A couple of months ago, I went to my laundry room. As soon as I steeped my foot into this room, I was shocked to see lint everywhere. It was an overwhelming situation for my family and me. Does it happen to you too?
Why is there so much lint in my house? Observing too much lint indicates you may wash or dry clothes at too hot temperature. Most importantly, dryer is the appliance that creates the highest amount of lint. Check whether the vent behind dryer is blocked or not. Moreover, inspect the location of dryer exhaust of your neighbors. Maybe those are pointed at your house.
Are you searching for solutions to this problem? Luckily, you’re in the right place. Read this article to know more.
Causes Of Too Much Lint In House
Lint is the tiny particles of fabric that are originated from the surface of garments. Regular wear, dry, or wash with hot water are mainly responsible for lint. Generally, delicate fabrics like wool and cotton generate more lint than synthetic ones.
Now, take a look at the following reasons. These are responsible for the excessive amount of lint in your house.
- Wash clothes in hot water: Some fabrics can’t endure hot water. Therefore, washing them frequently in hot water can cause too much lint in clothes and fill your house. So, always check the care label of your dress to identify the optimal temperature of washing it.
- Using too much detergent or bleach: Sometimes, detergent and bleach contain harmful elements. Therefore, using detergent or bleach in heavy volume may develop more lint in garments. As a result, you may observe your house full of lint.
- Blocked vent behind dryer: You may be a big fan of dryer. Am I right? Actually, who doesn’t love this appliance? So, always check good care of it. Maybe the vent behind your dryer is blocked.
- Dry garments at hot settings: Some garments can’t be dried at hot temperature settings. When you dry them in such environments, clothes may produce more lint and fill your house.
- Observe dryer exhaust of neighbors: It may be possible that your house is affected by your neighbors. There is a huge possibility that they may point their dryer exhaust line to your home.
- Missing lint screen of dryer: Lint screen is the device that collects lint from garments. So, check whether the lint screen is present or not. Sometimes, you may remove it to clean and forget to insert it back. So, let’s begin the hunt! Start with your laundry room. Or, your kids may love it!
Danger Of Lint In House
If you think this tiny particle is harmless, you’re wrong. Lint is a highly flammable element that can cause a fire in your house. Every year, 2900 clothes dryer fire incidents happen in the US. It causes an estimated five deaths and an overwhelming property loss of around $35 million.
According to the US Fire Administration, failure to clean dryers properly is the leading cause (34 percent) of such incidents.
Therefore, you should take extra care of lint in your laundry room. Before every load, clean the lint screen. Never forget to check dryer exhaust line once in a while. Moreover, get rid of lint when you observe-
- Extra drying time for your clothes.
- After drying, dresses become too hot.
- Dryer is boiling.
- Burning smell from dryer during drying phase.
Health Hazard Of Lint In House
An excessive amount of lint in your house may affect the well-being of your family. This tiny particle can contain harmful chemicals, posing a huge risk for everyone, especially children. Lint can-
- Hamper the regular activities of the digestive system.
- Restrict brain development.
- Cause cancer.
- Increase obesity among children.
- Restrict the growth of fat cells in kids.
For more information, click here.
How To Solve Lint Problem In House
Solving the lint problem is not that difficult. I think you may be horrified at its health and fire hazards. Therefore, I’m providing you with guidelines to solve this problem. Take a look-
Keep dryer clean
Dryer is probably the most used laundry essentials in your house. So, take proper care of it. Check whether the vent behind dryer is blocked or not.
In most cases, you may solve lint problem by keeping dryer clean. I solved my problem by doing it too. In Indianapolis, clogged dryer exhaust is a common thing. So, keep them clean. We Americans are too lazy. Work hard, guys!
If you are a regular user (use dryer 4-5 times a week), one proper dryer cleaning per year will be enough. However, for demanding users (use 4-5 loads per day), ensure one clean every six months.
When your dryer isn’t clean, you may observe-
- Clothes aren’t dried properly.
- Drying time will be longer than regular.
- High electricity bill.
- Dryer will be boiling.
Keep lint screen clean
When your house is full of lint, check the lint filter. Clean this screen clean after every use. If you keep it clean-
- Your home will be free from lint.
- Drying will be fast.
- Dryer will last longer.
- Garments will be safe from the extra heat of dryer.
- Risk of fire will be reduced.
- Energy bill will come down.
