December 2023
The lint trap is part of the exhaust system for your clothes dryer. When clogged, it increases drying time and wastes electricity. Build up of lint in the trap and ducts is a fire hazard. If it gets fully clogged the system stops working.
Prior to 1990, lint traps were not always part of a unit’s design unless personally installed. Newer buildings are likely to have a lint trap mounted in the ceiling above the dryer that is difficult to access without a ladder or an uncomfortable reach. Opening the lint trap can be difficult. Older people are less able to access them while younger residents are unaware of its existence.
Regardless of the reason, lint traps are not being cleaned as frequently as necessary, or at all. Newer and more accessible lint traps are needed if they are to be cleaned after every dryer cycle as recommended.
