Are You Cleaning Your Dryer Vents? Why Cleaning Dryer Vents is so Important

Cleaning out your dryer vents is an easy thing to overlook since they aren't out in plain site where they can catch your eye. However, cleaning your dryer vents is one of the most important cleaning tasks that you can do around your home. Every year tens of thousands of house fires are started by dryer fires, often times leading to injury or even death. For the safety of your family and to protect your home it is worth taking the time to clean your dryer vents.

Dryer vents clog up over time with the lint that comes off of the clothing that is dried in the clothes dryer. Lint traps are designed to stop most of the lint that your clothes give off, however they don't stop it all. Extra lint that makes it past the lint trap can clog up the dryer vent over time. In order to keep your dryer safe and functioning correctly it is important to clean this lint out periodically.

Dryer vents don't require constant cleaning, however they should be cleaned about twice a year. If you notice that it is starting to take a little longer for a load of clothes to dry in your clothes dryer then it is probably a good indication that your dryer vents could stand to be cleaned. Even if your clothes aren't taking longer to dry than usual you should pencil in a couple of days a year on your calendar to remind you clean the dryer vents to prevent fires. Try setting a date that you will do it every six months and then making it part of your routine.

When you clean your dryer vents, you will want to remove the dryer duct (the big tube that travels outside) from the back of the dryer and clean out any lint that is trapped in that hole. You also need to clean out the length of the dryer duct tube all the way to the outdoors. You can easily clean your dryer vents yourself by purchasing tools that are specially made for cleaning dryer vents. Check at your local home improvement store for a cleaning kit.

Usually a dryer vent cleaner consists of a long metal tube with a nylon brush attached to the end. You just run the tube through the pipe to remove any built up lint. If you have a particularly long vent you can purchase professional dryer vent cleaning tools that allow you to get through longer ducts than a standard dryer vent cleaning tool.

If you prefer, you can hire someone to come in and clean them for you, although that is usually not necessary since it is a fairly simple job.

Cleaning your dryer vents is an easy task that can help to protect your home and family. It can also help your dryer continue functioning properly and extend its life. It doesn't take long to clean out your dryer vents and the reward is added safety and security, so be sure to add it to your regular cleaning routine a couple of times a year.