When using washers and dryers, one of the first things that people will tell you is that you need to remember to empty the lint trap. Your parents probably preached this to you when they were teaching you how to do the laundry in the first place. If you go to a laundromat, there may even be signs on the walls that remind you to do this both before and after you wash your clothing. However, have you ever wondered why you need to empty out this lint trap so frequently?
The first reason is simply that the dryer will work much more effectively if the link trap is empty. When it gets full, the clothes will not dry completely, even when it runs for the entire allotted time. Have you ever put your clothes through two cycles and found them still slightly damp to the touch? Did you assume that the heating system was not working? The reality could be that the lint trap is simply full. If you empty it, your clothes will begin to dry the correct way and you can avoid paying for any expensive repair work.
The next reason, which is the one that most people will cite, is that a full lint trap can be a fire hazard. The lint is very dry and flammable. At the same time, the dryer creates an incredible amount of heat each time that it runs. The lint could catch on fire, and, before you know it, your entire house could be on fire. This is especially true if there are clothes, rags, or bags of discarded lint around the dryer that can also burn. If you have a firefighter go through your home and look for potential hazards, the first place that he is going to start is by pulling out your lint trap to see if it is clean.
This is not to say that a dryer is inherently dangerous. They are used in millions of homes and they only cause a few fires every year. You just need to know how to use the speed queen or any other types of dryer correctly. This is the same rule that needs to be used for most machines. If you use them in the right way, the way that they were designed, you can eliminate all of the risk and make your home safer.
