Why You Should Clean Your Dryer’s Lint Trap After Every Use

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It’s common knowledge that lint filters, or traps, need to be cleaned out often, but how often? And why is it so important to keep that filter clean? When clothes are dried in the dryer, the agitation and heat cause linens and clothing in there to shed fibers, and this is what is caught in lint screens. The screen’s purpose is to prevent those fibers from obstructing the vent hose. Cleaning the screen is important in order to:

  • Keep Your Dryer Lasting Longer: A clean trap helps the machine work less, so to speak. Any time you take pressure off the dryer, you’ll reduce wear and tear and keep visits from your Bay area dryer repair pro to a minimum.
  • Dry Your Clothes Faster: The only way a dryer is able to do its job is if it has plenty of airflow. A clogged filter is going to reduce the rate of airflow, increasing the length of time needed to dry a load.
  • Keep Your Energy Bills Down: When the lint screen is clogged with all those “fuzzies” the dryer is going to have to work harder to dry your laundry. The harder it works, of course, the more energy it uses and the higher your energy bill will be.
  • Reduce the Risk of a Fire: High temp air is the key factor in how well your dryer does its job, and lint is highly flammable. Getting rid of this Firestarter is important to help keep your family safe from fires.

Should You Really Clean the Lint Filter Each Day?
With so many important reasons to clean your lint trap as often as possible, it stands to reason that cleaning it out each day – even between every single load of laundry – is ideal. Some of the newest machines on the market today have automatic reminders about checking the lint filters. Not all dryers are the same, and a lint trap might be found just inside the door, on the top corner of the dryer near the controls, or even on the dryer’s back wall inside the drum.

Lint can really just be pulled right off the screen; if it’s gunked up and stuck on there, though, just soak the screen in hot water and dish soap for a bit to remove oils and grease. Let it air dry completely before putting it back into its slot. Getting into the habit of cleaning your dryer’s lint filter each day will help ward off the need for San Francisco dryer repair experts to come out and repair a dryer that’s been damaged from a lack of easy maintenance with the lint trap. For more information on maintaining your dryer or any other appliances, contact Absolute Appliances Repair today.