The Scoop on Dryer Lint

By Heather

I was browsing the urban safety myths on UL.com recently and I saw the piece about dryer lint. I was immediately intrigued.

No really.

My friend, the home contractor, has told me some excellent stories about dryer lint linked to spontaneous explosions in old, dusty basements so I wanted to know “is dryer lint really a big deal?”

This is some of what I learned:

At coin-operated laundries, laundry owners are adamant about maintaining proper air flow through their commercial dryers. With 30 to 50 dryers at the average laundry, operators clear trashcan amounts of lint everyday from their screens.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers urges consumers to clean the lint filter after each load and occasionally remove the filter and clean it with a nylon brush and hot, soapy water to remove residue. This simple chore not only improves air flow and energy efficiency, but it also reduces the chance of a dryer fire.

(Photo by außerirdische sind gesund on Flickr)

“Lint is the bane of our existence,” says Brian Wallace, president of the Coin Laundry Association. “We can’t afford not to clean lint, not only as a safety issue, but to keep our energy costs down and ensure proper performance.”

After hearing my friend’s stories and reading about the improved energy efficiency and safety issues with lint traps, I hauled my vacuum cleaner attachment into the slot and sucked up all matter of sand and kid detritus along with the standard helping of lint. I have yet to get busy with a nylon brush and soapy water.

P.S: did you know that dryer lint is compostable?! You’re welcome.