…. and no I don’t mean from your belly button, although that is a good idea too! :) Cleaning out the lint trap in your dryer is wise both financially and environmentally. While I must admit I often forgot to do this back in University (much to the dismay of my roommates) it is now second nature for me. Cleaning out the lint dryer improves air circulation which means clothes will dry faster and thus you will consume less energy.
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I clean out the lint before each load. But you also have to remember to clean out the duct work periodically. The newer dryers have a feature to dry at lower temperatures if air flow is hampered in order to prevent fires.
I recently moved our laundry from the 2nd storey into the basement. When I disconnected the duct there was nothing in it whatsoever – 1 year after we bought the house.
cashflowmantra beat me to the punch – cleaning out lint is also important because it can pose a fire hazard.
I don’t use our dryer that much; I tend to hang most things so I sometimes forget to do this. I am going to make a mental note to try to remember more often. Thanks for the reminder.
We need to stop using our dryer so much. Thing is, unless I install a post in the back yard, there isn’t a great place to hang a line (the trees grow!). And in winter our basement already feels cramped so putting lines in there may be difficult. I’ll discuss w/ Mrs. SPF tho ….