April 08th, 2009
Do One Thing: Clean Out The Lint Filter.
This week’s Do One Thing is so very, very simple. Everyone knows there is a lint filter inside a clothes dryer, but how often do you clean it out? I clean ours out every single time I use it, which hopefully will be much less now that it is warm outside and I got the clothesline up. If you are not cleaning your lint filter out often, you are both wasting electricity and could be shortening the lifespan of your dryer. With a clean filter, your clothes dry much faster and your machine runs more efficiently – a win for the environment and for your wallet. So clean out those lint filters!
As an added bonus, if you have a fireplace and/or an outdoor fire pit, save up that lint as it makes a great fire starter!
I do make it a habit to clean the dryer lint, but I had been trowing it away, a commenter on my site just left a tip that lint can be composted… and I started composting last week! Awesome!
We also clean out the filter every single use and have plans to clean out the vent pipe too. Composting the lint is a great idea!
Even better. Get a clothes airer and hang your clothes on to that to dry. It might take a bit longer but at least you’re not using any electricity.