Wash Your Dryer Lint Screens

Hi Becki, I also received the same email, and looked it up on snopes.com.----found out it is true!

so.... I washed my lint filter with detergent and warm water, and was amazed to find little black gummy things stuck to the screen. Water does go through better now, but can't really tell that the dryer is working more efficiently...still I'm sure every little bit helps.

Susan Sanders-Kinzel
Diamond Feedback Medal for All Time! 1,023 Feedbacks

December 13, 20050 found this helpful

Fabric softener sheets clog up your lint catcher and makes your dryer work harder, costing more to operate. To make your dryer more efficient and cut on energy cost the lint catcher should be cleaned every three months if you use fabric softener sheets. To do this, remove lint catcher and gently wash with liquid detergent, rinse well and allow to dry. You will know it is clean if you run water over it and it runs right through. If water beads or clings it still contains residue from the fabric sheets--rewash.

By Vicky from Louisiana

Wow! Thanks for posting this info. I am washing my dryer filter immediately! I had no idea this happened.

Thanks again for sharing !

I also washed my lint screen and it seems to work better. Another dryer tip I'd like to pass on is that I keep a large clean dry beach towel in my laundry area and put it in with a load of clothes to dry. It makes the load dry a lot quicker...saving money and dryer time for your clothes, towels or sheets. I can't take credit for the idea...which probably came from a creative person from this site!!

I don't use dryer sheets for this reason. I use liquid fabric softener when I use fabric softener at all. I was told that the sheets also gum up the part of the dryer that senses when things are dry.

I don't understand how a dryer sheet can shorten the life of the heating element if, as in all dryers, the heating element is pre lint screen and pre tumbler. I don't doubt that the chemicals from a dryer sheet can coat sensors and screens, but blaming it on heating element failure doesn't sound logical.
Typically heating elements fail from using the High setting all the time or using the dryer more often . . .much like a light bulb, the higher the wattage equals greater heat equals shorter element life. If you compare a heating element to a light bulb . . . A 7 watt bulb lasts for thousands of hours longer than a 100 watt bulb.
I would suggest using the heat level settings to match what you're drying. Most loads can dry on the medium heat setting in 30-40 minutes. (less time with newer appliances)

Kelly
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March 9, 20060 found this helpful

So now what do I do with the big box of dryer sheets? lol Our problem is our ventilation system is poor (we have some flap contraption and the exhaust goes through half the house) but that is great to know!

nikki

August 13, 20060 found this helpful

I was so glad to learn this and have told all of my friends and family. My mother in laws' was scary when I cleaned hers.

Louise B.
Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 337 Feedbacks

October 15, 20150 found this helpful

I use dryer sheets very infrequently; I use dryer balls. However, because everyone said this could be a problem, I dutifully went down and checked mine out. The water went right through, but I washed it anyway, and there was no difference.