# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/21 "2005-09-20T13:43:37Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > Nope, I clean them out **before** I dry the clothes. And that is, of course, the only proper and correct way of doing things! ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/22 "2005-09-20T13:45:59Z")
> [@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. I have heard about this, but we NEVER clean the lint filter by scrubbing it or anything, and I got an e-mail about this just recently from someone else, so I tried the running water thing. Water ran right through, no problem at all. (Note, we never scrub the lint filter, but we do remove the lint either before or after each load). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/23 "2005-09-20T14:00:33Z")
I always check it before I put my first load in, just to make sure it’s clean, and then I clean it again after every load. And sometimes, if it’s a big load with lots of lint-producing stuff, my auto-dry cycle doesn’t quite get it right so I clean it agan mid-cycle when I reset the dryer to run it some more. I also check the outlet beyond the lint trap periodically to make sure lint isn’t building up there, and same for the vent exit outside the house. And it really does make _great_ tinder for starting fires; when we were doing the Girl Scout thing years ago, I always saved dryer lint for camping trips. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/24 "2005-09-20T14:20:40Z")
I always do it before too, after is when I have an armload of dry clothes to contend with, so it’s easier to remember when I’m loading. About 10 years back a house down the street from me was gutted from a fire caused by dryer lint. So, yeah I’m pretty religious about it. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/25 "2005-09-20T14:23:05Z")
I do it every time, and I would even if it weren’t a fire risk. I think it’s my favorite part of doing laundry, I look forward to it because I find it very satisfying when I can peel the entire lint-mass off in one piece. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/26 "2005-09-20T16:00:30Z")
I clean the thing BEFORE running a load. My darling Marcie can’t be bothered to clean it at all, in spite of repeated lectures on the benefits of cleaning and the dangers of not cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/27 "2005-09-20T16:22:42Z")
Always always always. I clean it out after I dry my clothes, and I always check it before I start the dryer. I’m freakishly paranoid about house fires. I was traumatized during my childhood. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/28 "2005-09-20T16:36:29Z")
I live dangerously and clean it out before each load. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/29 "2005-09-20T17:07:17Z")
My wife’s favorite statistic is that the #1 cause of household fires is the clothes dryer. Have no idea if that’s true or not, but I do it every load just so I don’t have to hear her rail off that statistic again… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/30 "2005-09-20T17:11:16Z")
I check it before I put the clothes in (community washing room), and leave it clean after I’m done. My current community is quite good about leaving the traps clean, but others were scary. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/31 "2005-09-20T17:11:42Z")
Wow, talk about an appropriate thread! Before I saw this thread, I posted [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335916)! ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/32 "2005-09-20T17:12:00Z")
Oh yeah, I’m terrified of fire, so I clean it religiously. This includes having to clean it for the lazy-ass fellow tenants in my building who can’t be bothered to do it. Sometimes they’ll leave the screen with a layer of lint so thick you could wear it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/33 "2005-09-20T17:27:12Z")
I clean it out every 1-2 loads, sometimes after and sometimes before. My brother who used to do a lot of Laundry at our house would do it daily because I mentioned the fire hazard. My wife, is not so consistent but she leaves most of the laundry to me, so it works out. I tend to check before, if someone else was using the dryer. I also vacuum out the entire exhaust hose at least once a year but I never knew to wash the lint catcher. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/34 "2005-09-20T17:30:46Z")
No. I clean it out _before_ each load. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/35 "2005-09-20T17:38:27Z")
I check the lint trap before, and (usually) clean it after taking the load out. My husband doesn’t usually clean the trap after taking a load out, so that’s why I check the trap before starting a load. He goes by the “clean the trap before starting the dryer” method, I go by the “clean the trap after use” method. We’re both right, so I give way a bit and check the trap before I start the dryer, especially since I do brain fart sometimes and forget to clean the trap if I’m pre-occupied. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/36 "2005-09-20T18:09:02Z")
Guess what I’ll be doing tonight? Pulling the dryer out from the wall and vaccuuming behind it, in addition to WASHING my lint catcher. Paranoid? Who, me? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/37 "2005-09-20T18:20:26Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > What’s the stat on dryer fires? Something like 70% of home fires start in the laundry room ? I would love to see a cite on that one. I have heard lots of claims, but I have never seen the statistics. Leading causes of house fires I have heard. Kitchen Stove top. Candles left burning. Glade Plug-Ins. Dryer Lint build-up. Space Heaters. Live Christmas trees with Candles or Older style large bulb lights. Overloaded Electrical Outlets with cheap 3 to 1 adapters or cheap extension cords. And of course, Smoking in Bed. [From Liberty Mutual](http://www.libertymutual.com/omapps/ContentServer?cid=1058287535502&pagename=PMInternet%2FPage%2FPMTertiaryYellow&c=Page) Hazard #1 Distractions in the Kitchen Hazard #2 Electrical Problems Hazard #3 Fireplaces and Chimneys Hazard #4 Central Heating Hazard #5 Kerosene Space Heaters Hazard #6 Smoking Hazard #7 Wildfires Hazard #8 Children Hazard #9 Candles Hazard #10 Extension Cords No Dryers there. [Cooking Fires Leading Cause of House Fires](http://www.nwhealth.edu/healthyu/findbalance/funfacts/16.html) [Cigarettes are the leading cause of \*\*fatal \*\* home fires in the United States.](http://www.ameriburn.org/advocacy/fireSafeCig.htm) \*\*So what is the recommended method of washing the Lint Screen? \*\* Do you just use a soapy rag? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/38 "2005-09-20T18:21:31Z")
Ooh, vacuuming out the vent hose – that had never occurred to me, but that sounds like a great way to clean it. \*Note to self: Calendar vacuuming dryer vent hose for August 2006. \* ---
**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, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/39 "2005-09-20T18:27:33Z")
**jrfranchi** my method for cleaning the lint trap is to use a soapy cloth and gently wipe down both sides of the trap. Then I use warm running water to rinse it. I usually let it air dry before returning it to the dryer. Maybe we can have a whole other thread on how to clean the lint trap on the dryer! I bet it’d be the most popular thread evah! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505/40 "2005-09-20T18:27:44Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Ooh, vacuuming out the vent hose – that had never occurred to me, but that sounds like a great way to clean it. > > \*Note to self: Calendar vacuuming dryer vent hose for August 2006. \* Also the much harder job of gently vaccuuming the heat exchanger fins on the refrigerator. My new Fridge has bottom fins so they are extra dirty and extra hard to clean. I can’t find a proper attachment and I sure can’t think of a safe way to tip it to a 33 degree Angle. I miss the old rear fin model we had where the job was easy and I did it at least yearly. Next Fridge I will be looking at this as a feature along with Energy Star Compliance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-clean-out-the-lint-trap-after-you-dry-clothes/322505.md?page=3)