The Ins and Outs of Dryer Vent Cleaning

Whether it’s from news stories of house fires, maintenance technicians offering advice, or even potentially our parents hounding us, we’ve all been warned: “If you don’t clean your lint trap regularly, your dryer may catch on fire.” This is usually followed by the advice not to leave your house while the dryer is running or if everyone in your household is going to bed.

The National Fire Protection Association backs both of these warnings up. And then they raise the bar even a little above that already high standard by recommending that you have your entire dryer vent system cleaned regularly.

If you’re like me when I first learned about this topic, you have a lot of questions. Why does my dryer vent need to be cleaned? What does the cleaning process entail? Can I do it myself? How often does my dryer vent need to be cleaned? What are the signs of a dryer vent that needs to be cleaned?

At Stanley Steemer, we built a service line around dryer vent cleaning, so we have all the answers you need and more.  

Why Should You Have Your Dryer Vent Cleaned?

The primary reason is safety. Your dryer vent allows the hot air and moisture from the dryer to vent outside your home properly, but over time, lint builds up and clogs the vent pipe, backing up into other areas of your dryer.

This is when you start to get into trouble.  

Common Issues Caused By Lint Blockages

Lint is a highly flammable substance, and the air flowing into the vent pipe is hot enough to make lint catch on fire. If you have a gas dryer, you also face the risk of carbon monoxide being pushed back into your home by the lint blockage.  

While those are the most serious problems, they aren’t the only problems.

When the air can’t vent properly, your dryer works harder and longer because things take longer to dry. The result is a shorter lifespan for your dryer and higher energy bills.

Benefits of Dryer Vent Cleaning

On the other hand, you receive the following benefits by removing those lint blockages when your vents are cleaned:

• Reduced chance of dryer fire
• Decreased chance of carbon monoxide entering your home
• Improved longevity of your dryer
• Decreased energy costs

What are the Signs Your Dryer Vent Needs to be Cleaned?

So, how can you tell when your dryer vent needs a cleaning?

Here are the most common tell-tale signs:

• The laundry takes longer to dry than usual.
• The dryer shuts off before the time is up. This typically means an automatic setting on your dryer detected that the dryer was getting too hot, or that a fire was starting.
• There is a burning rubber smell coming from the dryer.
• Your laundry room feels hot and humid compared to the rest of your house.

Many of these signs show that your dryer vent needs to be cleaned soon, but the burning smell indicates a significant blockage that you should take care of ASAP.

How Often Should Your Dryer Vent Be Cleaned?

It depends on how much you use your dryer. The more loads you run, the more lint that accumulates.

That said, we typically recommend a professional dryer vent cleaning once or twice a year.

If you do fewer loads of laundry, or if you’re diligent in cleaning your lint trap after each load, you may be able to go longer without a cleaning.

How Stanley Steemer Cleans Dryer Vents

So, what does this process look like? Here’s how our experts handle the job.  

1. As always, the first step is to do an inspection. Our technicians will take a look at your dryer and its air exhaust vent to see how much lint has built up inside. 

2.  If needed, they will vacuum the lint trap and the lint trap housing.

3. Then, they’ll unplug the dryer and move it back from the wall to vacuum the back of the dryer with an agitation device. 

4.  While the dryer is moved away from the wall, they detach the dryer vent pipe and use the agitator to clear out any trapped lint. 

5.  After they’re finished, they’ll reattach the dryer vent and plug the dryer back in.

Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning

Now that you’ve read about our process, your DIY brain might be starting to think of ways you can do this on your own. However, there are a lot of important reasons to have a professional do the job for you.

1. Experienced technicians. When you hire a professional service, the techs who come to your house bring experience across a variety of dryers and ductwork setups. They know the best way to navigate your equipment safely for the most thorough cleaning. By DIYing, you run the risk of damaging your equipment or hurting yourself. This is particularly true if you have a dryer that runs on gas instead of electricity, as the dryer vent being properly connected allows the carbon monoxide to vent outside your home.

2. Specialized Equipment. Professionals also have specialized equipment to ensure your vents are completely clean when they’re finished. While you could try to use a regular vacuum for a DIY clean, it won’t be powerful or agile enough to capture all of the lint and other debris, especially when it comes to the tight spaces in a lint trap or the back of your dryer. Professionals use compact but strong agitators to ensure no lint is left behind. This way, your dryer runs with maximum efficiency and safety.

Call Stanley Steemer Today

We’ve got the process down to a science. If you’re experiencing any of the warning signs of a clogged dryer vent, schedule your cleaning via the online scheduling tool or by calling 1-800-STEEMER. It’s Not Clean Until It’s Stanley Steemer Clean.