Save your dryer. Save your house. Save your life.

thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat · Posts: 9914

I always knew dryer sheets were bad for your health and don't use them but I didn't know just how dangerous they could be. I thought this was worth sharing. It could save your life.

CLOTHES DRYERS AND DRYER SHEETS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material .. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well .... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer r sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very longtime (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbru sh (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it .. the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

bigtallmensclothing · moderator Posts: 21854

Read the WHOLE truth at
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/dryer.asp

goldfashionmine · Posts: 1509

so if you don't like to use those dryer fragrant sheets, then you won't get the film on the filters?

i am very allergic to strong scents, so i stopped using those sheets. i hardly get static on my clothes so i didn't find the need to keep using the "bounce" sheets.

maybe the "film" layer that rubs onto your clothes as you tumble and dry them is what keeps them from getting static?

anyway thanks for sharing. i think the collection of the lint dust alone is bad for health as it floats around in the house.

maggiethehousecat · Posts: 2401

I thought I was the lone voice crying in the wilderness about the dangers to our health of using dryer sheets particularly for babies, children and all bedding. But if people don't care about their health maybe prolonging the life of their dryer or keeping their house from burning down would cause them to think twice about dryer sheets.

I have a modern dryer (2 yrs old)and I don't have a problem with static cling or harsh fabrics. I rarely even have to iron anything if I take the clothes out right away.

The same article I clipped the above tidbit from suggested carrying a dryer sheet in your pocket to keep the mosquitos away.

bigtallmensclothing · moderator Posts: 21854

wondering if I can put the dryer filter in the dishwasher ???

hhhmmm I might try this ... what harm can it do?

ABCellars · Posts: 4

bigtallmensclothing · moderator Posts: 21854

well the only soap I have that isn't hand soap is dish washer soap
and since that's a dry soap

I guess it's liquid dial to the rescue

SnM4Entertainment · Posts: 37

who knew ...thanks for the info. Its amazing what little harmful things we never knew about. Confused

likesthejewels · Posts: 773

This is a little off the subject but still about air flow. Last year my clothes dryer would not dry the clothes and I called the repairman thinking it needed a new element. Turns out that a little bird was making its nest right where the outlet pipe empties to the outside and it was stopping up the air flow. We removed the nest but the bird returned two more times and tried to build a nest there. We finally had to buy a flap so the bird couldn't get in. Wink

vintageinterestnmore · Posts: 505

Thanks for the reminder Maggie. The installer told us to do this when he installed the washer dryer. I forgot. Every now and then I'd remember, then put it off. With your reminder, I finally did it. Thanks

clothingforallsizes · Posts: 38

Menards or Home Depot has plastic "cages" that can be installed over your outside dryer vent.

I mention this because even though we had a Vent/Flap birds still figured out how to get in.