Cleaning Dryer Lint
Lint is as much a part of your dryer as soap scum is a part of your washer. There are things you can do to reduce the amount of lint the gathers but at the end of the day cleaning dryer lint will be you responsibility.
The better your dryer vent blows the less lint is going to build up. To get the best blow you need a short straight run. If you can go directly out of the dryer to the wall you will have little trouble with lint build up but if you have to twist and turn the pipe through your home lint will become your worst enemy. In fact that short straight vent will probably never need cleaning.
Since that short straight vent is not the norm, you can expect to have to give your venting a good cleaning every couple of years. This is a very important task because a vent that’s plugged becomes a fire hazard and it also causes your dyer to run hotter but dry less efficiently.
If you don’t want to deal with the cleaning yourself you can call a technician. There are usually two different types of cleaning offered. The routine cleaning ensures all your vents are cleaning using a snake and a compressor tool that snakes its way through the entire piping.
Problem cleaning is when you call out a service to deal with a specific problem. Perhaps you smell something burning or maybe your dealing with a bird problem in your dryer vent.
In most cases this is a project you can undertake yourself with little effort. Your vacuum cleaner will often be the only tool you require to do the job. Of course that depends on how long your hose run is.
Taking care of lint business starts with cleaning the lint tray in the dryer each time you use the dryer. Then about every 3 months you should take your vacuum to the body of your dryer where the heating element is located. This will reduce any fire risk from lint near the element. Finally about once every couple of years you need to clean out the entire hosing or piping.
When it comes to cleaning dryer lint diligence pays. You’ll reduce your risk of fire and keep your dryer working optimally.
