Regular home maintenance is an extremely important part of keeping your home in tip-top shape. Although we use them almost daily, appliances can sometimes be overlooked when planning our home maintenance routine. However, this neglect can lead to problems and sometimes even serious safety hazards.
One appliance that requires regular care is the clothes dryer. It is recommended to clean the lint trap each time you use the dryer, a fairly simple task to complete regularly. In addition to this, though, you should clean your dryer vent on a yearly basis, or even more often depending on use. Common signs that can indicate that it's time to clean the vent are if it's taking a longer time than normal to dry your clothes or if the outside of the dryer is not warm to the touch during operation.
How important is it to maintain this item? Well, according to the U.S. Fire Administration's document entitled Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings, "Clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually." Considering the potential for such catastrophic damage, this is one job that should definitely make your home maintenance "A" list.
How do you clean a dryer vent? You can either call a professional or do it yourself. Many professional ductwork cleaning companies will clean dryer vents, so when you have your ducts cleaned, see about combining that with a thorough cleaning of your dryer vent. If you opt to do it yourself, you can find the necessary supplies at a hardware store or online. We found several online resources with information about dryer vent maintenance and basic do-it-yourself information:
Cleaning Dryer Vents - Tips To Prevent A House Fire!
Dryer Vent Cleaning - How to Get Lint Out of Your Dryer Vents
Dryer Vent 101
How Often Should You Clean a Dryer Vent?
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