Although your laundry room may be the most important in your home, it might be outside your priority list for regular cleaning. It’s common for people to neglect washing their dryer and washer regularly.

How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Dryer Vent?

Your dryer vent should be cleaned at least once per year. Make it part of your annual deep cleaning. You should also be aware of any slow drying times in dryers. This could indicate a buildup or lint in dryer vents.

Because dryer lint can be highly combustible, excessive dryer lint accumulation can pose a fire hazard. A collection of dryer lint can cause a significant number of fires. It is essential to be vigilant and regularly clean your dryer vent.

Five Easy Steps to Clean Dryer Vents

Step 1: Disconnect the dryer from the power source

This could be as simple as unplugging the dryer from an outlet. It would be best if you did not disconnect the gas supply valve from a gas dryer. Instead, turn the gas valve off so that it doesn’t flow to the dryer while it is being used. If you are not comfortable working with your gas dryer, it is best to have someone else maintain it.

Step 2: Disconnect Duct from Dryer

Protective dust masks are recommended for dryer vent work. Move the dryer away gently from the wall to access the dryer’s rear dryer vent. The machine’s exhaust duct can be disconnected. Most connections are clamped in position, but you might need to use a screwdriver sometimes. It would help if you inspected the dryer vent for any cracks or damage. It is usually made of flexible plastic, semi-rigid, or rigid metal.

Use non-paper tapes such as duct tape or metal repair tape to fix small tears. Replace the damaged duct if it is not in good condition.

Note: Experts such as the International Association of Home Inspectors recommend that any flexible vent tubing be replaced with a rigid one if possible. Because lint can build up in the flexible tubing’s ribbed curves, increasing the chance of fire. These are steps to upgrade your dryer vent for increased safety and efficiency.

Step 3: Clean the Lint Catcher with a vacuum hose and brushes

The crevice tool on your vacuum should remove most of the lint in the dryer’s trap. However, you can also use a soft cloth.

You can use a flexible brush, if available, to reach into nooks and crevices in your Lint Trap. After every load of laundry, clean out the lint trap.

Use the vacuum to remove lint from around the dryer’s back. Next, vacuum the duct to remove debris, lint, and dust. To stir up any stuck-on dust that isn’t possible to reach, consider purchasing a simple brush kit.

After the machine is removed, vacuum the floor.

Step 4: Remove the dryer vent from the outside

Access to your dryer vent’s outside port should be easy as long as you have it. This port is usually located on an exterior wall, often with a screen to keep animals from entering.

Remove any covers and inspect for damage. You can use your vacuum once more to remove any lint or debris. Or, you can use your vent brush attachment for gently releasing lint. Then, vacuum it out with the vacuum.

You may have to empty your bin or vacuum bag several times, depending on how much buildup you have.

Step 5: Attach the vent and run a test run

Once satisfied that your dryer vent is clean, you can reattach the cover to the dryer. Next, secure the dryer’s interior vent.

Place the dryer in its place, and then plug it into the electric outlet.

You can check your handiwork by running a quick “air cycle” to test the flow from outside. Also, run some laundry to ensure the vent is in good shape. To test the dryer exhaust’s strength, you can also test airflow by placing your hand outside the duct.

If dryer vent buildup is severe, you should clean it out at least once yearly.