Waterproof Dryer Lint Fire-Starter

Step 8 Step 8 - Let Fire-Starters Dry

Drizzle any remaining wax onto the fire-starters.  This will help ensure waterproofing.  Let the fire-starters fully dry.  I placed them on a paper towel to prevent a messy cleanup.  After about an hour or two, they should be rock solid.

Comments

[orion4713111]

i made the same things but i used an easier method. i simply poured the melted wax INTO each lint-filled cup. after the wax cooled, i cut each cup apart. no need to fold the edges OR wrap with floss. also, you won't need to use a paper towel blotter as the carton itself absorbs most excess wax. i'd probably recommend setting the carton on some old newspaper for the pour though. these fire-starters are awesome! only problem is, now i can't find the egg cartons made from paper anymore, they're all styrofoam...

[moxiepurple]

We buy paper egg cartons from Tractor Supply for .49 cents to sell our chicken eggs in if you can't find them anywhere else. You could try toilet paper or paper towel cylinders as well.

[Rowan_Winterhaven]

 Yikes!  Was that enough paper towel to keep the wax off of your lovely counter tops?  I love this fire-starter idea!  Now I have something to do with the bags of dryer lint my big family can produce.  lol

[johnny3h]

I've done this in a slightly differnet way for years.  I did everything the same, but without the egg carton or dental floss.

I tied balls of dryer lint with ordinary string and then coated them in wax.

Also,  we have much more dryer lint than needed, so...

Excess dryer lint can be spread around the yard for the birds to collect for use a soft lining in their nests.  I have seen all our wide variety of birds collecting it.

[rootyb]

 From the lifehacker comments section:


"Somebody over on Instuctables left a comment on Step 8 stating that you can leave dryer lint out for the birds to collect for their nests. This is a Very Bad Idea. When it rains, the dryer lint turns into a sticky goop that instead of insulating eggs / babies actually wicks heat away from them. Not only that, it's also full of all sorts of nastiness from laundry chemicals. Bad, bad, bad. Somebody with an Instructables account please go correct him."

I've now done so.