Encourage Me: Wimps

“Lint rollers are for [wimps]. Wear that pet hair like you mean it.” (Anonymous)

Hair, dust, fur, and lint are everywhere. No house is so clean that it doesn't contain any. No dryer is so effective to pluck it all out of your laundry. Lint rollers are an inexpensive way of removing these specks from otherwise clean clothes

Nicholas McKay, Sr. (1920 - 2014) was an American inventor and entrepreneur. His most well-known (and first commercial) product was the Lint Pic-Up, the world's first lint roller. McKay had the idea after needing masking tape, a paper roll, and some wire to clean his suit before chaperoning his son's high school dance in 1956. Today’s lint roller is more versatile than you might imagine. Here are ways to get the best use out of all a lint roller has to offer:

1. Clean a pool table Don't reach for the brush. Grab your lint roller, and go over it to get all the dust and any grime off.

2. Clean dandruff If you suffer from dandruff; give your clothes a quick brush to get rid of any dead skin.

3. Clean drawers It's easy to put stuff in your drawers, but it's just not that easy to clean it out. For all those tricky places, find your lint roller and gather all that dust and dirt up.

4. Clean hair up Have you just shaved your beard or trimmed your fringe? Pick up all those tiny hairs with a lint roller.

5. Clean lampshades Locate that lint roller and press it over the exterior of your dusty lampshades. If you have ceiling fabric lampshades, get those down too and give them a good clean.

6. Clean the car Use a lint roller to get rid of all the excess dirt on your dashboards and on your car seats. This is a quick and easy tip for you without having to crack out the vacuum.

7. Clean the carpet Need to clean the floor fast before company? Crack out the lint roller to get rid of dust and dirt.

8. Clean threads after using the sewing machine You know those tiny bits of broken-off thread you get when using a sewing machine? Pick them all up with your lint roller.

9. Clean toys Stuffed toys have a habit of getting grubby very quickly. Remove dust and grime in between washes with a lint roller.

10. Clean up from crafts Crafting can be messy, especially when cutting out bits of paper or card. Clean up the table using a quick roll of the lint roller.

11. Clean up glass shards Pick up all those tiny shards with a lint roller. Just make sure to be careful when you’re peeling the roller section off. Continue until all the tiny shards are picked up.

12. Clean up glitter If you've gone a bit glitter-crazy and keep finding it everywhere then it's time to pick up your lint roller. Use it to go over all the surfaces, and pick up every last speck.

13. Clean up pet fur Remove excess fur from your cat or dog by rubbing a lint roller over them. Lift any loose hair with ease, but if your pet hates it, then don't do it. This will also help to keep pet fur off your furniture.

14. Clean up sunburned skin When your sunburn starts to peel, get your lint roller, and rub it over your sunburn. All the dead skin will be picked up.

15. Clean up your bag If your bag has been a personal rubbish bin for weeks now, full of tissue bits, dust and dirt. It's time for a clean. Use your lint roller to get to all those hard-to-reach places and make sure it's all gone. It will be like having a brand new bag.

16. Clean your phone screen Before applying a screen protector give your phone a little wipe with the cloth provided, then go over it with a lint roller.

17. Clean your sofa and chairs This might take you a few strips of lint roller but it does a really great job of removing dust from your fabric sofa and chairs. You can use them on wood too so give it a go!

“There was a time when I kept track of it all; when my mind worked like a giant lint brush being swept over the fuzzy surface of popular culture. But these days, pop culture seems to have gotten fuzzier and fuzzier; notoriety comes and goes in the snap of a finger.” (Susan Orlean)[i]