hLintEater attaches to drill to clean dryer vent

hLintEater attaches to
drill to clean dryer vent

Cleaning your dryer vent isn’t a neat-freak housekeeping detail. It’s a potential lifesaver.

And now there’s a tool to make the job easier.

The LintEater is a rotary brush on a flexible rod that can be attached to a cordless drill and snaked through the vent. The tool scours out built-up lint that can block airflow, causing a dryer to overheat and possibly catch fire — not to mention making your dryer work less efficiently.

(The use of a cordless drill is important because its clutch can be adjusted to a lower torque so the tool won’t break through the duct or vent if it encounters a blockage.)

The LintEater sells for about $30. An extension kit is available for vents longer than 12 feet.

The tool is available at Lowe’s, Ace, True Value and other hardware stores, and online at the Brookstone and SmartHome Web sites.

Decorator book helps
readers use creativity

To interior designer Cecil Hayes, the delight is in the details.

Hayes shares her ideas for putting the all-important finishing touches on a room in “Cecil Hayes Art of Decorative Details: Creative Ways to Design the Home of Your Dreams.”

The book builds upon her previous one, “Cecil Hayes 9 Steps to Beautiful Living,” by showing readers how to elevate a room from what she calls “plain vanilla pound cake” — good but basic — to something spectacular. Hayes takes an instructional approach to the topic, so she’s not just showing readers what she’s done but helping them apply their imaginations to the task. Separate chapters address elements of a home that can be improved by detailing: floors, walls, windows, architectural elements, furniture and fabrics.

“Art of Decorative Details” is published by Watson-Guptill and sells for $29.95 in hardcover.