the hairdryer on the nose pads of the glasses as well.
Heating up that area will allow you to bend the frames just slightly,
which will make the frames fit more closely.
3. Remove stickers
It can be a real nuisance when you purchase
a pan and the label sticker won’t shift, or when you pick up a present
for someone and the price tag sticker seems stuck there forever. All you
need to do is blast that pesky paper with a hairdryer for about 45
seconds. After 45 seconds of direct heat, test a corner of the sticker
and see if it peels away easily. If it doesn’t, continue the hairdryer
treatment for another 45 seconds or so, and then start peeling off the
sticker.
That same trick also works with band-aids - just blow some hot air on it
and peel it off painlessly.
4. Iron
If you have a completely wrinkled up cotton
garment on your hands, you will require an iron. But for anything else,
a hairdryer can definitely do the trick. Hang the garment up, spray a
little water on it, and then blast it with hot air from an inch or two
away until the wrinkle disappears. If you’re in a hurry, you can even do
this -carefully! - with your clothes on.
Using your hairdryer as an iron also works with plastic tablecloths,
which tend to wrinkle easily in storage. You can blast away those
wrinkles by holding your hair dryer at least 12 inches away from your
tablecloth.
5. Clean crayon marks
Sometimes young artists have the urge to
let their creativity loose, which a lot of the time ends with crayons
all over the walls. Trying to clean crayon marks off the wall can be a
frustrating experience, but a bit of hot air will make it much simpler.
Simply use the hairdryer to blow hot air on the crayon marks and the wax
will begin to melt from the heat. Then use a cleaning cloth or a paper
towel with a little liquid dish soap and gently wipe away the marks.
This method is safe to use on most wall surfaces, but test it on a
hidden spot first to be sure.
6. Dust the keyboard
Who doesn’t occasionally watch a video on
their laptop while eating? If this made you suddenly spot all the crumbs
and other random bits stuck in your keyboard, don’t worry. It’s a
common issue, just make sure to clean it every now and then. A standard
air dryer can easily remove built-up dirt on and under the keys, just
make sure to set it in cool air to avoid melting the keyboard.
7. Add gloss to cake frosting
Achieving that bakery-style frosting really
isn’t that difficult. To gloss the frosting on a freshly baked cake,
lightly blow warm air over the top and the sides of the cake until the
frosting melts a little. When it cools, the surface will stay shiny for a
professional finish.
8. Keep a compress hot
When your hot compress cools down it
becomes less effective and needs renewing. To make things easier, you
can keep a compress hot by pointing your blow dryer at the towel and
leaving it running for a few minutes. You can also keep the towel wet by
misting it with a spray bottle every once in a while.
9. De-mist bathroom mirror
You’ve just had your morning shower and
you’re in a big rush. Naturally, you will need to use the bathroom
mirror to finish getting ready. Alas, it is completely covered in steam.
Most of us just wipe a small circle through which we can see our
reflection, but that is less than ideal because it leaves streaks on the
mirror. Pointing your hairdryer at your mirror for about a minute does a
far better job, and you will be able to clearly see your reflection
again.
10. Dry your salt and pepper grinders
Salt and pepper grinders are one of those
things we should all wash more often. The problem is when you do, you
must make sure the shaker is completely dry before putting more salt or
pepper in, and that can take a while. Blowing some hot air into the
grinders with a hairdryer is an easy way to speed things up.