We all know how annoying it could be to have lint from one piece of cloth soil your other clothes in the laundry. This is where lint traps come in. It is designed to trap the lint of your clothes while in the washing machine.
Lint traps are fairly common in dryers and are quite easy to spot. Have you ever wondered where lint traps are placed in a washing machine?
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First Off…
Well, many machines don’t have lint traps. For instance modern High Efficiency washing machines are made without lint traps.
Instead of using lint traps, high efficiency washers rely on self-cleaning pump filters to remove lint. Some other washers have simple cleanable filters in place of lint traps.
However, some washing machines are fitted with lint washers that hardly do a good job holding lint. In some cases, the lint traps get so clogged that they don’t function properly anymore. And this requires that they are identified and cleaned or replaced.
Finding the lint trap in your washing machine could be tricky. This is because different models place lint traps in different places, that means there isn’t one common place to check for lint traps in washing machines.
That said, there are a few places lint traps are typically known to be installed, let’s show you where.
Where Is The Lint Trap On A Washing Machine? Possible Locations
Check Your Manual
Okay, the manual is not a part of the washing machine, we know. But really, this is the first place to check to figure out where the lint trap of your washing machine could be.
- Every properly written washing machine manual should have a page where the various parts of the washer are identified and listed. This is usually in the first few pages.
- If you can’t find the manual of your washing machine, take note of the model number and go online to search for its manual and parts.
- This is the simplest and, sometimes, the most effective way to identify where the lint trap of your washing machine is.
Check The Drum
In some washing machines, the lint trap is located on the wash drum.
- To find out if this is the case with your machine, use your hand to scout around the top of the wash drum. Along the way, you might come in contact with the lint trap. Once identified you can examine it for cleaning or replacement if required.
Check The Agitator
If your washing machine has an agitator, as with top loading washers, the lint trap could have been installed inside it.
- To find this out, remove the cover of the agitator. Pull off the cap and check the cylinder of the agitator. If you see a handle on the cylinder, the lint trap could be attached to it. Pull it out to confirm that the lint trap is there.
Check The Lower Right Corner
In some washing machine models, there is a small door at the bottom right corner of the machine. The lint trap of the machine could be hiding somewhere around there.
- Open this small door. You might see a cap there. Unscrew the cap and pull out any cylinder-shaped sleeve you might find there. That is the lint trap.
Note that some washing machines have this cover the back of the panel, rather than on the front right corner.
Check The Connection Hose
In some washing machine models, the lint trap is installed where the supply water hose is connected.
- Check that area for a metal screen. The metal screen serves as a lint trap. The metal screen could also have been installed at the end of the drain hose. You should also check there.
Cleaning The Lint Trap
As earlier said a clogged lint trap won’t function properly. The reason you are seeing lint on your washed laundry could be due to a clogged lint trap. In such a case, the lint trap has to either be cleaned or replaced.
When the lint trap gets clogged, they usually have a sticky residue which is a mixture of detergent residue, lint and fabric softener. Sounds disgusting right? That’s why it needs to be cleaned.
- If the lint trap can be removed, get it out and allow it to soak in hot water for about 10 minutes. This will allow all the dirt on the trap to be loosened up. It should leave the lint trap clear of any residue.
- In some cases, the lint trap cannot be removed. For such, you will need to use a soft brush and a paper towel to thoroughly clean away the residue in the lint trap.
- For lint traps that can easily be disposed of, when they get clogged, simply get rid of them and replace with a new lint trap.
Watch this person clean theirs:
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Improvising A Lint Trap
After searching for the lint trap in your washing machine, you could find out that your washer was not built with one. Don’t lose heart, however, as you could improvise your own lint trap.
- To do this, get a very clean nylon sock. Cut the sock into two, about 4 to 5 inches away from the toe area. This section, from the toe area, will serve as an improvised lint trap.
- Place the nylon sock over the discharge hose and put a two-inch hose clamp over the sock. Connect the discharge hose as usual.
You can turn the nylon sock inside out every three months, while getting rid of any trapped debris. This improvised lint trap can be used till it wears off completely. Afterwards, follow the same process to make a new one.
It’s as simple as that!