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Thread: Lint and Fabric Softener

  1. #1
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    Lint and Fabric Softener

    I recently tried using a fabric softener in my dryer, the Bounce brand papers. I see more lint trapped in the dryer's filter. Is this "real" lint from the clothes due to the anti-static action? Or is it partly disintegrated pieces of the fabric softener sheets? Or do the fabric softener sheets cause my clothes to disintegrate more?

  2. #2
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    I find that the chemicals in the dryer sheets tend to clog up the dryer lint screen so that the screen becomes clogged and it may look like more lint is being generated. I recently washed my lint screen with a scrub brush and it is like new again. It was so plugged that only about 1/3 of the screen was allowing air through.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Elfert View Post
    I it may look like more lint is being generated.
    I'm going by how much stuff I pull off the filter. The chemicals might make the filter a finer filter and that might cause it to collect more lint. There is definitely more lint.

  4. #4
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    My understanding is the dryer sheets cut down the static on the clothes being dried. If there isn't a static charge to make the lint cling to the clothes it will be whisked away and trapped in the filter.

    Over time the ingredients from the drier sheets can coat the filter mesh and clog it. This is why they require an occasional cleaning.

    The vent line should also be cleaned out regularly to avoid problems.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    ....Over time the ingredients from the drier sheets can coat the filter mesh and clog it. This is why they require an occasional cleaning.....
    Over time the ingredients from the drier sheets also coat the temperture/humidity sensors to the point they can't measaure and effectively stop functioning. It's my understanding that no dryer makers recommend fabric softener sheets.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Angrisani View Post
    It's my understanding that no dryer makers recommend fabric softener sheets.
    Are there products other than the sheets? I'm only looking for way to reduce static. In the dry climate of NM, I want to get more lint off the clothes - and not get electrocuted by my bath robe.

  7. #7
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    Are there products other than the sheets? I'm only looking for way to reduce static. In the dry climate of NM, I want to get more lint off the clothes - and not get electrocuted by my bath robe.
    As I recall, in the old days (1950s) there was a small lamp in some dryers that had an ability to generate ozone. Ozone was thought to disinfect and to lessen static.

    It is a bit corrosive which might be why it is no longer used in dryers.

    In your case, I would likely just live with the dryer sheets when drying your bath robe or hang it up to dry.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    If I don't use dyer sheets, at least in the winter, the clothes all stick together from the static. There are/were other products like a Bounce product that sticks to the drum and lasts for like 40 loads, but they probably have the same issues as dryer sheets.

  9. #9
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    Try adding 1/4 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle.

    “Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy and chivalry.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Everybody knows what to do with the devil but them that has him. My Grandmother
    I had a guardian angel at one time, but my little devil got him drunk, tattooed, and left him penniless at a strip club. I have not had another angel assigned to me yet.
    I didn't change my mind, my mind changed me.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Belinda Williamson View Post
    Try adding 1/4 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle.
    Would this be added where liquid fabric softener is normally poured into the washer? Is this supposed to take care of static?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Elfert View Post
    Would this be added where liquid fabric softener is normally poured into the washer? Is this supposed to take care of static?
    Yes, and yes. You can add to the wash cycle also.

    http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=8

    “Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy and chivalry.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Everybody knows what to do with the devil but them that has him. My Grandmother
    I had a guardian angel at one time, but my little devil got him drunk, tattooed, and left him penniless at a strip club. I have not had another angel assigned to me yet.
    I didn't change my mind, my mind changed me.
    Bella Terra

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Tashiro View Post
    Are there products other than the sheets? I'm only looking for way to reduce static. In the dry climate of NM, I want to get more lint off the clothes - and not get electrocuted by my bath robe.
    Ah, I remember well living in the desert. Seems like you're forever getting shocked by...well...everything.

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