12 Brilliant Tips and Tricks for Your Hair Dryer and Straightener

Easy Storage for Hair Appliances

This PVC wye fitting looks like it was designed to store hair appliances! The four-inch opening is perfect for a hair dryer, and the two-inch one just right for a curling iron or straightener.

The fitting is stable enough to sit on a vanity top without tipping over. If you don’t like the look, either spray paint it or mount it inside a cabinet with a couple of screws. — Julie Oellrich.

Soften Adhesive

Remove Gum

Soften gum with a hair dryer. Just apply some heat to the gum and then use a rag or plastic bag to pull away. Be cautious with heat on carpets or rugs, because it may harm some fibers.

Unwrinkle Clothes

Lay the wrinkled item on a flat surface and blast hot air with your hair dryer. Keep the dryer a couple of inches above the fabric and cover the front and back of the garment. Like magic, the wrinkles will disappear before your eyes. You can spritz or flick a few drops of water on the item before blowing it dry to help soften it.

A flat iron works really well on stubborn wrinkles, too, especially for hard-to-iron areas like collars, cuffs, and sleeves. Just make sure your device isn’t rusty, stained with hair products or holding loose hairs. And be careful of the heat setting and the pressure you use. You don’t want to damage your clothing or burn yourself.

Get Stickers Off Glass

If soaking in hot, soapy water didn’t remove the sticker or glue goo, try blasting the area with hot air from a hair dryer. Be sure to hold the glass object away from the area where you apply the heat so you don’t burn your fingers.

Hold the hair dryer a few inches in front of the sticker or tacky patch and use the highest setting to heat the area quickly. Once the glass is hot, quickly try to remove the sticker or adhesive with a plastic scraper before it cools back down.

Remove a Stuck Command Hook

Accidentally rip the pull tab off a Command Hook? No big deal! You can still get it off damage-free.

First, warm up the adhesive with a hair dryer. Thirty seconds or so seems to be about right. Next, use dental floss or fishing line to gently cut through the adhesive strip. Rub off any remaining adhesive residue and the Command Hook is ready to reuse!

Better Wheelbarrow Grips

Make lifting heavy loads with your wheelbarrow a little more pleasant by adding these cushioned hand grips.

Reuse an old rubber bike tube by cutting pieces to fit over the wheelbarrow handles. If needed, warm up the rubber with a hair dryer to make it easier to stretch. The bike tube provides the perfect amount of padding and traction.

Vacuum Your Hair Dryer

Save yourself the cost of replacing a burned-out hair dryer by simply vacuuming the collected dust from the back vent. A clogged vent makes the motor work harder, which can cause it to burn out faster.

Remove Stickers From Your Bumper

If you’re embarrassed by some of your bumper sticker choices, follow this guide and learn how to remove bumper stickers quickly and easily.

Clean Up Straighteners

Clean With Hand Sanitizer

Your flat iron could be coated not only with hair products, but bacteria. If you haven’t cleaned the surface of your flat iron in a while, grab your hand sanitizer and get to work. After the iron cools down, smear on some hand sanitizer, wait a few minutes, then wipe it clean.

Get Stickers Off

My son plastered all the furniture in his room with stickers from skate shops, arenas and gumball machines. Once he moved out, I wanted to use his furniture in the new guest room — without the stickers.

I softened the adhesive with a hair dryer, then peeled off the stickers with a putty knife. Some were harder to remove than others, but I had them all off in a couple of hours. — Steve Winter.