Useful Lint

[Broke Down Ranch]

We mainly use the fireplace in the winter for our heat. A few years ago I learned of a way to utilize the lint from our dryer. Since we no longer have a dryer we get some from the local laundromat. Add a paper egg carton and some parafin and you have your very own fire starters!




First you start melting the parafin.

While the parafin is melting you get your egg carton ready. I line the cookie sheet with wax paper because the egg carton will become saturated and stick to the cookie sheet. This just makes clean-up easier. Anyway, stuff each hole with as much lint as you can get in there. The more lint, the longer it burns....

Next it's time to fill with the melted parafin. You want to fill each one almost to the point of overflowing.

Then you let them set overnight or stick them outside for a few hours to harden. This is what your finished product looks like.

You just break one off, put in your fireplace (it really IS in there!), and TADA!

 

[cwhit590]

Hey that's a neat idea. Great pics. My friends use a wood stove in the winter....I'll have to tell them about this.

How long do they burn on average?

 

[hikerchick]

I think this is a fabulous way to save money on those firestarter things. Thanks!!

 

[NurseNettie]

Super idea! How expensive is parrafin? Do you need more than 1 starter to get a fire going?

 

[beefy]

cool!

i use a wad of newspaper and a splinter of lighter wood that is laying all around in the pasture. (not cow dung, i'm talking about an actual piece of wood).

 

[injunjoe]

This is a great idea!

I will try this. I am getting ready to move my wood burning sTove back in my sunroom. I take it out each spring for more room plus I don't need it for very long.

This year I hope to heat most of the house with the stove.

Joe

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

On average they will burn about 15 minutes, possibly more if you can really stuff the lint in there. And parafin is relatively cheap - I think only a couple bucks for a block that will make 12-18 starters. And I usually only use 1 starter.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

cool!

i use a wad of newspaper and a splinter of lighter wood that is laying all around in the pasture. (not cow dung, i'm talking about an actual piece of wood).

That's the nice thing about these starters - you don't have to go wandering around looking for little splinters of wood. And when it's cold outside, 5 in the morning and the fire has died out let me tell you I really appreciate not having to go hunt for starter stuff

 

[beefy]

we have a huge pile gathered from old tree roots. i just pick up a piece whenever i bring in wood. i think its awesome youf ound a use for lint tho.

 

[journey11]

Very clever idea. We heat our 1600 sq ft home entirely with our wood furnace which is connected to the duct work. I bought those fire starter blocks one year and even broke them into 4ths, but still felt they cost more than I wanted to spend.

I use junk mail and newspaper now and save all my pruning scraps for kindling (apple tree wood generates a lot of BTUs).

These lint starters would be very handy to have around!