Did you know that almost 3,000 home clothes dryer fires occur each year? And the leading cause of those fires is not properly cleaning them? (source)
I don't know about you, but with 4 little kids running around my house, it feels like the laundry is always going. My dyer is a working all the time, so making sure it is well cleaned out is super important to me! As you're going about your spring cleaning, be sure not to forget this important place to clean. Here's how to give your dryer filter, vents, and ducts a good cleaning!
I started on the outside of the house. Find where my dryer vents to the outside and carefully remove the cover. Clearly, a good cleaning was much needed!
I used THIS brush to brush out the ducts as far as it could reach. Another option would be to use a shop vac and blow it out from the inside.
Some bird got some super fluffy nest padding from this duct...
Then I went inside to clean the dryer. Now, I clean the filter after EVERY load. All of this is further down. I took out the filter and then removed the screws that held the filter 'guard' onto the machine. Ok, so obviously I have no idea the technical name, but once you get this off you can reach further down in the machine and get more out. I got everything out with my hand, then used my vacuum to get the small debris.
You could also use a brush like THIS
or a flexible vacuum attachment hose like THIS to get further into the machine.
Lastly, I pulled the dryer out from the wall and removed the duct I used the brush to sweep all the lint out. And also did this for the duct in the wall.
Another very important thing to do before returning the dryer is to make sure there isn't a lot of extra ducting. This is how it was from the previous owner, but the kinks and turns in the ducting can catch and trap lint, potentially causing a blockage.
Cut down and reattach the ducting so it is as short and direct as possible for your space.
Oh, and I forgot to take pictures but run your dryer filter screen under some water. Some fabric softeners and dryer sheets can leave a residue on the screen. Give it a good scrubbing with a natural cleaner to make sure it is clear and clean.
There you go. Now your dryer filter, vents, and ducting should be nice and clean. You may even notice your dryer working more efficiently and doing a better job.
There you go. Now your dryer filter, vents, and ducting should be nice and clean. You may even notice your dryer working more efficiently and doing a better job.
Good post! We spent $300 to repair our dryer, because it was making a loud noise. The repair man had to replace bearings and belts. He said it was because of all the lint that was inside the unit from not having it vented properly. It was the most lint he ever seen in his 30 years of repairing dryers. He even said their had been a fire inside our dryer at one time. I believe it is only four years old. It used to vent around 30 feet to the other side of the house. We now have it going about four feet, right out of the room to the outside. The downside is that it vents to our front porch, but it is way safer and the clothes dry faster. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow, That's crazy! I'm so glad nothing bad happened happened from all that lint! Good idea moving the vent, even if it is on the front porch, so much safer!
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