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How to clean a dryer vent

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You might not guess, but your dryer vent is one of the most dangerous fire hazards in your house. Moreover, a lint build up inside the vent hose can dramatically reduce the efficiency of your appliances.

Cleaning only the dryer filter is not sufficed. If you have ever looked inside the pipe, you probably saw debris blocking the flow of air.

All this dirt precludes the moisture to move outside freely. Thus, it takes more time for the dryer to do its job.

If you noticed that your clothes dries not so fast as earlier or you felt some odor accompanying the increasing level of humidity in the laundry room, chances are it’s time to clean your dryer vent.

Besides, there is some more indicators of your vent being extremely clogged. Touch the dryer and you may feel that it’s very warm.

Finding one of that things, get ready to work. All of them clearly show you that it time to give your appliance a clean.


Clogged dryer vent can result even in more serious consequences. As articulated earlier, it can lead to a fire in the house, the reality has shown that.

So, when the dryer duct collects all that debris, the hot air can trigger a fire. Various deposits are very flammable so they can easily ignite.

That’s why it’s very important to keep the dryer vent clean all the time. Not only remove dangerous build up when the duct operates improperly, but conduct a regular annual cleaning.

Of course, everything depends on the frequency of using a vent. But normally 1-2 cleanings a year will be enough.

Take care of your dryer vent yourself following our instructions. They will help you to prevent your home from fire and keep the appliance in working order.

Furthermore, clean duct will save you some money, which otherwise, could be used for covering utility bills. Let the dryer function more effectively and enjoy your dry clothing.

But before you begin, take the gage of your problem. If there is a severe build up or you are hazy about your gas dryer and afraid of gas leak, consider hiring a specialist.

Trained technicians will conduct a professional cleaning with the special tools. That will ensure you removed all the lint and provide the dryer with a decent maintaining.

Find a suitable pro leaving your request. Go to the page using the link below.Leave your request here

Yet, professional dryer vent cleaning is not cheap. And in fact, you can try to complete this do-it-yourself project with our guide.

It will save your money and let you fix a problem by providing you with step-by-step instructions.

Dryer vent cleaning guide

  • Step 1

Unplug the dryer before getting started. If you have gas dryer (rather than electric one), turn off the gas as well.

Don’t do any steps if not abide by the rules listed above. Following these safety instructions may save your life someday.

Move the vent aside from the wall. Get behind it for further steps.

  • Step 2

Now, detach the vent from the wall. Remove the lint trap and clean it with a brush. It will enable you to get rid of at least some of the buildup.

But this is not enough for entire duct cleaning. After using a brush, clean the hose with the vacuum cleaner.

Make sure you got deep enough with the brush and reached all the pipe walls. Clean them carefully and repeat once more if needed.

Try to loosen as much lint as you can, only then proceed to the vacuum. At the same time, do it gently so that not to damage the hose.

You can use a toilet brush, but to do it professionally, duct cleaners recommend using a Dryer Vent Cleaning Brush Kit. They are designed particularly for such venting systems.

  • Step 3

If you successfully finished cleaning the hose with the vacuum attachment, you must be weirded out. It’s really hard to believe so much lint was there.

But it’s not the end yet. Now, remove the exhaust duct. Usually, it’s easy to do it only with the help of the screwdriver. Read the manual directions if need additional instructions.

Sometimes, you can disconnect the tube with your bare hands. Put the brush inside the duct and rotate it all around the tube.

Then, you should apply a vacuum cleaner again. Get into all areas, where the lint deposited. You can also put on the gloves and remove the dirt manually.

  • Step 4

Next step is to clean the dryer duct from the outside. Look if there are no birds or wasps nests before cleaning the duct.

One of the simplest ways is to clean it with a leaf blower. Just insert it into the tube ensuring you removed all the debris throughout the whole duct.

Otherwise, clean the lint with duct brush. Make sure all the obstructions are removed.

Finally, you can wash the duct with soapy water. Then just rinse it and let dry.

  • Step 5

Now, when the process is finished, it’s time to reassemble your dryer. Go back inside your home and reattach the tube to the wall.

Put the dryer vent in place. Then clean and fix the exterior vent. Run it for some 15 minutes to get rid of any remaining obstructions.

That’s it. For more home improvement ideas visit HireRush.com

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