Dryer Vent Cleaning

Clogged Dryer Vents are one of the Main Causes of House Fires

By Mark J. Donovan




A dryer lint trap should be scraped cleaned after every load of laundry and dryer vent cleaning should be done at least annually. Too much lint build up in your dryer vent can put your home at risk of fire. A clogged dryer vent can cause the dryer to overheat and ignite the lint. A clogged dryer vent can also dramatically shorten the life of a dryer. Dryer vent cleaning is easy to do and only requires a couple of basic tools, a dryer vent cleaning brush, and a vacuum cleaner.

To clean a dryer vent first start by scraping and vacuuming the lint trap and lint trap area with the dryer vent cleaning brush and the vacuum cleaner.

Next, to clean the dryer vent itself, unplug the dryer and move it away from the wall so that you have access to the back of the dryer and the dryer vent exhaust tube. Remove the dryer vent ductwork from the dryer and clean around the dryer vent exhaust opening with the dryer vent cleaning brush and vacuum cleaner. Use the dryer vent cleaning brush to agitate and scrape the side walls of the dryer vent exhaust tube before following up with the vacuum cleaner.

Next run the dryer vent cleaning brush into the dryer vent ductwork to loosen the lint in it. If there are multiple sections of dryer vent ductwork separate the pieces so that you can get full access to the entire length of duct work.

Then use the vacuum cleaner to suck out the loosened lint from the side walls of the dryer vent ductwork. If you notice that the dryer vent exhaust tube is damaged in any way or if you cannot adequately remove the lint in it, then outright replace it. Dryer vent exhaust ductwork is inexpensive and easy to install.

Dryer Vent Cleaning

For the final step in dryer vent cleaning, go outside the home and inspect around the dryer vent exhaust flap. Remove the dryer vent flap cover and again use the dryer vent cleaning brush and vacuum to remove the lint from around the outer end of the ductwork. Also clean the dryer vent exhaust flap before reattaching it to the end of the ductwork.


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