Did you know clothes dryers account for 15,500 fires a year resulting in deaths and injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission? Did you know these fires can be prevented with proper dryer vent cleaning and inspection? We see some very full dryer vents on a regular basis, and we always encourage homeowners to schedule a dryer vent cleaning once per year.

If you have ever seen survival shows or websites they tell you to stuff some dryer lint into a toilet paper roll and use it as a fire starter? Why is this? It’s because dryer lint is a great fire starter, it catches on fire easily. The problem is that we do not want that fire to be inside out homes, this is where routine dryer vent cleaning and inspection is very important.

When you clean the lint out of your dryer you get the lint that is in the “catch screen” but what you don’t get is the lint that has managed to work its way up into the dryer exhaust pipe. This is where the problem really lies. Sure, they make those long bristled brushed that companies claim can clean your dryer vent but the truth is, you don’t get nearly as thorough of a clean as you would if you hire a professional.

A dryer vent fire can smolder for hours and it could be too late by the time you realize what is happening. Many homeowners throw the laundry into the dryer right before they go to bed that way in the morning they can grab it and put it away before the kids get up. Could you imagine how bad the situation could be if a dryer vent fire started after we all went to bed?

When you hire a professional who knows all about dryer vent cleaning and inspection you hire someone who does this regularly, they know what to look for that might cause problems and they can clean all the places that you and I typically wouldn’t think of. Besides lint build up there are other things that can clog your dryer vents, like bird’s nests or other small critters’ nests. You might not even realize it when your clothes take longer to dry, but it could be more than just a simple change on the dial.

It is recommended you have your dryer vents thoroughly cleaned and inspected at least once every 2 years if not annually to be sure there is no obstructions or build up. This isn’t a time consuming job, when you hire a professional they can typically get the job done in an hour. Have the peace of mind knowing your family is safe and get a professional to clean and inspect your dryer vents annually, it will be worth it.