Why is dryer lint purple

This phenomenon is exploited by painters, who sometimes put tiny dots of different primary colors right next to each other on a canvas to create the illusion of a rich, single hue when viewed all together. If you pull apart a piece of lint carefully you will see that it is indeed composed of multiple colored threads; but as soon as you back away from it, the gray sensation returns.

In an idealized situation, where the threads contained all the primary colors in equal amounts, and were not obscured by dirt and other residues, the lint would appear to be white, not gray.

But then, if your lint were clean enough to see that effect clearly, you'd never need to wash your clothes. A Moment of Science is a daily audio podcast, public radio program and video series providing the scientific story behind some of life's most perplexing mysteries.

Learn More ». Give Now ». Other than scraping the lint out of your dryer or belly button and tossing it in the garbage, is there anything you can you do with it? The fibers can actually help you start a life-saving fire in the wilderness should you ever get hopelessly lost in the woods. Blend the lint with a generous blob of petroleum jelly and keep it in a sealed plastic baggie.

The flame from a single match will ignite it and the lint will burn for ample time while you add wood to your fire. Is it connected to the color of the clothes inside?

If you literally put in only white clothes and get purple lint, you may have a fuzzy purple sock that slipped the gasket and is hiding in the casing. This sounds more like an electrician visit than a ELI5. You are collecting fuzz off the many clothes and materials you dry, all shedding, all contributing. The lint collection in the dryer lint collector is the color average of your personal taste, which is pretty awesome when you think about it.

If you just liked red, the fuzz would be red.