Why Do Boy Scouts Collect Lint?
This might come as a surprise, but there isactually a very practical use for lint. Boyscouts collect lint to make camp fires. They collect the lint, put it in egg cartons, or toilet paper rolls, and make little firestarters. Motivated scouts and campers may even dip their fire starters in melted max to make them water resistant. The lint is very flammable and great for getting the kindling going. I have taught this trick to my oldest at our family camping trips.
Some homeowners are inadvertantly transforming their dryer ductsystem into a large fire starter. When a homeowner installs a screen on the dryer vent exterior termination, they are putting their home in danger. The screens trap the lint, the lint builds up inside the appliance, and the heating elements set it on fire. They are prohibited for this reason. Why do the big box stores sell them then? The screens are for your bathroom vents, or other ventilation systems that only expel air, but they are often advertised as dryer vent covers.
The dryer vent termination should have a damper to allow air out, and keep pests out, but never a screen. Take a second when you get home to ensure there is not a screen on your dryer vent.
