Friday, October 17, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #41

Today's thrifty tip is clean out your dryer lint trap. Make sure you cleaning out the lint trap often so it doesn't have a chance to build-up in your machine and dryer vent. If you don't, then it takes much longer for the clothes or towels to dry which is wasting energy. This makes you pay more in your electric or gas bill. It's also a good idea to clean out your dryer vent every 1-3 years. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, then hire out a qualified technician. There are great articles online that explain how to clean the dryer vent and the tools needed. This keeps your dryer running efficiently which keeps you with more money in your pocket. It will also extend the life of your dryer which again keeps more money in your pocket. I have listed a few articles listed below.

Wikihow-Clean Clothes Dryer Vent
How to Clean Stuff-How to Clean a Dryer Vent
Laundry Alternative-How to Clean Your Dryer Vent

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are also tips somewhere online to make fire starters out of your dryer lint. I have been saving our lint but so far I haven't made these. It's on my list of things to do.

Anonymous said...

It's true, you need to clean out the vent every now and then.

Our dryer vent got so clogged last year that it wasn't drying clothes AT ALL. We called someone to come out and fix the thing, only to find that a massive lint ball was the culprit.

Now our dryer is fixed and our clothes are dry, not to mention our energy bill is lower.

Confessions of a Baltimore Housewife

Jamie Sue said...

Another tip is to wash (yes, WASH) your lint trap screen every month. The screen gets a film of fabric softener on it that prevents airflow.

- said...

Sound like a job for hubby to me! I have enough to do. LOL
Shrinking Pamelalala
I Don't Commute
Paradise Fiber Studio

Anonymous said...

Aha....my dryer has been acting weird...maybe this is why! I will have to get the hubbs to check our vent asap!

Anonymous said...

Are there really people who don't bother to clean out their dryer lint traps? Here in this part of the country, we call that "lazy."

We change our's every time we start the dryer. Failing to keep that rascal cleaned out can result in damp clothes and, worst case, a fire.

Anonymous said...

We were at Padre Island a few years ago, staying in a condo and noticed that the dryer was taking so long to dry. My brother investigated the vent leading out of the condo. It was completely backed up with sand and lent. We called the management and when they came to clean it the workmen said it was just a short matter of time before it would have caused a fire! It was scarey.

Unknown said...

I had a friend thats house caught on fire because her lint trap was so overloaded, it was horrible. She has never done that again, she cleans it constantly now, which I don't blame her. I felt so awful for her though, thank goodness she was outside with her kids when it happened but still it had to be just awful for them to lose all of their personal belongings. And yes mine is always cleaned, lol!