12 Clever Uses for a Hair Dryer That Will Blow You Away

We bet you didn't know that you have an incredibly versatile tool—cleverly disguised as a common hair-styling essential—hiding just under the bathroom sink. Learn how to move beyond the blowout with these little-known ways to use a hair dryer to simplify tasks in your home.

By Caylin Harris

Updated on Jan 28, 2016

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Ditch Your Duster

Any heavily styled shelf can be a pain to dust: Removing all the trinkets, dusting off each piece, wiping down the shelf, and then piling everything back on is a lot of work. (No wonder we don’t dust more often!) Starting on a low setting, use a hair dryer to blow the dust off shelves, lampshades, and other hard-to-clean items. Run a vacuum over the surrounding floor when finished.

Remove a Photo from an Old Photo Album

When you pull those old photo albums out of the attic, don’t be discouraged if a few pictures are stuck to the pages. Warm the pages with air from the dryer to quickly loosen the photos without fear of damaging them.

Thaw Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes in the winter mean no water, and if they get really bad, they could burst. Some homes are designed with plumbing too close to, or actually in, an exterior wall that lacks the proper insulation. Focus hot air from the hair dryer on the wall or directly on the pipes to help get things running again.

Remove Wax from Wood

Candles add a decorative touch to any room, but the waxy residue they leave behind is much less appealing. Heat from a hair dryer will loosen and slightly melt wax that’s stuck on furniture, allowing you to easily clean it off your surfaces.

Remove Stickers and Labels

Ah, those terribly placed price tags! You’ve seen it before: You pick up a new set of wineglasses and end up spending 20 minutes picking at the sticky price tags. Hit the sticker with a blast of hot air from the hair dryer, and you’ll be relieved to see how easily it peels off.

Remove Crayon Marks

Encouraging kids to color outside the lines means you might end up with crayon on your walls. Hit the crayon marks with high heat until they start to melt, then gently scrub with a cloth and some all-purpose cleaner to remove.

Related: Ditch the Fridge—7 New Ways to Display Children’s Artwork

Defrost Your Food

No worries if you haven’t thought about dinner or you’ve forgotten to thaw your veggies. Pull out your frozen foods and hit them with a blast of hot air to speed up the defrosting process.

Stretch Out Small Shoes

Don’t pass up wearing the perfect shoes because they’re a teeny bit too tight. Don a pair of thick wool socks with the shoes, and aim hot air from the hair dryer on the tight spots for a few minutes. Leave the shoes on while they cool to set the stretch.

Clean Your Keyboard

Keyboards are a forgotten source of dust and dirt, and they’re often tricky to thoroughly clean. Set your hair dryer on high on the cool setting, and go over the keys with it. You’ll be surprised (and grossed out) by what comes blowing out.

Shrink-Wrap Presents

Give your basket of goodies for friends or family that extra-special touch by wrapping the basket with cellophane and blow-drying it. The cellophane will shrink to fit around the basket, leaving you with an impressively polished finished product.

Remove Wrinkles from Clothes

Forget the iron! If you’re getting ready for work and notice that the shirt you’re wearing is wrinkled, spritz it lightly with water and run the hair dryer over it on high heat to quickly get rid of those pesky creases.