Liquid waste.
What got me going was a visit from the roto-rooter, who informed me that our sewer was blocked by lint from our washing machine. He cleaned it out and the drain ran free, but I could see this was not a long-term solution.
We are a household of two since our kids left home 20 years ago and the cat died in 2015. But you would be amazed how much lint comes out of our washing machine. Surely, lint is an issue for the municipal liquid waste management system.
I devised a solution that captures the lint from our house before it goes down the pipe.
I went to the thrift store yesterday and brought home a couple of sheer curtains. I cut them up and stitched up the sides to form little bags, about one square foot in size. I fastened a bag to the pipe that carries water from the machine to the laundry sink. I used a sleeve clamp.
I made a prototype several months ago and it worked great. However it got clogged with lint that blocked it from flowing through the cloth. I emptied the lint out every once in a while in order to "re-use" the bag. From now on, I'll replace the bag when it gets clogged with lint. One panel of sheer curtain material ($5.49 minus the 30% senior discount) yielded 24 bags. I was lucky to find it in a dark plum color with a fanciful pattern of falling leaves.
Now I will begin a research project on lint.
