Should you clean your dryer and dryer vent?
Yes, they tend to build up lint and other debris from your clothing and make the vents a fire hazard. Cleaning the vents prevents any build up and saves energy as the air flows freely through the vents. When your dryer vent starts to get clogged lint then builds up inside your dryer cabinet. This lint accumulation can start to build up around the dryer element that reaches temperatures over 300 degrees, this is how a fire starts!
How often should the dryer vent be cleaned?
The vents for your dryer should be cleaned at least once every year. It does depend on your drying load but the rule of thumb would be every 12 months. If you think that’s too often, then you can figure it out by the amount of loads you dry and use this as a guideline:
- 1-2 loads per week – every 2 years
- 4 to 5 loads per week – annually
- 8 to 10 loads per week – 6 months
- 2 to 3 loads per Day – every 3 months
How often should inside the dryer be cleaned?
Whirlpool the biggest dryer manufacturer recommends cleaning the inside of the dryer cabinet every two years to remove lint buildup and help prevent fire.
The best 2 ways of cleaning your dryer vents
The lint screen should be cleaned every time you dry a load of clothes. Make a habit of check it before or after you use your dryer. Cleaning the lint screen not only saves energy, hence, saving you money, but it also dry’s your load faster and saves wear and tear on your dryer. Again, saving you money in replacement parts or replacing the dryer.
DIY dryer vent cleaning
Disconnect the dryer’s electric cord and pull it from the wall. Take off the vent at the bottom of the dryer. Go outside and remove the vent cover from the house.
You will find most of the debris at both ends, but use a vacuum to pull any lint that is sitting in the tubes. Be sure to check the area where the vent tube dips down or goes around a corner. Lint tends to build up in those areas. When you use the vacuum, some vacuums can blow as well as suck in air. You can either blow out the lint or suck it through the vent. It’s best to blow from the inside to the outside, it saves on clean up.
Be careful about sticking anything into the vent tubes. They can and will damage the vents. Replace the covers on the outside of the house, reattach the vent to the bottom of the dryer, plug in the electric cord, and you are ready to start drying again. Another way to clean your dryer vents is to use a professional service.
How to find a Professional dryer cleaner and dryer vent cleaner
Using a professional service is easy. They have all the tools and know how to clean the vents and take apart your dryer to remove all lint. It will take them a between an hour to 1 1/2 hours. If you’re not a do it yourself-er, then it’s best to use a professional dryer and dryer vent cleaning service. You can find one by using a search engine on the Internet or your mobile phone.
Type in “dryer vent cleaning” into the search engine. You can add the name of your city to find one located close by such as “dryer vent cleaning Burlington“. Another way is to read any reviews the company has to find the best one. Also, ask your friends and family if they know of a service you can use. Word of mouth is the best recommendation you can get for using a company. Give them a call and schedule an appointment. You will have to be there since they need access to your dryer, but it should only take a little bit of your time – until the next cleaning, that is.