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Lint Bunnies… Cousins to the Dust Bunnies

I have a few slightly obsessive-compulsive tendencies. One is that I MUST clean the dryer lint filter immediately upon opening the door. It is like this little prize: "Let's see what the lint bunny laid for me to day!" Okay, maybe I am confessing too much, but there is this beautiful thing about removing all the stray fuzzies from clothing in one nice little soft sheet - don't you think? Regardless, here is the point: doing this is actually a GOOD HABIT. Here's why: A clogged lint filter can increase energy use up to 30%, and may be a fire hazard.

We all have friends who have never thought of cleaning their lint filters, right? I see my friend�s filter absolutely suffocating from its own good deeds, with grey fuzzy gunk just pouring over. I ask if they ever clean it and they shrug like they have more important things to do. Well, I tell you what, Mister! When your energy bill comes in high and your clothes are still damp after a 70 minute cycle, you will think twice about the coy shrug!

Okay, I am really not the Dryer Lint Nazi. I promise if I come to your house I will check for a bottle of good wine before I check the dryer filter. (And then if all goes well with both we can check for belly button lint).

Off to set some lint bunnies (and wine vapors) free - Jen
Posted by: jboulden on 06/23/2006
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Elizabeth M.  on June 23, 2006 at 12:01 PM 1
Okay, as someone who has actually experienced a dryer fire, really, you need to do this! But another thing that contributes to poor dryer performance is using dryer sheets (like Bounce etc.). Check out the Snopes discussion of it at http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/dryer.asp While cleaning it each time is a good start, you should be scrubbing it every so often, too. But what people also don't realize is that dryer sheets make your towels (and other absorbant items, like polarfleece or long underwear) *less* absorbant. That's no good! Where we live, we just don't use the dryer sheets at all (some climates make it more realistic to do this than others). Our clothes still smell nice (like the scent of the detergent we used) though admittedly it's not that overpowering dryer sheet smell that is sometimes actually nice. Others might find using dryer balls are a great environmentally friendly alternative. Check it out a review at http://www.komotv.com/buyerbeware/story.asp?id=39937 At any rate, I know you did a fabric softener bite at one point; maybe you could consider an update or refresh (ouch, pardon the pun) of information...
Diane Bennett  on June 23, 2006 at 12:18 PM 2
I recently attended an outdoor skills training for Girl Scout leaders. They recommended collecting the cotton lint from your dryer every time you do a load of towels, sheets, or other all-cotton items. You can stuff the lint into an empty toilet paper tube until it's full. (This takes quite a few loads.) Then bring it along when you go camping as a fire starter for your campfire because that stuff is very very flammable.
Jennifer  on June 23, 2006 at 02:31 PM 3
No kidding on what Elizabeth said about actually scrubbing the lint screen. I thought we needed a new dryer because ours would overheat after 40 minutes so I was just drying in 30 minute shots. Then someone told me to scrub the lint screen with soap and water. The water would not even penetrate the screen at first. After about 30 seconds of scrubbing with soap water poured through easily and it's like I have a brand new dryer. No kidding!!
Lydia Ross  on June 23, 2006 at 05:12 PM 4
lint goes right into the compost
Ellen  on June 23, 2006 at 06:41 PM 5
In additon to emptying the dryer lint trap after every load, put an old knee high stocking or leg of panty hose over the lint trap screen. It collects even more lint. Clean inside and outside the stocking after each load.
lori  on June 23, 2006 at 07:27 PM 6
i recently purchased a clothes line. the brand name is "mrs. pegg's handy line". it's light, compact, and i love it. i had it out tonight and it started to rain. i picked the whole she-bang up and brought it in the house. nice! i reckon i'll use it in the winter as well because i can set it up inside and with the fireplace, my clothes should be dry in no time. when i do use the dryer, i like to use fabric softener sheets. i had always wondered why all of my workout wear says not to use fabric softener right on the labels. i never put two and two together. so, it makes fabric less absorbent. makes sense now!
msspider  on June 23, 2006 at 07:36 PM 7
I put my lint into the compost as well and watch the birds pick it out to make nests with.
tofucats  on June 23, 2006 at 09:42 PM 8
I feel a slight bit less strange after this topic came up. I tend to get a little ocd about dryer lint in the laundry room of my dorm building. It seems like no one bothers to clean it out and just this year we had no less than five dryer fires. Grrr! As an aside, Bed Bath and Beyond sells great drying racks every summer during back to school time. They're a lightweight metal with fun color schemes...
emmer holbrook  on June 25, 2006 at 11:35 AM 9
since i don't know what a url is, your blog won't let me play. here is the comment i wanted to post. i have not encountered a site the asked for a url before. what/ why does it want to know? emmer as a hand spinner, i know that dryer lint can be spun 50-50 with wool roving. it is also handy for stuffing toys and pillows, can be composted (natural fibers, of course--but then thats all you wear, right) and of course, it can be put out for nesting birds. remember that lint IS your clothes. washing and drying wears your clothes out more than wearing them does. if you air out a lightly worn garment, you can wear it again. washing inside out helps prevent abrasion fading (like your black jeans that turned grey too fast). close zippers to avoid zipper damage and chips in the machine's tub. did you wonder why the long seam on the outside leg of you pants looked worn? dryer did it!
Sara  on June 25, 2006 at 01:41 PM 10
Hey thanks for the compost tip, comments above. I don't know why that had not occurred to me before. Also, I never realized that there are people who consciously DO NOT empty the lint catcher. Maybe I'm more OCD about it than I realized. I may not get it on every load, but never more than 2 loads pass through before I empty it and my dog tries to steal it out of my hands and take it outside.
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