Keep Laundry Room Appliances Clean & Lint-Free With A Dollar Tree Essential

Raise your hand if your washer and dryer fall into the "use-it-but-forget-to-clean-it" type of appliances. No judgment here — many people don't even know they're supposed to clean their laundry room appliances. That is, until the inside of the washer stinks or the dryer catches on fire. The good news? Dollar Tree has just the item that could make your appliance cleaning schedule easy, fast, and efficient. We're talking about the Driver's Choice Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitts, which cost just $1.25 each.

Your first thought might be: aren't those for washing cars? Well, yes. But just like how a wash mitt scrubs your car's dirt away, it can also be used to scoop up all the fluff, lint, and dust in your appliances. These things, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), are the primary culprits behind fires caused by dryers — which is why removing them is so important.

Note that Dollar Tree's wash mitts are sold online in quantities of 36 as a minimum, though you're more likely to find individual pieces in-store. On the plus side, you'll have more than enough gloves to dust other items around the house. For instance, customer reviews on Dollar Tree point out that they're great for dusting ceiling fans, furniture, window blinds, and hard-to-reach areas. They can be used wet or dry, hence why they're perfect for tackling those gooey washing machine parts.

The most important part of your washing machine that you should clean first is the filter compartment. For the dryer, that would be the lint trap. Simply slide on your wash mitt, remove your appliances' filters, and sweep the surfaces clear. You can wipe off the actual filter as well as the compartment where it's placed. Don't forget to also wipe down the inside of the machines (including the detergent dispenser in the washer) as well as the exteriors, especially paying attention to the backside of the appliances. Because the mitts are absorbent, you can dampen them or spray them with a cleaning solution as well. Breaking these tasks into weekly and monthly routines is key to keeping your laundry machines in spick and span condition.

So, what exactly makes these car-washing gloves a stellar laundry room gadget? There are a lot of clever hacks for cleaning out your dryer lint trap, such as using dryer sheets or chopsticks. Some even use balled-up pieces of lint to remove the lint. The difference is that wash mitts have caterpillar-like strands that easily trap and hold onto debris while, of course, keeping your hands protected. On top of that, they're reusable. Some say that they wash these mitts in the washer, but to maintain them, hand-washing may be best. To keep the mitts handy, you could either store them in a basket in your laundry room or clip them to the side of your appliance with a magnetic clip.