17 handy hairdryer hacks

We had such a great response to our 10 things you can do with bobby pins blog that it got us thinking: What other beauty tools can be used for more than just the obvious?
My hairdryer immediately sprang to mind. Even though I’m a self-professed fan of the air-drying technique, it has a million and one other uses that ensure I’ll always have it handy.
Don’t believe me? Here are 17 sneaky things you can do with a hairdryer that have zero to do with hair styling…
1. Remove stickers perfectly
We all know the struggle of picking away at a label for 10 minutes, only to aggressively tear it and be left with a sticky, stickery residue *shudders*. To avoid this sitch, take the offending jar and blast it with your hairdryer for a bit – the sticker should peel off easily!
2. Dry nail polish faster
Don’t have a mini fan handy? Your hairdryer is the next best thing. For optimum results, use a low, cool setting. Oh, and keep your hand still and move the dryer back and forth (you’ll be much less likely to knock your nails).
3. Clear a foggy mirror
We all forget to turn the fan on from time to time, and there’s nothing worse than trying to do your hair and make-up in front of a foggy mirror. Thankfully, just a quick blast of your hairdryer will take care of the fog, leaving it clear as can be.
Photo credit: hashtagpp.com/
RELATED: Multi-tasking make-up must-haves
RELATED: Should you shampoo your hair twice?
4. Remove crayon from a wall
This is one for the mums. Crayons are made of wax, which means applying heat will effectively melt them off your wall. Then all you need is some dish soap and a scrubbing brush to scrub the offending scribble away.
Photo credit: houselogic.com/
5. Remove candle wax from a table
See number four. Now go forth and cover your dining room table with gorgeous, scented candles in the knowledge they will never cause you pain again.
6. De-wrinkle clothes
Not all materials can be manipulated by your hairdryer, but clothes made of cotton are a pretty safe bet. Crank up the heat and wield it a few inches away from your crinkly dress and watch those wrinkles disappear.
7. Make cake icing shiny
This sneaky step is so worth it if you can hold off tucking in for two extra minutes. Once you’ve iced your cake, use your hairdryer to give it a quick blast of hot air. This will give it a glorious, glossy finish. #Professional.
8. Pull off Band-Aids
This one’s particularly handy for those three-day-old Band-Aids that just won’t budge. Simply heat the Band-Aid up with your hairdryer and peel it off gently for a pain-free reveal. Mums will find little ones also love this one.
111 Member Comments
I've used hair dryer to dry nail polish too :)
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Never thought of using my dryer to de wrinkle my clothes. Makes sense when you think about it. Sure beats having to iron them. Ironing sucks big time.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Candle wax! Oh yes, just one f the forumites told me about this
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
As a mum to young kids, the crayon and adhesive bandage hacks are now in my bag of tricks- thanks BH!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
How did I live without a hairdryer for so long?
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Glossy cake?
Yes please!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I love these hacks, but no.2 is a bit of a stretch as nail polish cures rather than drys. If you want something that works, I recommend a quick dry top coat like Seche Vite.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Gloss a cake icing? I’m sold! I’ve never known about this!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
i use mine to de wrinkle clothes also
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I’m going to try the remove stickers hack. I’ve got this gorgeous (empty now) bottle of tequila that comes with a wooden cork. I don’t know how I’m going to repurpose it yet but at least I now know how to get the label off.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
You'll have to let us know if it works. The bottle will make a great vase. When it comes to jars, I've always put them through the dishwasher and then picked the labels up out of the bottom.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Finally got around to trying this one and it was a fail! I think it might work on labels that have been stuck down with wax.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Eucalyptus oil works in removing labels and residue...
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Thanks Lucy I’ll have to try it as I’ve discovered a use for the bottle.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Oh I love these!!! Very useful.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I always use a hair dryer to dry my nails just before I go to work!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Here's another Hack: If you polish your mirror with some detergent, it won't fog up.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Ahh I like!
The surfactant at work...
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
I love the idea of no. 6 and I'm gonna try it one day!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Great hacks to try out!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I'm happy using my hair dryer for the purpose it was intended and other items for other things.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
These are some pretty neat tricks!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Awesome hacks, I will be trying the getting of wrinkles out of cotton clothes tip.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Never thought of using hair dryer for all of these.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
These are all genius
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0