We all depend on our clothes dryers to see that our clothes are ready to wear. After all, just having damp, clean clothing is not enough—it needs to be dried. Of course, that can be most easily attained by simply placing your clothing in the dryer. However, having a dryer that works effectively and efficiently is not something to be taken for granted. It doesn’t just happen. Rather, it is accomplished by taking care with your dryer and the dryer vents so that you can be sure of a properly working dryer.
Your dryer is a carefully designed machine that requires some basic knowledge to be used for many years successfully. So, what proactive measures should you take? Here are tips for dryer vent cleaning that will result in successful usage.
- Check the lint trap in your dryer after each use, and clean it out.
- Pull your dryer away from the wall.
- Check the flexible air duct hose from the back of the dryer and clean out any visible lint.
- You can clean out the dryer vent even more, by inserting a wet/dry vacuum wand as far into the duct as you can. If you do not have a wet-dry vac, you could also use a leaf blower at the open end. Another option is to use a straightened out coat hanger, with a dust cloth attached to the hook end.
- Repeat the blowing/dusting process on both ends of the dryer ductwork.
- Check the dryer’s vent cap where the dryer blows outside the house. It can be blocked with lint, bits of debris and even bird’s nest.
- Be sure that your dryer vents are independent of all other systems and end outside, not into a chimney or crawl space.
- Your outside dryer exhaust vent should be equipped with a back draft damper to be certain the exhaust cannot come back into your home.
- Metal transition ducts should be used between the dryer and the exhaust duct; however, flexible transition ducts should never be used in an attic, a crawl space, or inside a wall.
- Though not related to the dryer’s efficiency, if you have a flex foil dryer vent tube, then you need to replace this with a metal one. The flex tube can get too warm and will result in a home fire!
Dryer vent cleaning and proper maintenance will go a long way to successful dryer usage for many years. The pros at Dryer Vent Wizard are well versed in what it takes to keep your dryer working in prime condition. Don’t hesitate to call someone if you are uncertain if your dryer vent is working properly.
Many websites provide additional information on the topic of dryer vent cleaning. One such site worth visiting is Dryer Vent Wizard.
The Author
Janet Slagell independently authors articles for WebDrafter.com, Inc. for search engine marketing.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author, and not of any other person, company or organization. No guarantee or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, fitness, or use of the content herein.
We have been pretty good at following each of these tips when dealing with our dryer vent. I am certain there are areas where we could improve though. At the moment I think we just need to replace our vent completely.
Thanks for the cleaning tips. I have to admit I haven’t been able to clean mine at home for quite a long time now.
Does this get cleaned out when all the ducts get cleaned? I don’t want to neglect it and start a fire in the house. I’ve heard that that’s one of the main causes for house fires. It doesn’t seem worth the risk to not clean it out. Thanks for the great step by step, I’ll have to check it out this weekend.
Hey, thank you for finding this article and posting it on your site! My biggest fear is a home fire due to a clogged dryer duct, so I have been looking for tips to get it cleaned or how to check for a clog. If and when I get around to actually doing some work around the house, this will be a great article to reference, duct cleaning is quite important, after all.
I always clean the vent trap from the dryer itself. However, I tend to forget to clean the trap on the outside of my home. I was even told this could potentially cause a fire. Now, I will have to make sure I do this as frequently as I can.
I’ve never cleaned out my air duct or my dryer before. Your step by step instructions on thoroughly cleaning every component are really helpful! I’l be sure to replace the flexible tubing with a solid metal one as well.
I know dryers that aren’t clean can be fire hazards, so I’ve been trying to decide what to do about ours. We rent, but our landlord doesn’t seem interested in helping us clean out the vent tubes or anything. I really appreciate this step by step article about how to clean it all up. We might end up hiring someone and sending the landlord the bill, though!
A couple of lessons like these on dryer vent cleaning would be something to share with my son. He called me up this morning to talk to me about his vent. It seems like because of all the dust buildup that occurred there, the vent has been blowing out dust on every room.
These are surely useful tips for cleaning dryer vents. I will be sure to follow them, as I don’t want to experience trouble should I decide not to air dry my clothes.
My husband and I are going to be putting our home up for sale in the next few weeks and we really want to get our dryer vent cleaned. I don’t really want to break anything so we are thinking about calling someone in for the job. We will have to keep this information in mind, thank you for sharing!
All this while I thought dryer vent cleaning isn’t possible without a pro. But after reading your blog I am sure that I can clean the dryer vent thoroughly. Thank you for the tips. Is there anything else you would recommend for more effective cleaning?