I try to check the lint screen before every load. It’s not that difficult. Just take it out of dryer and-
- First, use a vacuum cleaner to remove lint.
- Now, take it to the sink and use warm water and soap to wash it properly.
- Let it dry for a while.
- Use the vacuum to clean the lint filter slot. It may be dirty too.
Clean lint trap of washing machine
Some older washers may have built-in lint traps that you may not know. If you use an older model, clean the filter regularly. Otherwise, your clothes will be full of lint.
Check the washer manual for more information. If you don’t find the manual, visit the manufacturer’s website.
Modern-day washer doesn’t come up with such a built-in trap. Instead, it has a self-clean system. However, you should clean your washer with vinegar every now and then. I prefer to do it after every two months. Vinegar works magically on dirt.
Take assistance from city council
Keeping your dryer clean won’t solve the problem entirely. You should also be aware of whether your neighbors are doing the same job or not. If their dryer exhaust vent is pointed towards your house, you may still face the lint problem.
So, seek assistance from city council or negotiate with your neighbors. Don’t forget to invite them for dinner!
Line drying clothes
Some fabrics never work better in hot environments. So, never try to dry them at high heat. Surprisingly, dryer causes the most damage to your garments. Regular use of dryer means more faded cloth and more lint on its surface.
So, line drying clothes may be the best solution. By doing this, you may keep your house clean and save your clothes.
Wash at normal setting
Washing at high temperature may force your dresses to grow more lint. So, wash them at a gentle setting of washer. Never use any harsh detergent or bleach. If needed, use vinegar in small amounts. Vinegar can effectively polish garments and protect them over time.
Moreover, carefully sort garments before washing. Separate lint receivers clothes from lint-receivers ones. Never put towels with your black pant in the same load.
If you prefer to hand wash clothes, use fresh water instead of using boiling water. However, you can use a mixture of hot and cold water.
Hopefully, you can let your home clean from lint by following these instructions. If you want better results, you can-
- Use an air purifier in your house.
- Keep your closet tidy and clean.
- Clean your home, especially laundry room.
- Don’t buy lint-giving fabrics.
- Use dryer sheet in dryer.
- Wash garments inside out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dryer sheets get rid of lint?
Dryer sheets can help your fabrics get rid of lint. This sheet is nothing but a small piece of fabric softener. During drying phase, toss dryer sheets with your clothes. It will keep clothes soft and remove static nature. These sheets use chemicals that prevent clothes from clinging to each other.
So, dryer sheet-
- Reduces static electricity of clothes.
- Keeps garments soft.
- Make ironing easier.
- Remove lint.
However, it contains hazardous chemicals which may be detrimental to your body in the long run. That’s why never use it to wash your kids’ clothes. Moreover, it reduces the absorbance power of fabrics.
Why is there so much lint in my lint trap?
- You may not clean it regularly. When lint trap is dirty, you observe longer drying times, clothes and dryers become too hot, and a higher electricity bill.
- Make sure that vent hose is of proper length and diameter according to the manual.
- Check the dryer exhaust line. It may be blocked.
- Use less lint-giving fabrics.
- Wash garments properly.
- Keep washer clean. Wash it with vinegar.
Does vinegar get rid of lint?
Vinegar is an excellent cleaning material that performs better with almost all fabrics. You can use it to remove wrinkles and stains. Luckily it works better with lint too.
Just use distilled white vinegar instead of using other variants. Before starting the rinse cycle, add one-half cup of vinegar to the dispenser and let it work. However, you shouldn’t pour vinegar during the wash cycle.
However, you shouldn’t use vinegar in larger volumes as it may fade clothes. In worst cases, your clothes may smell odd. If you use vinegar in tiny amounts, it will
- Remove excess lint from clothes.
- Softens fabrics.
- Remove wrinkles.
- Brightens fabrics.
- Remove underarm odors.
Which fabrics produce less lint?
In usual setting, delicate fabrics produce more lint than synthetic ones. The following fabrics grow less lint over time. Take a look-
- Polyester
- Rayon
- Spandex
- Nylon
- Acetate
- Acrylic
Bottom Line
Keep your laundry room clean. Adopt appropriate steps when you observe too much lint in your house. Such small steps can extend longevity of garments and keep you healthy.
Do you have anything in mind? Never feel shy to share it with me.
Goodbye, lint!
