If your clothes are taking a long time to dry, that could be due to lint buildup in your dryer. Eleonora Galli/Getty Images Show Are your clothes taking longer to dry than usual? Does it smell like something's burning in the laundry room? Is the top of your dryer too hot to touch after you put in a load of laundry? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's time for a routine maintenance on your dryer vent. Warning signs like these are common indications of a dirty or clogged dryer that can potentially put your home at risk of a fire. Local fire departments across the United States responded to nearly 14,000 fires involving dryers per year from 2014-2018. And about one-third of the fires were caused by dirty vents — those clogged with lint, dust and fiber. That's why Russ Dimmitt, director of education at the Chimney Safety Institute of America, a nonprofit educational institute that trains and certifies chimney and dryer exhaust technicians, recommends dryer vent cleaning annually. "If your clothes start taking longer to dry than they have been and progressively get longer and longer, that's indicative that the vent is beginning to plug and you're losing airflow," Dimmitt says. "Airflow is an important part of the clothes drying properly." When was the last time you cleaned your dryer? If the answer is "a while" or "never," here's how to get started, according to Home Depot and Family Handyman. Contents
Tools and Supplies You'll Need
Step 1. Disconnect Your Dryer
Step 2. Clean the Vent With a Brush Kit
Step 3. Vacuum the Vent
Step 4. Reconnect Your DryerOnce you've finished cleaning the vent, it's time to put the dryer back together.
Note: Although you can clean your dryer vent yourself, Dimmitt always recommends hiring a professional. "They know other things to look for, like proper installation," he says. Also, if the dryer vents outside through your roof, you may not want to scale a ladder to clean it. For visual learners, here's an informative step by step video on how to clean the vent.
Tips on Keeping a Clean Dryer VentNow that your dryer vent is clean, it's time to keep it that way. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends you do the following to reduce the amount of lint in your vent.
HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site. How do I know if my dryer vent is clogged?The Warning Signs and Dangers of Clogged Dryer Vents. It takes longer than usual to dry your clothes. ... . You notice a burning smell. ... . Your clothes are hot to the touch at the end of a load. ... . You can see lint or debris in the dryer hose or around the outside dryer flap. ... . You haven't cleaned out your vents in over a year.. Can you use a leaf blower to clean dryer vent?A leaf blower provides a strong, steady stream of air in a straight line. Once you've disconnected the duct from the wall, you should be able to use your leaf blower to blow all of the clogged materials out the other side dryer vent.
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