Dryer Lint

I have never paid a lot of attention to how long it takes my clothes to dry, but the other day I put some wet clothes in the dryer and happened to notice that the dryer was still running three hours later.  This seemed excessive.  I pondered the likely cause of this problem for a few minutes before settling on the most likely suspect - dryer lint.  In a fit of righteous environmental anger , I pulled out the dryer and detached the circular aluminum duct that normally carries the dryer's hot-air byproduct out the cellar window.  Gazing into the circular duct was like looking into a clogged artery in a pharmaceutical advertisement.  The passageway was about 95% closed.  It was a wonder that any hot air got out of the dryer at all.  I reached my hand in and pulled out a fistful of dryer lint.  I imagined the dryer's angina lessening immediately.  Within an hour I had removed an entire kitchen sized trash bag full of dryer lint from my dryer's aluminum tubing.  It was extremely satisfying.  Today my clothes dry in less than half the time it used to take.  I'm sure my gas bill will be a tiny bit lower and the environment will be better off.  It wasn't a major blow to global warming, but my blue jeans are dry a lot sooner than before, and I feel a little better about myself.   

Comments

[Steven et CGHB]

We lived the same life lesson. Our drier stopped drying our wet clothes, though it would still warm them up which was confusing. Isn't it the heat that dries them? We too figured out to check the circular aluminum duct (thanks for helping me know what to call it) and removed enough lint to build a same size Statue of Liberty. We are both men and felt very masculine fixing an appliance ourselves. Proud and strong and virile, that's how wads of lint make a man feel. So let's all check and clean out our circular aluminum ducts. NOW! I said NOW!

[Ninster]

don't forget dryer balls! Cats like to chase 'em and they also make your clothes dry faster.

Also, props for a bravely unscintillating blog post title -- looking forward to "watching paint dry" :)