A friend of mine was telling me about someone she knew who left her washing machine running while she left to pick the kids up from school and run a few errands.  When she got home her entire house was flooded.  The washer was stuck on filling the tub so it continued to fill until she got home.  Hardwood floors were ruined, just for starters.  It is for this very reason that my BFF (she thinks she’s not getting enough credit here for her great ideas) keeps one of these between her washer and dryer in the utility room.  She also has had a bathroom flood before and this little magical water absorber (it’s not a towel) easily soaked up all the water. No need to get all the towels out of your linen closet.  Just one of these water eaters will do the job.

According to Mr. Thirsty’s website:

Mr. Thirsty in your home or office will stop:
Water damage to window sills, walls, wood floors and carpets
Dampness and mildew
Drafts from cracks and poorly sealed doors and windows
The need of unsightly rags, newspapers, buckets and towels requiring messy and frequent clean up
Reduces heating and cooling costs both summer and winter
Mr. Thirsty can also be used for:
Leaking windows, sliding glass doors.  Stops water marks, dampness, and drafts.  Reduces heating and cooling bills
Leaking sliding glass doors, place products end to end to soak up moisture
Leaking basement walls, water heaters, and condensation problems
Leaking washing machines, air conditioners, appliances and drains.  Prevents water stains and slipping
Bathrooms, place product along bath tub and under sink to absorb water moisture.  Also gets rid of dampness around bowls and behind leaky faucets
Mr. Thirsty is reusable for many saturations. Just allow natural drying by evaporation either in the place where it was used or move to a location either over a hot air register or sunlight.  The product must be brought indoors at night.
Mr. Thirsty soaks up and holds over ten (10) times its weight in water and water based liquids.  This amount is in excess of 90 fluid ounces or up to one (1) gallon of liquids.  It will return to its original size and capacity through natural evaporation allowing the product to be continuously reused.
Mr. Thirsty is 36” long by 2” in diameter, making it easy to use, easy to dispose of, and easy to store.  Upon removal from the box, prior to use, simply stretch the product to its full length to evenly distribute the contents within the covering.
Mr. Thirsty can be molded to the shape of most surfaces where it is placed.  When dried, after saturation, the product will appear stiff and lumpy.  This will not affect the absorbing capacity in any way and with  light hand pressure, Mr. Thirsty will return to the original granular condition for easy placement around objects or corners.
At under $15 each, I think every household should have one!