How to Clean Lint From Your Dryer and 10 Ways to Use It
Dryer lint is weird stuff. I will admit – I’m always impressed by the amount of lint I pull out of my dryer. It’s almost like a contest….okay, so how much lint did I collect this time, baby?! I’m easily amused. I’ll also tell you something else – I don’t clean my lint trap every time like I’m supposed to. But, I don’t floss my teeth every day either. I’m a rebel. BUT, I do notice that after a bit of not cleaning my dryer, my clothes don’t get dry very quickly. I may have to tack 20 minutes on each load just to get them done….and for the cheap-o in me, this is a hard pill to swallow. Most of the time, your dyer doesn’t need a new heating element when this happens – you just need to clean out the lint trap and the dryer hose. Lint gets stuck up in there and it can cause a fire…I’m the fire hazard police. So, if you want to be more efficient and cheaper when drying your clothes, clean the lint out. You’ll need to clean your lint trap and use a vacuum to get everything out that’s down in the hole…but you’re also going to need to vacuum out the dryer hose outside the house – a Shop Vac would work great and you can stick the hose up in there. I was going to do a photo tutorial for you, but then I found a few on You Tube that just sum it up very well.
How to Clean Lint From a Dryer Vent Pipe
Cleaning a Dryer Vent and Lint Trap - This one is very involved….and involves a screwdriver – therefore, it’s a project for Barry.
Image by rockinfree
And now, because I’ve been told that I can find uses for anything – even dryer lint – I’m going to give you 10 uses for that stuff. If I could learn to also market snot, I’d be a millionaire.
- Use it as packing material instead of buying packing peanuts….this will take a lot, so you’ll have to start saving now for the year 2020.
- In the spring, you can toss your lint out into the yard and let the birds use it to make nests (no synthetic materials). They really love it! However, your neighbor Jane does not….and you might see her picking it up about 5 minutes after you toss it out. Good luck, birdies.
- Use it to start fires. But not fires in your home. I mean fires in the woods…..in a fire pit. Please don’t use your lint to start a forest fire. Thank you.
- Line the bottom of potted plants with it. It gives drainage and lets the pot not be so heavy….this only applies if you don’t kill plants for a hobby like me.
- You can actually make clay with your lint. I’m convinced that whoever thought of this is a genius. She might be able to market snot. This would be a great project for your kids! Don’t tell them about the fire thing.
- Not only can you make clay, you can also make papier mache! It’s true…I’ve never done it, but it’s been done. I’ve also never bungee jumped, but that’s been done too.
- Okay….wait for it – you can make PAPER with lint. Are you astonished? I am….kill fewer trees, use lint.
- Make a draft stopper for your doors. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this one. Knowing that lint is flammable, and being the fire hazard police, I’m not sure I want to line all my doors with flammable material. Things that make you go hmmmmmm.
- Make yarn. At this point, you’re starting to roll your eyes. But just think….this lint came from clothes, so why not make it back into clothes? It’s the only logical conclusion.
- Make it into artwork. I bet you think I’m kidding, don’t you? Alas, I am not. There are people who make artwork out of their lint. I hope they’re using clothing lint and not belly-button lint. This list just gets more strange as I go….so I’m stopping at ten.
There’s a good reason that I try to dry most of my clothes outside. I don’t have time to make lint yarn.
*This post is linked at Frugal Days Sustainable Ways at Frugally Sustainable, at Finer Things Friday on Amy’s Finer Things, and at Weekend Whatever on Your Thriving Family.
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You are just too amazing for words. Cleaning the lint trap–it’s about time for that.
Brandy recently posted..Views from Here :: Finding Beauty
Time? Well if you have time, you might want to consider making some lint yarn don’t ya know.
At our county fair, they have a division in the arts & crafts called “recycled art” and you wouldn’t believe how many entries are made with dryer lint! It’s actually kind of amazing how many different colors there are of dryer lint.
Anne @ Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy recently posted..Healthy 2Day Wednesday No. 38
I know…I see it in my lint trap. LOL
II have been using dryer lint for years to make paper, it performs excellenyly as a fire starter too. But when all other uses have been used I compost it too.
I hope to have a compost pile one day!
Your Swag Bucks link isn’t working. It says the item is no longer available.
Hi Barb….I’m not exactly sure what link you’re talking about. I don’t have a Swagbucks link in this article?
As always, you are hilarious! I clean out my lint trap every time I use it, but I’ve never cleaned the hose. I don’t floss every day, but my dentist said I should! And I love my dentist, so I am doing it.
I throw my lint away–thanks for great alternatives to that!!
Erin@thehumbledhomemaker recently posted..Healthy 2Day Wednesday Link-Up!
It’s weird that you love your dentist….but we can still be friends.
I noticed my dryer doing the same as yours – taking longer to dry clothes. My husband took apart the entire thing and cleaned it and then cleaned the house. Works much better now. I never thought of using the lint…..but we heat our house with wood – we could possibly actually use it
One day I dream of having a wood burning stove!
Awesome post!
Thanks.
Now that is very creative. I have very little lint as I use my clotheslines most of the time. The only thing I really dry are ‘tP’s work uniform shirts and they are icky polyester so leave little lint, luckily as it is not useful for anything, but maybe fire starter.
drMolly recently posted..Goodbye January, hello February
Lol, the use for belly button lint has been claimed too! Oddities had a small segement sometime ago.
http://science.discovery.com/videos/oddities-truly-disturbing.html
http://www.geekologie.com/2010/12/human-ivory-belly-button-lint.php
Just when you thought you have seen it all!
I’m not even sure what to say. LOL
I stuff my lint in toilet paper rolls (just the leftover cardboard part) and will use next year for starting my fire pit. I got that tip from Grace over at “The Wife Life”. A dryer repair man once said that we need to clean our lint trap every few months with soap, water and a scrub brush. He says build up from soap or dryer sheets form a film that keeps air from flowing freely.
Love your blog and FB page!
Thanks Rebecca…..that made me think a bit too. If one doesn’t use dryer sheets, do they still get build up? Hmmmmmmm……..
I’m sure not as much build up. I don’t use dryer sheets anymore either, but I still clean my lint trap with hot soapy water and a brush every few months.
Well, I just tried running water through mine and it went right through! I feel like a won the science fair. LOL
But, I did clean mine last year….so maybe that’s it. *Cough* 
And now I am just sitting here cracking up!
Did you see the etsy store with stuff made from cat hair???
Sara Shay recently posted..Weekend Whatever #8
Oh lordy….cat hair? Sheesh.
And I thought I was terribly creative coming up with dryer lint art. Oh well…
Heather Lei recently posted..Exhortation: New Perspective on Lent
You ARE creative….because I never heard of it until I wrote the article. lol