Not dead

[zoethe]

Just swamped. Oy. I will try to check in now and then, but the amount I have to do in the next 8 weeks is a kind of sick joke the Ohio Supreme Court plays on law school graduates. I have not read anyone except hubby, sorry. I still love you all....

Anyway, I thought I'd just give y'all a PSA that could save you from a house fire or at least keep your dryer from burning out. I got this from an email someone sent at work - usually the source of unmitigated urban legend bull-pucky. Seems that dryer sheets coat lint traps with enough goop to make them all but impermiable. As the email said, this woman's dryer burnt out, and her repair man asked if she used dryer sheets (yes), then took her lint trap and ran water into it and the water just sat there in a pool, but once he scrubbed it with an old toothbrush the water ran right through.

So, there I was, putting clothes in the dryer, and I thought, hmmmm.

Took lint trap to sink. Turned on water. Filled lint trap. Nothing went through. Seriously, I might as well have been holding a bucket.

Grabbed stray toothbrush and began scrubbing. Within minutes, water was not even pooling momentarily, just running straight through.

Go forth and do the same. If nothing else, it'll probably save you drying time and therefore electricity.

Comments

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

Yup- 'tis true. In fact, I stopped using dryer sheets and went back to fabric softener after I did the same thing.

Pretty scary.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

It would help if I knew what dryer sheets are...

[jojomojo.livejournal.com]

Little squares of gauze you put in the tumble dryer with your clothes. They're intended to make your clothes feel soft and smell nice.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Ah, those! Got it. Usually, the washing liquid smells nice enough that I don't need anything else, and I personally prefer my laundry unsoftened.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Fabric softner sheets that you put into the dryer with your clothes.

You probably don't have them in France.

;-)

[shezan.livejournal.com]

We have all sorts of fabric softener, but I don't like it - I like the almost-starched feel of clean linen & towels, etc. Softened towels don't feel as clean to me.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Interesting.

[zianuray.livejournal.com]

My former mother-in-law went nutz on a visit to my place and not only put fabric softener in the wash, she ALSO put 3 dryer sheets in the dryer with the towels.

Those things were GREASY.

They would not absorb any water at all -- I made a "bowl" of toweling and ran water in it and it just SAT there. She just LoOkEd at it like "Yeah? So?"

Had to rewash them with a gallon of vinegar, then a "regular" load with soap and vinegar in the rinse to cut it. I quit using fabric softener that day.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

I use HALF a dryer sheet! My gosh, is she crazy?!

[the-xtina.livejournal.com]

Huh.  Wonder if that has anything to do with our dryer's lessened efficiency...

[losgunna.livejournal.com]

Most likely. I cleaned mine and my efficiency went right back up.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Might well. Nothing was getting through that sucker.

[norda.livejournal.com]

Always good to remind folks about the little things.

I actually learned the toothbrush trick from Heloise. Which is a dead giveaway as to my age, but tough noogies if it saves someone from a dryer fire.

[losgunna.livejournal.com]

Not just dryer sheets, but regular fabric softener causes the same thing, although not quite as quickly.

Also a good thing to check the lint build up at the outside of your house where your dryer vents....we get huge lint buildups there.

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

Congrats, BTW. I've been too distracted to send kudos.

Sorry that it sounds urban-legendy. But I'd trust you over most netters.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Dude, I was a doubter until I saw it myself. Myth-Busters, Ohio Edition!

[theferrett.livejournal.com]

Why does my toothbrush taste all funny?

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

You're a guy! I didn't think you'd even notice!

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

Unrelated to the dryer, but let me say this: I know you're in Barbri madness right now, and my mother was the same way, with the fretting and whatnot, but listen -- take two seconds to think about the lawyers who advertise on television, the ambulance chasers, the guys who insist they don't get paid unless you win.

Those guys all passed the bar. There's no way you won't pass too.

Knock 'em dead, counselor!

[ba1126.livejournal.com]

AMEN to that!!

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

It's not so much the fretting yet, just the volume. The fretting will come later. But yeah. There are all kinds of scary-stupid made it. I have to work hard, but I will, too.

[conglacio.livejournal.com]

I don't use dryer sheets, but the lint trap traps enough to make felt within a couple of weeks. not that I ever leave the lint in there...I empty it every week. allways have done.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Even so, try the water test. Someone said that any fabric softener can cause build-up.

[conglacio.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant that even though I don't use dryer sheets or softener, I still get loads of build up.

