Clean your dryer!

Let's Talk! Tuesday Tips Anyone?!

There's this inconvenient phenomenon that occurs in my laundry. Tissues get left in pockets. So they end up exploding in my washer and then in my dryer. Today after it happened I had this strange urge to vacuum out the lint catcher in my dryer. I want to say something funny and witty, but I think it's really more important that you take me seriously about this for a few minutes! Here's my Pinterest, to give my Tip credibility!            Visit Tamara M. Hannah's profile on Pinterest.   

First I removed the lint catcher and started to run hot water on it. The water was beading off, rather than draining through the mesh. I said to myself, "I think this was a good idea!" and grabbed the soap and a scrub brush. Next, I took the Dyson with the crevice tool and started to clean out the area that holds the lint catcher.....

THIS IS WHAT WAS IN THERE! I had to empty the Dyson vacuum 3 times! 

 Needless to say, I did some investigating, just to find out how all of this works. This "grate" comes off of the inside of the dryer wall just below where the lint catcher rests. Once I took it off a PILE of lint and about half a cup of sand fell out of the crevice that it covered! I was shocked and grossed out. This is how houses burn down. 

Next, I scrubbed the build up from the grate, this is how my lint catcher looked also. I vacuumed the rest of the gap where the lint was building up. I could fit my whole hand down there and was gathering hand fulls of lint. Ok, so this dryer was a second hand jobbie that was in my loft when I moved in. It didn't occur to me that cleaning it was a necessity. I'm sharing this well learned lesson with you today for the simple fact that I think it's pretty unsafe. 

 Here is my washed out lint trap! 

Here is a weird angle of the whole area that the grate piece screws on to and then where the lint catcher would sit. This photo is after I cleaned it all out.

Here's the clean grate being screwed back onto the inside of the dryer. 

And inserting my clean lint catcher back into its holder. 

This situation made me nervous because sometimes I like to leave the dryer running when I leave the loft for work in the afternoon. Riggs isn't very good at calling 911 if you know what I mean.

So take a few minutes when you load the dryer next time and see if you have any build up in your lint catcher! This whole project only took me about half an hour, it was worth it!

This certainly isn't my most sparkly, bubbly, glittery post to date. And you'll adjust. It can't all be rainbows and kittens! 

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Work bag Inventory

Each shift when I'm packing up my lunch I wonder how can my bag really be so heavy? There's not that much in my lunch really. Then tonight I really thought about the items that have permanent residence in this bag. And I'm compiling a list. Mostly for my own Bag inventory status, but maybe someone else will relate. 

This bag, from Under Armour, has a lifetime guarantee. I'm not sure who's lifetime exactly, but in haul trucker land bags get pretty beat up. I purchased this one in 2008 when I was at Aurora with 501. People used to always tease me about it. Whatever. When it's fully loaded, like right now, it probably weighs a good forty pounds. I should weigh it...

It has a big main compartment and three auxiliary compartments. 

In the main compartment I pack up a cooler bag with my lunch. Tonight I have packed: 

Thermos with energy smoothie and straw

Thermos with lemon ice water

Thermos with ice

Bottle of gingerale

2 slices donair pizza

Spinach salad with strawberries, onion, celery, donair sauce

3 celery

Baggie of vitamins

I just realized I forgot a fork for my salad. I have been known to use coffee stir sticks as chopsticks when this happens.

On top of the cooler bag I pack in my activity baggs:

2 ziploc bags with a sketchbook, note pad, graph paper, blank paper, 12 sharpie markers, 2 black pens, one blue pen, 3 pencils, 6 highlighters, 6 sparklie pens. An eraser. Tape. Fluorescent orange post its. 

Also I packed in some Voltaren, Advil and a facecloth with ice cubes and lavender. This is the pain and fatigue care package. 

At the last minute before leaving I tossed in a third slice of pizza and the bag of lime tortilla chips. What!?

Already you can see the bulk of the weight of this bag!

I'll try to finish up quick. One outside aux space holds my coffee mug, a French press coffee mug with ground coffee (both stainless) a jar of honey, and a toiletries bag. This bag holds a toothbrush, toothpaste, bobby pins, a mirror, tweezers, lavender essential oil, and chewable pepto bismol.

In the other end is the second aux space where I have shoved an extra tshirt, keys, socks, earbuds, charger, arm Warmers and Puffs. 

Last! There's a side aux compartment where I stash my glasses, extra safety gloves, ear plugs, FLRA forms and a flashlight/clock combination. Right now my new team long sleeve shirt is also shoved in there. 

That's a lot of stuff! I compiled this list from memory so who knows what I haven't included.

Eleven and a half hours is a long stretch. I come up with my best ideas, plans and lists during this time. 

If you had to pack for a shift this long what would you bring?