I used to throw away dryer lint without a second thought. Wipe it off the screen, toss it in the bathroom trash, done. Then I learned you can start a fire with it in about three seconds. And that is just the beginning.

Dryer lint is mostly cotton and wool fibers — highly flammable, surprisingly versatile. Here is what to do with it.

1. Fire Starter (The Best One)

Stuff dryer lint into a cardboard egg carton. Pour melted candle wax over it. Once the wax hardens, cut the carton into individual cups. Each cup burns for 10-15 minutes — more than enough to ignite kindling. I keep a bag of these in my camping box and another in the emergency kit in my car. They work in rain because the wax protects the lint from moisture.

2. Compost Addition

If your lint comes from 100% natural fabrics — cotton, wool, linen — it composts. Synthetic fibers do not break down, so if you dry a lot of polyester and nylon, skip this one. Check your laundry: if it is mostly jeans, towels, and cotton shirts, your lint is compost gold. It adds carbon to balance out nitrogen-heavy food scraps.

3. Packing Material

Shipping something fragile? Lint is free cushioning. It is lighter than bubble wrap and molds around objects. I have shipped ceramic mugs packed in lint and they arrived intact.

4. Absorb Spills

Motor oil drip in the garage? Lint soaks it up fast. Keep a bag under the sink for this purpose. One handful absorbs about half a cup of liquid.

5. Pet Bed Stuffing

Mix clean lint with old fabric scraps and stuff a pillowcase. Your cat will ignore the $40 bed you bought and sleep on this instead. Pet law.