[yndy.livejournal.com]

a) take care of YOU first... we'll still be here when you get back
b) the dryer thing made the news before it became an email... I'd heard about it around 3 years ago and it's a known issue for repairmen - when we bought our new dryer, they warned us not to use them.
c) THINKING OF YOU!!! Go Gini!! Beat that Bar into submission!!
{{{hug}}}

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Love you, darlin'!

[lordindra.livejournal.com]

The lint trap getting clogged up can cause problems. I don't know how likely it is to set your house on fire, but we've had lint start smoldering fairly often until I got off my ass and cleaned the thing.

At the very least, this will cause your clothes to smell like a fire until you wash them again.

It isn't really a dryer sheet issue, as much as it is an equipment maintenance issue. It will happen even if you don't use dryer sheets, it might take a little longer but it will still happen.

It doesn't help that the dryer is over 30 years old though. It's at least as old as the house, which dates to the mid to late 60's. Might be older than the house.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

No, this was after I removed the lint. Lint buidlup wasn't the issue, there was simply nothing going through the mesh of an ostensibly clean lint trap.

[lordindra.livejournal.com]

Still could have been lint. When you peel/wipe off the lint, small fragments remain. These eventually build up to a complete blockage if you don't occasionally clean the lint screen completely.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I don't have a dryer. This saves a lot of bother, although it's a pain in winter when things don't dry fast outside.

It does mean I woke with dismay this morning to hear the rain thundering down onto the roof, when I realised I'd forgotten to bring my laundry in last night.

Keep on plugging away at the work, and it will get done.

[momlady.livejournal.com]

After reading this, I talked with my b/f about it. It seems that our lint trap is right in front, and everytime I take dried laundry out, I always clean the lint from it. So, I guess unless there's a second one I don't know about, then fortunately I can say I won't be having that problem. However, I was glad to read it, and will tell anyone I know who doesn't check their lint trap on a regular basis.

May I put this on my own journal as a PSA, as well? Of course, I'd credit you for the information.

:)

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

It's not just cleaning the lint - I do that all the time. It's the coating that gets on the mesh. Try running water through it and see what happens.

[momlady.livejournal.com]

After writing that, I read the comments. And I guess I'm just lucky. I took the lint trap out and ran water through it and lo and behold! The water came right through...I've been using this dryer for 4 years and have never done that. Maybe it depends on the type of dryer sheet used. My dryer sheets aren't thick, like Bounce, and they're also a "store brand". Perhaps we should have a poll to see who uses what brand, and whether or not they had this problem with the particular dryer sheet they use. Brings up a few questions, that's for sure.

I'd do a poll, but have yet to figure out how to make it go on my post...sheesh!

:-)

[kimmaline.livejournal.com]

In between you not posting very much, and my having NO time to read my f-list...it just hit me that I've not seen a single thing from you in WEEKS.


Um...the thirty second Kimmaline update.


Classes were overwhelming--then finals were overwhelming--then I got my score back from my first final and I got a 103--then I finished my last final--then I wept with joy--now I am preparing for my birthday stuff.


Was that good and quick? :)


Take care, darlin!

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Yes, lovely! Congratulations!

P.S.

[kimmaline.livejournal.com]

I hate dryer sheets. I'm allergic to ALL of them.


But, then again, I am an alien with really freaky weird skin that requires me to use special laundry detergent that I can only get at one store...and when I go to hotels, I have to put one of my t-shirts over the pillow case or I break out in what looks like small pox...and I have to spend a metric assload of money on skin care products or people think I threw battery acid on my face right before I walked out the door that morning.


But, I am feeling a little left out. I think I'm going to go and wash my lint trap now, just so I can feel like one of the cool kids.

Re: P.S.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

Do that. Apparently it can make a difference.

I hate being allergic to so many things. I really feel for you.

Re: P.S.

[kimmaline.livejournal.com]

I have had to deal with it my ENTIRE life. Like...when I was a kid, I couldn't take bubble baths...because I would get HUGE welts on my bikini area.

But, there is an upside to it. When everything comes together, and I am doing all that I should be doing for my skin...it is beautiful. I mean, strangers will still comment on my skin. I credit my skin with why I am turning 29 day after tomorrow...and people still peg me consistently at 23-25.

Re: P.S.

[kimmaline.livejournal.com]

I love that I tell you about my skin, and then use the most horribly developed ruddy-ass picture of me in the history of the universe. :) See, I can be vain, I just can't offer proof. :)

Re: P.S.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

You are lovely and radiant. And even if that picture isn't the best of your skin, it's still sweet.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

They gum up the mechanics too - you're dryer will last a lot longer if you don't use them at all.

They also aren't a great idea if you have chemical sensitivities.