Minnesota Prairie Roots

LIKE MANY OF YOU (women), I style and dry my hair with a hair dryer.

But I’ve found other valuable uses for this tool, especially during a Minnesota winter. Several weeks ago when freezing rain iced the front storm door shut, I pulled out the hair dryer and blasted hot air along the bottom of the door. Minutes later I could open that door. I’ve done the same to thaw an iced-over mailbox.

I remember years ago de-icing the eldest daughter’s car windshield and driver’s side door with my hair dryer.

When I washed a stocking cap last week that needed air drying, I hastened that natural process by, you guessed it, turning on the blow dryer.

But probably the best winter use of a hair dryer came to me during a particularly brutal cold snap here in southern Minnesota. Randy, who has been working way too much clearing snow, took a break to warm his hands. As he stood in the kitchen rubbing warmth into his numb hands, I had an aha moment.

“I’ll get the hair dryer,” I said, returning to blow warm (not hot) air onto his hands. Then he removed his gloves and I blasted hot air inside. Now he had nice and toasty warm gloves to wear into that frigid cold. He really needs choppers.

So there you go. Think a hair dryer is just for styling and drying hair? Nope, not during a Minnesota winter.

TELL ME: Have you ever used a blow dryer for anything other than its intended purpose?

© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling