by Roxanne Prather, Member Services Representative

Some people think of dryers as a set it and leave it appliance, but dryers need regular maintenance like anything else to work properly. One of the dryers’ main functions besides drying your clothes is to remove as much lint from your clothes as possible.

Have you noticed there is a lot of lint left on your clothes after you wash and dry them? This can be caused by several things.

1. Your dryer lint trap or lint screen is blocked or full.

This lint screen should be emptied after each use, and the screen should be washed in hot soapy water about once a month. Fabric softeners and scent boosting products can create a film on the screen, blocking it from working properly. Some lint is so fine it will sneak past your screen and will end up in the bottom of your dryer. Periodically, pull the lint screen and use a lint brush to go in and pull any stray lint out.

2.  Your dryer ducting is blocked or too long.

You should check your dryer ducting once a year and if there is lint build up in there, clean it out. You can purchase a duct cleaning brush at a hardware store or Walmart.

3.  Your dryer drum is small, or you are overloading it.

You should take each item out of the washer and shake it before putting it in the dryer. This removes any excess lint and helps with wrinkles and keeps things from getting all tangled.

4.  You might be running the dryer too long or on too hot of a setting.

Lint is loose threads and fibers that come from your clothes. Your dryer makes lint when it tosses your clothes around in the hot air.

5.  You might be using too much fabric softener in the washer.

Too much fabric softener will plug up the dryer lint filter screen.

6.  Lack of moisture in your home.

If you haven’t changed your laundry routine, have ruled out all of the above and you are still ending  up with lots of lint, this could mean you have too much humidity in your home. Try using a dehumidifier and see if it helps.