Dryer vent cleaning. It might not be a chore that you complete that often if ever, but cleaning your dryer vent is one of the best things to do for your home. Remembering to clean your dryer vent at least once a year is a surefire way to look after your home and your beloved belongings to the best of your ability.

Ensure your clothes come out of the dryer warm and ready to be worn and without any of the worries that an overheating machine can cause – solving the problem before it is given the chance to materialize.

To Quickly Clean Your Dryer Vent:

Being one of the lesser-known household chores, it’s easy to put off for large periods of time. However, it is also one of the more important chores that the household requires, because it’s not just about the cleanliness of your machine, but also your personal health and safety.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be done too often and the better the dryer is looked after over a long period of time, the less you’ll have to clean it out at all.

The biggest thing you can do to help the longevity and lifespan of your dryer is to remove the lint trap filter and clean it out between every cycle.

Even a slight build-up can create a dangerous hazard. That can allow more dust and lint to escape into the actual duct. That build-up can also end up on your dark clothes.

If you’re not wanting to do a deep clean regularly but want to make a difference here and there, remove the lint screen every couple of washes and vacuum around the housing as well as sweep and dust the area around and underneath the dryer.

Man cleaning dryer vent and filter in-home.

If you like to use dryer sheets, keep in mind that these can often leave a residue on the lint screen that can damage the inner workings of your dryer. To get rid of this, simply remove the screen and scrub it with warm, soapy water. Then dry it gently with a towel till it’s ready to be used again.

How do I Thoroughly Clean My Dryer Vent?

When you’re ready to do a deep clean, don’t worry about not knowing what to do; follow these simple instructions instead.

Start by locating where the power plug is and unplug it.

Then find the dryer vent at the back of the dryer and unplug that too. To make sure you can reach all the areas you need to, move the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the dryer duct using a #2 flathead screwdriver.

Some dryer hoses are made of more flammable materials, so keep that in mind when you plan how to meet your local building codes and how often you should be cleaning out your dryer vent.

Wear safety gloves to protect your skin from cuts, then remove the lint from the hole at the back of the dryer and keep your vacuum cleaner at hand too.

The Hose Attachment:

Make sure you’re using the hose attachment to reach in and around the hole at the back of the dryer, ensuring you get everything you can reach. It’s an easy job to remove any of the lint from the duct by hand and clean out the inside of the duct too.

To keep your home from getting dusty, remove the exterior vent cover outside and clean out the dryer vent from the outside using a vacuum.

Sometimes, dryer vents are just way too long to use a vacuum on. If this is the case with your home, try purchasing a dryer vent kit.

They come with brush extensions to clean out the machine properly, allowing you to move the brush back and forth while rotating to grab the lint and dust. This attachment can be used by hand, however work wonders when attached to a cordless power drill.

The spinning action of the drill helps to capture the lint particles much more efficiently and effectively.

See the video below by Ace Hardware:

Remember that the more thoroughly you clean the dryer vent now, the less time it will be until you have to clean it out again. Thoroughly cleaning out the dryer vent will only take around 20 minutes. It’s just as manageable as important.

Why Should I Clean My Dryer Vent?

A not so daunting cleaning task to complete, it’s something that needs to be done not just for the sake of warm, dry clothes, but also for health and safety too.

One of the easiest ways to tell a dryer needs cleaning is if you find that your laundry is coming out damp.

This usually means that the lint and dust have built up enough that the machine is overheating, meaning it isn’t working to the best of its ability, but that it’s also becoming a fire hazard and is in desperate need of a clean.

Despite not potentially sounding like a dangerous issue, this lint can cause the dryer to overheat even further and can even catch fire if left to build up to a certain point!

Aside from this, the collection of dust can create respiratory problems for those in the surrounding room, and that’s not to mention if the dust and lint dampens and mold arises too.

Conclusion

Looking after your dryer can ultimately save you much money, health issues, fire hazards and also damp clothing. Keep an eye on your machine and make sure it’s cleaned thoroughly every 12 months at the very least, though your lint trap should be cleaned after every use for a safe and successfully working dryer.