Super Home Center Article

So, you have heard that not cleaning your dryer lint filter can cause fires. Yikes! Now you clean your dryer lint filter religiously--and you think you are safe. Think again.

Take a look at your lint filter. It looks perfectly clean, doesn't it?

Take it over to the sink, hold it horizontally and run some water into it. It's a mesh material, and all the water should run through it. Hmmm... it didn't? The water is just sitting on top of the mesh? Looks like you use fabric softner dryer sheets, right?

Here's an eye-opener: Fabric softener dryer sheets create an invisible film across the mesh. This can burn out your dryer's heating unit even though you clean the lint off the filter. Even worse, it can cause your dryer heating unit to catch fire, and possibly burn your entire house down.

TIP: At least every six months, remove the filter and scrub it down with hot soapy water and a brush. A nail brush or vegetable brush is good. Not only will this prevent a dryer fire, but it can double the life of your dryer, and lower your electric bill as well!

NOTE: Be kind to your allergic and asthmatic neighbors. Use unscented fabric softeners. It's better for your health, too.

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