Urban Blog

At Premeditated Leftovers, Jody has a recipe for DIY fire starters using toilet paper rolls and holiday spices for scent. It’s a great way to reuse those abundant rolls. I have just one concern about using dryer lint to start fires. If your dryer load contains synthetic or petroleum-based fabrics, even your lint can release ugly chemicals in the smoke.
 
I would use this recipe in a fireplace or campfire; some of you would not. But those of us who use wood stoves tend to be purists. It may take a long time to gunk up that venting system but we like our wood stoves to last for decades. Plus, it’s fire we’re dealing with here. Fire and synthetics don’t mix well, while gradual buildup can catch you off guard. Am I being picky, here? Sure.
 
If your laundry doesn’t contain synthetics in the first place, you don’t have much to worry about. I still like the recipe and would use a version of it in the right places.
 
Pick up the spices.