Clothes dryers spark 15,000 fires every year according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. These fires are usually a result of lint and debris build up in your dryer vent. This build up reducing air flow to the dryer and causes a backing up dryer exhaust gases. It is important to remove lint from the dryer duct to remove a potentially dangerous situation from happening. We recommend you clean this vent annually to avoid any risk. If you have not removed lint from the dryer in years, you may already have signs of a clogged dryer vent. Here are some potential signs that may indicated a clogged dryer vent.
- – Your clothes take longer than normal to dry.
- – The laundry room area has lint and other debris around your dryer.
- – Your clothes and dryer start to smell musty.
- – The dryer has lint build up inside the dryer or excessive lint in the lint trap.
If you have these signs, call an expert. An expert can safely remove lint from the dryer vent. If you choose to take on this project, use the following cleaning instructions to remove lint from the dryer.
Dryer exhaust duct lint cleaning
This task will require a special dryer lint brush that has a long flexible cord attached to it so you can insert and pull out of the exhaust duct easily. You may also need a vacuum cleaner to vacuum up excess lint.
Use the lint brush inside the dryer itself by inserting it into the lint trap. Disconnect the flexible duct from the back of the dryer that attached to your wall and clean out the lint. The opening in the wall will vent out through a pipe to the outside of your home. This could be a long run or pipe. So you will want to use the lint brush from both the inside and the outside of the house.
You could also use a shop vacuum in the blower mode to try and force high speed air through the duct to remove lint. You can also attach your shop vacuum in vacuum mode on one end, and use a brush from the other end.
Removing lint from the dryer vent is for the safety of your home and family.
For more details on this home maintenance tips and others, visit the HomeZada Maintenance Library.
