If you are like most people, you do at least one load of laundry every day or you let it all pile up and tackle it all on your day off. Since you are in your laundry room quite often, you probably think that everything is okay. However, when was the last time you thoroughly cleaned out your dryer vent? We’re not just talking about the lint trap; we are talking about the dryer hose that leads out of the house as well.
Did you know that dryers are the cause of thousands of household fires in the U.S. every single year? Fires that could easily have been prevented by regularly cleaning out the dryer vent.
Here are 5 warning signs that mean that it is time to clean your dryer vent:
- It is taking a lot longer to dry your clothes
- Your clothing or the outside of your dryer is very hot
- You think that you smell something burning while the dryer is on
- The outside vent flap is not opening
- It has been between six months and a year since you last cleaned your dryer vent
It isn’t that difficult to clean your dryer vent, especially if you start to do it more often. To make it even easier, you will want to make sure that you clean the lint trap after every load of laundry. This will prevent extra lint from traveling through the dryer vent.
When it is time to do the rest of the cleaning, you will want to move your dryer out and clean behind it to remove any lint, dust, dirt and clutter. Then remove the dryer vent from the back of the dryer or the wall and use either a flexible brush or a vacuum cleaner hose to remove all of the lint that it stuck in there. Make sure that you clean out the entire vent or you might miss something that is stuck in there and blocking the airflow.
Once that is done, you will want to head outside and make sure that nothing is blocking the outside vent flap and preventing it from opening. Sometimes small animals like to crawl in there because it is warm and cozy. Remove any blockages and debris and then reattach the dryer vent inside the house and move the dryer back into place.
That’s it; you will have successfully cleaned your dryer vents. Of course, if anything looks damaged or if you are having any difficulties doing this, feel free to call us and we will be more than happy to help.
Give us a call at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. Our chimney experts at Lou Curley’s Chimney service are CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) Certified. You’re sure to get the best quality care when you call us for a consultation, chimney inspection, chimney cleaning, or chimney repair.