"Lint roller" isn't exactly a misnomer, but the decidedly modest name really obscures its many other amazing uses. "Spinning Do-Anything Wizard Tape" would be more accurate, though it's probably too late to rebrand. Anyway, the point is, removing fiber fuzz and pet hair from clothing is the least the lint roller can do. Here are some of our favorite ways to use one ...
1. Clean up broken glass. If only every dropped dish broke into just a few neat pieces, cleaning up would be a piece of cake. More often than not, glass shatters, leaving tiny shards scattered across the floor, just waiting to be stepped on. While the bulk of the mess should still be swept into a dustpan, give the area a thorough once-over with a lint roller. It'll pick up any sharp little slivers you missed, and spare your feet some unnecessary pain.
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2. Pick up crumbs. Let's face it — in many households, most meals aren't served at the dining room table. A lint roller is great at picking up crumbs wherever they fall. In between the sheets after eating cookies in bed? CHECK! Sandwich crumbs all over your keyboard from working through lunch? CHECK! Cheerios between the couch cushions? Yup, even those!
3. Tidy drawers. Kitchen, bathroom and desk drawers tend to be magnets for clutter and random debris. Pull everything out and use a lint roller to pick up all the crumbs, makeup particles, loose staples, and other refuse that's settled at the bottom of the drawer. You can also tear off individual sheets to clean tight corners and edges.
4. Hairs around the bathroom. Bathroom surfaces seem to attract random hairs, the sight of which always seems so filthy, even if you've recently cleaned. Use a lint roller to unstick those errant strands from shelves, around the sink, on top of the toilet, and even shower walls.
5. Clean lampshades. Just because they can't be tossed in the washing machine, doesn't mean they don't get dirty. Lampshades collect just as much dust as the bases they sit upon, and with a lint roller, they're even easier to clean.
6. Take care of window treatments. Use a lint roller to regularly dust your drapes and you won't need to dry clean them as frequently.
7. Clear out pockets and purses. We tend to treat them like mobile junk drawers, so coat pockets and purses can get filthy fast. Use a lint roller to remove every last crumb, gum wrapper, and unidentifiable sediment.
8. Craft cleanup. Glitter is pretty impossible to get rid of, but a lint roller will get you pretty darn close.
9. Take care of small spills. Next time you knock over the salt shaker or sneeze while measuring a cup of flour, leave the dustpan in the broom closet and lint roller the mess instead.
10. Remove cobwebs. Got an empty paint roller with an extended handle? Stick it through a tube of lint roller tape and use the contraption to remove spiderwebs from high corners and shelves.
11. Pick up dead bugs. Instead of pinching it between your fingers with a paper towel and trying not to gag, tear off a lint roller sheet and let the sticky side handle this gross job.
12. Retrieve tiny valuables. A lint roller is great at finding small objects — like a stud earring or your last tab of Xanax — that have fallen under or behind hefty furniture.
13. Control a peeling sunburn. There are two types of people in this world: those who love to pick at a peeling sunburn and those who decidedly do not. If you're in the latter category, use a lint roller to gently remove the dead skin flakes as they slough off.