# Do you clean out the lint trap after you dry clothes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505 "2005-09-20T06:03:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/1 "2005-09-20T06:03:15Z")
Well, you should! ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/2 "2005-09-20T06:06:25Z")
About every second or third time, yeah. Talk about MPS … ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/3 "2005-09-20T06:07:42Z")
Every single time Baby! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/4 "2005-09-20T06:09:44Z")
I clean it with every load, and wash it with soap every 10th load or so. The softener in dryer sheets cause a film to form that makes it harder for air to go through. If you run a little water on it , you’ll see. If you’ve never washed it, the water will hesitate, like is isn’t going to go through. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/5 "2005-09-20T06:10:26Z")
Yep, every time. Lint in the trap drastically reduces efficiency, both in the speed of drying and in energy consumption. I cringe anytime I pull out a lint trap to find it literally caked with lint. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/6 "2005-09-20T06:11:41Z")
I don’t use my clothes dryer very often. When I do, I clean the lint filter every time after the load is finished. It’s much easier to get the lint off the filter if it’s still warm. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/7 "2005-09-20T06:42:19Z")
It’s required by law. Don’t even think of not cleaning out, not even once. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/8 "2005-09-20T08:34:02Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > Well, you should! Nope, I clean them out **before** I dry the clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/9 "2005-09-20T08:37:44Z")
I clean it out every time I use the dryer. I check the trap before putting a load in, too, in case someone used it before me and didn’t clean it. I also wash it every so often. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/10 "2005-09-20T11:08:27Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I clean it with every load, and wash it with soap every 10th load or so. The softener in dryer sheets cause a film to form that makes it harder for air to go through. If you run a little water on it , you’ll see. If you’ve never washed it, the water will hesitate, like is isn’t going to go through. Thanks for this great tip! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/11 "2005-09-20T11:34:20Z")
A friend of mine never cleaned his lint trap. When he got a housemate, ( Mr. Ujest’s female cousin) she cleaned out 2 garbage bags of it from inside, under and behind. He was probably minutes away from a fire. What’s the stat on dryer fires? Something like 70% of home fires start in the laundry room ? ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/12 "2005-09-20T12:05:18Z")
Cleaning out the lint trap was one of those things my mother programmed into my sister, brothers and me. It was one of her commandments. **THOU SHALT CLEAN OUT THE LINT TRAP AFTER EACH LOAD.** It ranked right up there with: **THOU SHALT CHANGE THE SHEETS ON THY BED WEEKLY AND THOU SHALT NOT LEAVE DIRTY DISHES IN THE SINK LEST DEATH BE VISITED UPON THEE** And like **picunurse** I wash trap with soap and water at least once a month. That was a sub-commandment of **THOU SHALT CLEAN OUT THE LINT TRAP AFTER EACH LOAD.** ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/13 "2005-09-20T12:17:59Z")
Anybody else save the lint? I have two one gallon paint cans full of lint from the dryer. Bought new,unused cans from the auto parts store, stuffed them full of lint. Why? I don’t really know. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/14 "2005-09-20T12:44:16Z")
Yes, after every load. So does my wife. Her dad is a retired fireman, maybe that has something to do with it! ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/15 "2005-09-20T12:49:56Z")
> [@Booker57](#): > > Anybody else save the lint? I have two one gallon paint cans full of lint from the dryer. Bought new,unused cans from the auto parts store, stuffed them full of lint. > Why? I don’t really know. Well, if you erver go camping, lint is a great firestarter. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/16 "2005-09-20T12:57:10Z")
> [@Booker57](#): > > Anybody else save the lint? I have two one gallon paint cans full of lint from the dryer. Bought new,unused cans from the auto parts store, stuffed them full of lint. > Why? I don’t really know. [Dryer Lint Art](http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_fabric_other/article/0,1789,HGTV_3250_3787567,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/17 "2005-09-20T12:58:14Z")
No, not after every load, _before_! I put the wet clothes in, check the lint trap. Set the time and hit the starter. **Large Marge** maybe you and I are the only ones doing it right. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/18 "2005-09-20T13:03:15Z")
> [@velvetjones](#): > > No, not after every load, _before_! > > I put the wet clothes in, check the lint trap. Set the time and hit the starter. > > **Large Marge** maybe you and I are the only ones doing it right. 😉 Nope, count me in - same routine. Way I see it, I want to get the clothes in before I touch the lint, otherwise the clothes get all linty and the lint never leaves the dryer - it just gets recycled. Susan ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/19 "2005-09-20T13:17:03Z")
Always. It’s fun. I like to play with the little “felt” pad, and to se what color resdulted from this load of clothes. Sometimes I clean it out before the load has finished, just to clear the ways and dry more efficiently. Then I clean it out again at the end of the cycle. I need a life. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/20 "2005-09-20T13:42:07Z")
> [@velvetjones](#): > > No, not after every load, _before_! > > I put the wet clothes in, check the lint trap. Set the time and hit the starter. > > **Large Marge** maybe you and I are the only ones doing it right. 😉 Years of using shared dryers got me in the habit of doing it after. Otherwise, you have to touch someone else’s dryer lint. I have no logical reason why I should find that gross, but I do. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > Always. It’s fun. I like to play with the little “felt” pad, and to se what color resdulted from this load of clothes. Me too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505.md?page=2)