The secret second dryer filter you need to clean out now!

"We are so lucky we haven't had a fire yet"

Contributor, Practical Parenting / January 26 2020

We all know that you need to clean the lint filter after time you use your dryer. It's easy and quick to do and ensures your dyer works efficiency each and ever time.

It also greatly reduces the risk of your dryer from overheating and becoming a fire hazard. But what if we told you there is a secret second filter that you didn't know about?

 

Shocking before and after results. Image: Mums who clean/Facebook

Shocking before and after results. Image: Mums who clean/Facebook

 

Posting on the brilliant Facebook page Mums who clean, members have shared their horror after one Mum discovered the secret second filter by accident.

"Cleaned out the extra secret compartment in my dryer. Havent done it in 2-3 years. Just a tad mortified 😱", posted one horrified member.

Her before and after pics created quite the stir with hundreds of other members confessing they never knew about the secret second filter.

 

"I FOUND IT 🤪 I pulled my machine away from the wall and found it at the back, I’m horrified that I didn’t know it was there. It’s actually not too clogged, just a bit dusty, probably because I keep the main lint filter clean. I feel like I’ve accomplished something big today 😂", shared another.

 

Clogged secret second filter after years of neglect. Image: Mums who clean/Facebook

Clogged secret second filter after years of neglect. Image: Mums who clean/Facebook

Years of compacted dryer lint. Image: Mums who clean/Facebook

Years of compacted dryer lint. Image: Mums who clean/Facebook

 

Choice recommended tips: how to look after your clothes dryer so it gives you many years of safe use.

Every use

  • Clean the lint filter – we can't stress this enough. Not only does a blocked lint filter reduce your dryer's efficiency, it's the major cause of dryer fires.
  • Empty the water tank (condenser and heat pump models), or plumb it into a drain.
  • Leave the door ajar when not in use (if possible) to help extend the life of the seal.

Monthly

  • Clean external surfaces with a soft damp cloth.

Annually

  • Vacuum the lint out of air intakes, vents and crevices.

​Watch: How To Clean White Sneakers

Eliza Scanlan is a contributor with Practical Parenting. Eliza has written for several digital titles including New Idea Food and New Idea, with a passion for consumer and shopping news. Eliza is also a contributor for the Trolley Watch and The Flawsome Mum podcasts. In her spare time, Eliza loves watching Netflix and tending to her horses.