Creative Uses For Dowels In Housekeeping

Dowels can be used in so many creative ways. They are frequently the center of many crafts. But they can also be used in functional ways. Here are a few ways you can use dowel and some inexpensive supplies to make housekeeping a little easier and more efficient.

Using inexpensive dish towels or dish cloths from a department store or bulk warehouse, cut the towels or cloths lengthwise in about one inch strips. Using a hot glue gun, glue several strips together, one on top of the other, on one end of each cut strip. Do this for several strip components. Then, using a dowel sized to your preference and comfort, hot glue the back cloth of each strip around the circumference of the dowel. For added support, you might use a rubber band of considerable thickness to wrap around the glued portion.

This can be repeated for as many dowels as you desire to have, and the possibilities are limitless.

Use these nifty tools for dusting the tops of tall objects or ceiling fans. They can also be used to reach the highest shelves in closets.

They can also be used to reach the corners of the upper walls to remove cobwebs.

Use them to remove any dust that collects on air vents.

They can be used to remove dust or pet hair that accumulates underneath furniture on hardwood floors, or everyday objects, such as coins or pens, that have fallen under the furniture.

Dust blind slats or valances.

Use a wood dowel duster to dust light fixtures, chandeliers, or any other objects that are cumbersome or not easily removed.

These handmade dowel cleaners may also be used wet.

For instance, clean the corners of floors that are hard-to-reach with standard mops. When wet, these cleaners are much like smaller scale mops and, because of their size, allow for more guided control during cleaning.

This same principle applies to cleaning baseboards and window sill.

Use a hardwood dowel cleaner as a more sanitary way to clean the insides of garbage cans throughout your home. Although the lengths of the dowels may vary based on personal preference, they can be cut long enough to prevent gloved hands alone from reaching into the cans.

Consider using this creative idea outdoors, too, while washing the hubcaps, grilles, and fenders of vehicles, or while cleaning mold from vinyl siding.

Of course, dowels can be used in other creative ways, such as making drying racks for the laundry room or a paper towel dispenser for the kitchen. Drape and use a standard, thick dowel (without the cloth strips) to lightly beat area rugs found throughout the home and remove dirt and dust particles deeply ingrained into them.

For those used in wet cleaning, allow each handmade dowel cleaner to soak in a bleach/water ratio, then air dry.