A friend's heating unit went out of the dryer.

The repairman went in to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter.

It was clean. They always clean the lint from the filter after every load
of clothes.

The repairman told them that he wanted to show them something.

He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it.

Now, this thing is like a mesh-I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like -

WELL.....the hot water just laid on top of the mesh!!! It didn't go through
it at all!!!

He told them that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's
what burns out the heating unit.

You can't SEE the film,but it's there. He said the best way to keep your
dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower)
is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old
toothbrush (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!

Trish

That's interesting Trish.I don't use dryer sheets, but I do use fabric softener when I wash. I think I'll try the water trick on my filter and see what happens. I'll let you know if there is a build up from the softener.

Thanks.
Jacki

That is very strange. Imagine the chemicals we are all walking around with on our clothes!

I tried the filter thingie today - it worked just fine - but I do not use the sheets - use them to wipe cat hair off my furniture - welcome to LCT!! Joanna

I'm hearing this in stereo - had a friend tell me about it today. Now I see your post, Trish. :eek: I only use Bounce sheets for tucking into the waistband area of shorts/pants while in the tropics....it keeps the mesquitoes away! :)Michele

So glad you brought this up Michele-- we are taking DEET to SA - anyone hear anything about do not take 100% DEET??? Maybe I read it on advisory board for SA???? Joanna

I know that I always "try" to stay with a lower DEET %age; however, when I'm in "serious mesquito territory", well, give me the chemical & fast! I've learned to RUN indoors at 4 p.m. & not return outside until "bug hour" is OVER ...for me it's until about sunset. That routine has kept me out of trouble by leaps and bounds. If it's the Amazon, boy I wouldn't just take low DEET. Just my opinion. - Michele

Just my opinion. - Michele

Good enough for me - Joanna :ch:

Hi Jillian, it is nice to see your first post! Welcome to the board!!

So happy you're joining us Jillian. With your biochemical and engineering expertise,you are a huge asset to all of us,especially with off topic questions as we often have. Welcome to LCT....hope we hear lots more from you!

Welcome Jillian, and thanks.. loads.lol

well, experiment done. I guess fabric softener used in the washer does not build up on the lint screen of the dryer. (This was the most productive thing I did yesterday! Hope I do better today, ha!)
Jacki

OK, I tried it. We use dryer sheets all the time. Well, the water DID just pool up when I first put water on it. I dumped it out, turned it upside down wondering will the water go through that way. It did. Then I turned it over again, turned on the water, and it went right through.

So, now I have a wet filter. I think I have to wait for it to dry before I can do any laundry. It will probably take until tomorrow to dry. :cool:

Kim: That is exactly what happened to me - water flowed through but now wet filter?? - had to let it dry till this morning - so could not do laundry Joanna :mecry: :mecry: :mecry:

Kim - your filter should be fine for laundry right after the rinse job unless you have some kind of filter other than the mesh screens I am familiar with.

I use 1/2 sheet of Bounce with each load and did the test at the laundry tub. Water came through but I improved the flow by cleaning the screen with an old toothbrush. Thanks for the tip.

Another dryer hint to prevent fires - get your entire vent cleaned periodically. We used to live in a house with the dryer in the basement and I could take that vent (which went up and out through a section of window) apart myself to clean it about once a year. In our present condo we have a main floor laundry room and the dryer is vented up and over across the roof of our front porch. We need to get it cleaned out professionally. (The more turns, the trickier it is.)

In regard to DEET - I'm in the camp that uses 100% when necessary, being careful to not get it on plastic (after marring 1 watch face) and washing it off of myself when I am back indoors.

Thanks Kathy for advice - Joanna

Sometimes I am so dense, I do not get it when someone is kidding. If I had waited and seen Joanna's response to Kim I would have realized the humor sooner. Can I blame it on the grey skies of MI clouding my brain? From Dec. 19 - Jan 5 we had 14 minutes of sunshine (all on Dec. 30). This morning has been partly sunny but I guess I am still in a fog!

Nope, I'm pretty sure it has to dry first. ;)
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The advice to clean out the vent tube is excellent.

Editing to say: Good morning, Kathy!

Funny Kathy!!!!! I didn't pick up on any denseness in your post - went over my head and we have sunshine in Fl!!!

Just bought a Fuller Brush Dryer Vent Brush last week. My husband - the King of Clorox & Laundry - requested it. Since it is HIS, I thought I should wait until this weekend to let him try it out. ;)

Michele/Joanna,

How timely to talk about DEET!!!!!!!! We leave for Nevis in 17 days and I need to do something about those nasty mosquitos and sand fleas down there. Do you have a special brand/type that you can recommend so that we don't get eaten alive? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Thank you.

Trish

Trish, currently we use Ultrathon Insect Repellent 8. DEET is approx. 25% so it's fairly low, but supposedly it was created for the military. We use a stronger version in the areas where the resorts are remote and they don't spray a lot. One year, only Skin So Soft saved me from absolute torture on a dive trip. You never know. If you're going to a good sized resort, they will probably spray that area & it really does make a difference. Just go inside during the bug hours, i.e., 4 p.m. dusk to sunset. Works every time! - Michele P.S. Editing to say, the sand fleas are the absolute worst during the bug hours referenced.

I think Tony got 3 sprays but that is so typical of him - I see one on his desk "Deep Woods OFF sportmen - repels mosquitoes that may carry west Nile virus" - Michele is way more knowledgable than we are ----Joanna

May I go along with you, Joanna, on your SA cruise and be your "bug buster"?? We've mixed the Deep Woods Off Sportmen (the earlier versions) with other repellents also - but we were desparate until other divers came with more Skin So Soft. I have scars from sand fleas, etc. One year, (at a verrrry small place way down in the Bahamas), I was SO eaten up that the ONLY relief (after being bitten mercilessly) was being in the pool up to my neck for hours!..There's no sleep either to be had since the itching starts at night. :eek:
- Michele

May I go along with you, Joanna, on your SA cruise and be your "bug buster"??

Do you want to go in my carry on or luggage? I'll put you in the carry on so we can talk on flights - Joanna

Done! :cool: - M

Okay, so I am going shopping to look.

We were in St. Lucia six years ago and I lost the battle with the sand fleas big time.

I'm excited about visiting Nevis, but people tell me there are many similarities between the islands with the bugs being one of them. We're staying at the Four Seasons, but let's get real, even they admit the beaches are bad in the morning and evenings and the palm trees and coconut trees are an issue.

I don't wish to suffer on Nevis like I did on St. Lucia as that was awful stuff.

I just want to reach out and smile if I love this island as much as I hear I will. It is supposed to be wonderful. Thanks again!!

Trish