Did you know that a dirty and clogged lint screen can increase your dryer’s energy usage by up to 30%? Removing the lint from your dryer after each load will save you a lot of money every year. As well as cleaning the filter after each load, take your vacuum cleaner and vacuum out the lint compartment every few weeks. I know in my dryer there is a lot of lint that collects at the bottom of the container.
I have also read that if you use fabric softener in your laundry you need to scrub your lint screen on a regular basis. I cannot confirm this because I don’t use fabric softener, but the idea makes sense.
The cheapest way to dry your clothes is on a clothes line, but if you need to use your dryer make sure your lint filter is clean!
I did a quick calculation to see how much extra I would spend on drying clothes if I didn’t clean my lint filter regularly.
1 load per day (at $0.20 a load) x 365 days = $73
$73 x 1. 30 (the extra percentage I would be paying for an inefficient dryer) = $94.90
Savings of $21.90 a year. That is a big savings for a small job.
Dryer lint can be used as compost, but I would only use it in flower beds because there is some debate on using lint from synthetic fabrics on plants that produce food.
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Hi there – fellow home school mom and first time visitor. I am so enjoying my browse!
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I try really hard to hang out my clothes, but I never manage to do it! :-p
I do clean out my lint every load, though
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Remember that your HVAC (furnace) also has a filter which needs to be cleaned/replaced on a regular basis. Imagine a furnace filter which has not been cleaned in 10 years! That’s what I found in my last house when i bought it.
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Good tip. Not just because it saves some energy, but a couple years ago – a friend of my in-laws had their house burn down after the lint in their lint trap caught fire. They loaded the dryer and turned it on , went to bed and woke up with their house on fire. So, big money saving tip.. empty your lint trap.
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we recently rerouted our lint outlet from going through a long pipe to the attic to going directly out. this made a huge difference for us $$$!
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Good advice.
Some Boy Scouts I know pack lint for fire starter. It’s very flammable.
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Great tip! Another way to save on the dryer usage is to include a couple of old, small towels that are DRY. They will help to absorb the wetness from your laundry and cut your drying time by about 10 minutes per load.
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You need to take the cleaning a bit farther than the lint screen in the dryer. Lint gets stuck in the hose that goes to the outside and builds up over time. A couple of times each year we pull the dryer out and disconnect the hose thing ( lack of better name) I use a broom handle and carefully clean it out. Each month we clean the outside vent. There is always lint traped at the opening.
We use the lint for clay! It is a great modeling material.
I do not use fabric softner either. But it does leave a residue and would make sense to have to rinse once in a while.
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Another way to clear out a lint blockage is to pull your dryer out and disconnect the hose. Then put your blower (yard tool) up to the hose and blow the lint out. This works so well, but if you have a lint clog, you will end up with lint all over your yard. Good thing it breaks down!
Toni
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Good Morning!
I remove the lint after each load, but it has more to do with it creating a fire hazard than any monetary savings (blush). What can I say? I’m a fire chief’s daughter. lol
I love, love, love hanging my clothes out on a line, but that isn’t possible where I live, so I use a drying rack. The only loads I completely dry are the towels and the whites. I hang the rest, even indoors. Of course, we live in AZ, where the clothing dries in a matter of hours, but even in MI in the winter I hung my clothes. Saves on their wear and tear tremendously.
Now, if only I could get in the habit of vacuuming my dryer out more faithfully….. *sigh* It’s always something, lol!
Have a lovely day!
Shani
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I don’t use fabric softener either and didn’t know that. You have reminded me I need to vacume out my dryer. lol Thanks for the GREAT tips !
Blessings in Him<
-Mary
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I clean my lint out after every use, but I didn’t think of vacuuming the dryer out. I bet that would help. Hey, any penny saved, right?!
I wish I had a green thumb I would have flower beds. Then I could experiment with the lint! : }
Thanks for the tip today!!
Robyn
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