HOW OFTEN DOES YOUR DRYER VENT NEED CLEANING?

clean dryer duct that is regularly maintained

There is no pain worse that knowing that a catastrophe could be avoided. Having your house burned simply because your dryer vent was blocked could be a nightmare. This one easily avoidable situation claims thousands of lives every year. Regular dryer vent cleaning can avoid all such damage.

How do dryer vents cause damage?

As clothes get dried in the dryer, the lint, dirt, and debris get accumulated into the dryer vent. This reduces the air flow and exhaust gases get stuck within the machine causing a potential fire.

This situation can be evaded by a clean dryer duct that is regularly maintained and removing any clogs that are formed.

Also having a blocked dryer vent puts extra pressure on the washing machine, thus cutting its life by half.

dryer vent cleaning services

How often must one clean the dryer vent?

While there is no exact time gap between cleaning dryer vent, one must at least check it once in a year. Or whenever you have the time, it never hurts to keep the dryer vent free from any accumulation.

How does one know that it is time to clean the dryer vent?

Even if it is less than a year, one must watch out for certain warning signs that show that your dryer vent needs attention. Let us check these warning signals.

More and more time is taken for drying of clothes

When the clothes take the double time or longer to dry, you must check the dryer vent for any lint blockage. The dryer is ideally supposed to push hot moist air out to dry the clothes. If this does not happen your clothes will end up still being wet even after the dryer. This is a warning sign for checking your clogged dryer vent.

checking your clogged dryer vent

This inevitably puts extra pressure on the washing machine which can reduce its life substantially.

The machine and clothes are very hot at the end of a cycle

If you find your clothes coming out of the dryer and being very hot. IF yes, you must check the machine, and if this is also very hot then probably there is a problem in your dryer vent. When the vent is not exhausting as expected it will leave a lot of heat which is felt on clothes and the machine itself.

A burning smell emanating from the machine

This is one of the most important warning signs. If you notice a burning odor coming from the dryer each time you use it. You must immediately stop using the machine and check for lint blockage. Lint stuck in the dryer vent tends to burn easily. This gets stuck in the exhaust tube, lint trap as well as the drum it can potentially burn and cause a fire.

The machine requires urgent dryer vent cleaning services.

The vent flap doesn’t open

Yet another red flag is when the vent flap does not open properly and you see lint outside the vent opening. It means lint has blocked the dryer vent and is now blocking the flap. The flap does not open and shut like it did. This means the air flow is restricted and the dryer vent is screaming for attention.

It has been over a year

Even if your machine is not showing any warning signals, but it has been over a year since your last check. You might want to do it.

Why wait for a blockage to occur before you check.

A regularly well-kept machine will work for years without any extra maintenance issues.

5 Ways To Clean Your Dryer Vent

Cleaning a dryer vent ensures that the clothes dryer works effectively and efficiently. But there is another reason to keep the dryer vent clean – safety. Do you know that one of the main causes for house fires are clothes dryer and washing machines? To avoid such accidents, it is important to have the dryer vents clean. There are many ways of cleaning dryer vents. The best thing would be to call dryer vent cleaning services at least once in a year but if you want to do it yourself, then here are 5 ways to effectively clean the dryer vent.

Whatever method you follow, make sure to

  • Unplug the dryer
  • Turn the gas off if it is a gas dryer
  • Be in a comfortable position while cleaning
  • Check for any damage in the vent

Using Broom, Towel and Bowl Brush (Toilet Brush)

This method works best if you are running on budget and can’t spend much time or money on dryer vent cleaning. A broom, Towel and Toilet Bowl Brush are common things found at home. After you unplug the dryer, move it away and then detach the vent. Now take the toilet brush and insert it into the vent and move it in such a way that the excess lint is removed. Now take the brush out. Now attach the towel to the ends of the broomstick using a tape or string. Insert it into the vent and move it so that you are sure that the vent is clean. It is important to check the outside dryer vent for any obstructions. Take off the outside dryer vent, use the same towel and broomstick to clean the vent gently. Clean the vent cover and attach it again. After reattaching the dryer and vent, switch it on and check if there are any lint or obstructions left uncleaned. If it is clear, then the dryer duct cleaning is done.

clogged dryer vent

Using Vacuum

Vacuum is also considered as one of the best dryer vent cleaners. After switching off and detaching the dryer from the vent, insert the vacuum head into the vent and suck the lint out. There is a wand attachment available for the vacuum and it acts effectively in removing the lint. Do the same when you are cleaning dryer vent from outside. Before finishing, check whether any lint is left inside, using a torch. As usual, clean the outside cover and then close it. Check for any blocks by turning the dryer on.

Rod and Brush

As the vent is a flexible one, we need to attach a chimney brush to a rod that is flexible and then clean the inside of the vent. The chimney brush effectively scraps the lint away. But take care not to poke too much as it is a flexible vent. Repeat the same for the outside vent. You can use more rods depending on the length of the vent. Check for any blocks by turning the dryer on.

dryer vent cleaners

Vacuum, Rod, and Brush Together

This method is very effective provided the vacuum you are using is high powered. You also need a cordless drill in this method. The first step is to attach a 3-way elbow bend pipe to the vent. Now, attach the hose of the vacuum to one of the holes of the pipe. In another hole, attach the flexible rod (attached to the chimney brush). After attaching the drill to flex-bend, turn the vacuum and drill on, and clean dryer duct.

Buy a Kit

If you are still not sure about following these methods for cleaning your clogged dryer vent, buy a vent cleaning kit available online and try it out.