How Often Do You Need to Clean Your Dryer Vent?
While the standard advice is to whip out your vent brush about once every 12 months to make sure your dryer vent duct is in tip-top shape, you may need to put your dryer vent cleaning kit to use more often if you’re a certain type of homeowner. If you have pets that shed or a large family that requires your gas or electric dryer to be in constant use, you should count on additional cleanings throughout the year.
How Do You Know It’s Time to Clean Your Dryer Vent?
There are a few signs that tell you your dryer could really use a vent cleaning and you could be dealing with a clogged dryer vent:
1)There’s a burning smell when you run the dryer.
2)Your clothes aren’t completely dry when the drying cycle ends or take longer to dry than they should.
3)The dryer unit is hot to the touch.
4) Your clothes are extremely hot (more so than usual) when the cycle ends.
5)Your laundry room gets humid when you run the dryer. (The hot air may be seeping into the room instead of escaping through the outside vent if there is an obstruction in the vent hose.)
6)Your lint filter is filled with more lint than usual.
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" ]WHAT YOU’LL NEED
After learning the basics of dryer vent systems and lint buildup, here’s what you’ll need to clean out your dryer vents:
- Vacuum (and long hose attachment)
- Bristle brushes with long flexible handles. Easily found in dryer vent cleaning kits
- Gloves
- Screwdriver
- Dust mask