The Easy Pillowcase Hack That Makes Cleaning Your Dirty Lint Trap A Breeze
Have you ever emptied your lint trap only to see unreachable piles hanging out inside the slot, knowing the excess lint will just make its way into your dryer and create a mess? The answer to your problem is easy: a homemade device that will pull out the otherwise impossible-to-catch lint. With a paint stirrer, an old pillowcase, and a little finesse, you will have a clean trap that looks like new. You only need to place the stirrer in your pillowcase and slide it around inside the slot to remove those frustrating leftovers.
Lint builds up from fibers, hairs, and other debris that gets stuck on clothing during wears and washes. Your lint trap is there to remove these and keep them from finding their way back onto clothes, but due to the small nature of these particles, it can be tricky to keep every single piece inside the trap. If your lint trap becomes too full, it can quickly spill over, and most hands are too big to reach in and pull this out. So, avoid a huge mess with this simple contraption.
Use this hack for hard to reach traps
Enter the pillowcase hack: an easy-to-use home hack that will pick up fibers that would otherwise accumulate in the trap. Grab a paint stirrer and place it inside a pillowcase of your choosing. It needs to be cleaned to avoid additional dirt and debris from falling back into the trap. The key to capturing leftover lint is getting the fabric a little wet, which will help the debris stick to it. The stirrer should be placed in one of the closed-end corners of the pillowcase; then, you will insert it into the tray and move it back and forth to pull up fibers that have collected inside.
You can also use a ruler or any kind of slim stick; it just needs to be able to fit horizontally into the opening. Once you've removed the majority of the lint, make sure to clean it off the pillowcase before washing. This will keep it from going back into the dryer and potentially ending up in the trap again. You can also use the slim extension on your vacuum and hover it over the opening to suction out any lint that your homemade lint remover missed.
Why you should regularly clean your lint trap
Getting the lint out of your dryer is not only beneficial, but it is also very necessary. The obvious reasons to remove excess lint and keep the trap clean include better drying power and less chance of hair, fibers, and other particles sticking to your clothes. However, removing the lint that sticks behind after you've emptied the tray and regularly cleaning out the removable piece also helps to reduce fire hazards. Keeping this section of your dryer clean will also keep your bills from skyrocketing since clogged appliances have to work overtime to complete tasks when they aren't at full functionality.
To keep your clothes looking fresh and your dryer settings working longer (but not harder), empty your lint tray after every load and use this trick to remove every piece of debris. It only takes a few extra steps and a little more time, but the results are worth it!