Laundry New Uses for Old Things

Outfit a home gym by filling two empty bottles with sand and using them as dumbbells.

Use a clothespin to keep napkins neatly stacked at a cocktail party—or from blowing away at a picnic.

Turn your fridge or stove hood into a memo board. Glue a magnet to the back of a pin and use it to hold reminders, invitations, and photos.

Keep a retractable cord from rewinding too soon. Just clip the cord near the opening to prevent the cord from being sucked back in too quickly.

Remove coffee and tea stains from the insides of cups by rubbing with a salted citrus peel.

Hand-launder delicates. A colander shields them from any residue in the sink that can harm the fabric, such as peroxide from toothpaste or caustic agents from cleansers.

Cut diagonally across the middle of an empty, clean bottle, toss the base, and use the half with the handle to scoop up soil or cat litter.

Pluck the lint buildup from a clothes dryer's trap.

During seasonal cleaning binges, soft-sided, handled laundry bins can double as trash cans. Submitted by: HookemSuz

Eliminate sticky residue from an iron. Run the hot iron (no steam) over plain paper sprinkled with salt.

Hang bras, hosiery, and other small items that can't go in the dryer on a mulit-level pant hanger for a compact drying rack. Submitted by: Bettys187

Avoid ironing while on the road. Pack clothes between layers of tissue paper and they’ll arrive wrinkle-free.

To get wrinkles out of silk, wool, and rayon clothes that can't take direct heat, place a piece of foil on your ironing board, then lay the garment flat over it. With the steam button down, pass the iron three to four inches over the fabric several times. Wet heat radiating from the foil helps smooth out wrinkles.

Sprinkle a little on the shirt’s underarms and collar, then iron to prevent sweat stains on white shirts. The powder forms a barrier that keeps oil and grime from seeping into the threads.

Has your deodorant left its mark? A baby wipe works to lift those hard-to-remove stains.

Store sets of napkins clipped together and they’ll always be ready to set the scene at dinnertime. You'll restore order to your linen closet and save minutes searching for elusive matching colors.

Let guests locate their seats in a creative way. Clip a miniature clothespin to the bottom of each paper to create the base for a rustic escort card display.

Use clips to prevent silky sleeveless shirts and dresses from slipping off the hanger. And you can say goodbye to wrinkled sundresses on the closet floor.

Since you most likely have it in abundance, use it to make homemade modeling dough. Simply mix the lint with water and flour (and, if you prefer, food coloring), as directed below for an ear-resistible sculpture of Dumbo.

To make the modeling dough:

1. Place 3 cups (shredded) dryer lint into a pot.
2. Pour in 2 cups water.
3. Stir in 1 cup flour.
4. Add ½ teaspoon vegetable oil.
5. Stir continuously over low heat until the mixture binds together and is of a smooth consistency.
6. Pour onto a sheet of wax paper to cool.

Remove gunk from the soleplate of an iron. With the setting on low, rub the iron over the dryer sheet until the residue disappears, and you're left with a pristine press.

Roll up one sheet per slipper, sneaker, or loafer, insert, and forget about stinky shoes. (Bonus uses: Toss them in hampers, on closet shelves, in diaper bags.)

Stop static cling on clothes—or tame flyaway hair—by rubbing a sheet over the problem area.

No time to drag out your iron and ironing board? A straightening iron works perfectly between buttons where a regular iron doesn’t fit. And it smooths collar creases and minor wrinkles. So you can look perfectly pressed when you're pressed for time.

Place an open box of baking soda alongside your stacks of sheets and towels to stave off mustiness.

Avoid hammer accidents (and protect your thumb!) when hanging a picture by using a clothespin to securely hold the nail instead of your two fingers.

The secret to keeping a retractable cord from rewinding too soon is to clip the cord near the opening.

Adhere a wide grosgrain ribbon to the wall with double-sided mounting tape, then attach holiday cards up and down it for a jolly–and changeable—seasonal exhibit. Both regular-size and mini clothespins will work.

An easy way to keep the work area clean. Saw dust at a work station sweeps up so fast with one pass of a used fabric softener sheet.

To prevent tangles, run a threaded needle through a sheet before you begin stitching.

Remove obstinate soap buildup from glass shower doors by sprinkling a few drops of water onto a used fabric-softener sheet and scrubbing.

If fabric-softener sheets make your clothes smell nice in the dryer, just think about what they could do in your dresser. Slip a few fresh ones between folded clothes.

Prevent your beloved volumes from acquiring a musty smell by inserting a fabric-softener sheet between the pages.

Skip the bleach—add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle to brighter up those fading whites.

Rematch separated socks by stashing singles in a lingerie bag in the closet to await their mates.

Speed the drying process for a favorite sweater. After hand-washing the garment, twirl it in the spinner to take out excess water.

Air-dry laundry. When a worn out umbrella has lost the capacity to fend off raindrops, cut away the fabric and hang the frame upside down from a rod or a door knob. Clip damp delicate items to the ribs with clothespins.

Fill the tub with ice and extra bottles of beer and wine so you don't have to empty the refrigerator to make room for party supplies. Bonus: The melted ice neatly drains right through the machine's holes.

Keep mini Tupperware lids, baby-bottle caps, and other small items from falling through the dishwasher rack. You'll save time by no longer diving for treasure on the floor of the dishwasher.

Stash swimsuits or sports bras in a mesh bag, thread a hanger through one of the holes, and hang in your closet. Finding all those little bits and pieces will be a cinch.

Lift red wine stains from washables with this fix: Stretch fabric over a bowl, cover with salt, and then carefully pour boiling water over it.

Stock laundry room supplies over a doorknob so you know when to reload. Detergent, softener, and clothespins fit neatly in the dividers.

Baby shampoo is gentle on more than just your little one's eyes. It's perfect for lingerie too. Get the article wet, lather a pea-size amount of it into your hands and wash, as suggested, then air-dry.

Hold your place­–and the page–in a cookbook while you’re busy mixing ingredients.

Track guests’ towels. When “his” and “hers” doesn’t cover it, give visitors color-coded pins (or write names on wooden ones) to attach to their bath towels.

A sheet at the bottom of a gym bag will help keep odor down.

Fluff up wool sweaters by adding a few capfuls of vinegar to the rinse cycle.