While many of us hang wet items outside to dry in the sunshine, for the most part today, we rely on clothes dryers to do that job, especially during wet and cold weather.
Because they’re so often used, clothes dryers have maintenance and safety needs that we ignore at our peril. A poorly maintained or neglected clothes dryer can turn into a money pit or, worse, a fire hazard.
In this article, learn more about dryer vent cleaning—what it is, why it needs to be done, and how often you should have it done.
What Is Dryer Vent Cleaning?
You may have seen those home kits that advertise how you can clean your dryer of excess lint and dust at home on the cheap.
Unfortunately, while these can be good for preventative routine cleaning in between professional servicing, they aren’t going to address more serious maintenance concerns like poor dryer performance and fire risk.
Dryer vent cleaning is the name given to what occurs when a trained and licensed professional technician comes out to remove trapped lint, dust and debris lodged deep within the interior mechanisms of your clothes dryer.
These areas are typically not accessible to you—unless you are willing to dismantle your dryer every time you want to clean it out! But with the specialized equipment that has been developed to professionally clean your dryer, this service can be done with relative ease in a short time.
Why Do You Need Dryer Vent Cleaning?
The big question, however, is this: Why do you need to have your clothes dryer professionally cleaned? Once you discover all the things that can go wrong when you haven’t cleaned your dryer in some time, it is much easier to understand the value of this service!
Improper vent configuration
Poorly configured vents that are too long, too short or are created from substandard materials can impact dryer performance and cause build-up of lint and debris.
Vent blockage
Blocked vents that have filled up with lint, are blocked from the outside by bird’s nests, debris or leaves/ice, or have been damaged and are no longer functioning are the number one cause of dryer vent-related fires.
Pest infestation
As unpleasant as it is to contemplate, there is little in life many pests like more than finding a dark, warm, lint-filled dryer vent in which to take shelter and reproduce! Along the way, these pests will leave equally unpleasant calling cards in the form of waste, exoskeletons and other unwelcome matter.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Versus Dryer Inspection & Maintenance Service
One of the most frequent questions we hear is, “But isn’t dryer vent cleaning already part of the typical dryer inspection and maintenance service?”
This might make sense, and we do typically do a basic dryer inspection as we are cleaning out your dryer. If other maintenance or repair needs are identified, our technician will discuss these with you before concluding your cleaning service.
But repairing and maintaining the functional aspect of your clothes dryer is different from cleaning out dust, dirt, lint and debris from all the areas where it hides inside your dryer.
Types of Dryer Vent Clogs and Cleaning Needs
When you have worked in the industry as long as we have, you are rarely surprised anymore by what you find inside a clothes dryer. However, you simply cannot underestimate the power of your dryer to suck things up inside vents that should not be there!
Here are just some of the items we have discovered while cleaning and/or servicing poorly operating or nonfunctional clothes dryers: socks, underwear, dryer sheets, paper towels, delicates wash bags, handkerchiefs, napkins, bird nests, dead rodents or insects and food storage caches left behind by squirrels or birds.
Other more common items that can clog up dryer vents deep inside your unit include pet dander, dust mites, excess lint and construction dust.
Benefits of Scheduling a Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning Service
The number one benefit of having professional dryer vent cleaning is peace of mind. The moment this service is completed, you will know your clothes dryer no longer represents a fire risk!
Another popular benefit is energy savings that translate into lower energy bills. While saving $15 or $20 a month may seem modest at first glance, how does saving up to $240 a year sound? Could you find a way to use that extra cash you would otherwise be spending just to dry your clothes?
A perk parents especially enjoy is that clothing lasts longer when your dryer doesn’t have to work as long to dry your laundry. This is especially true if your dryer is at a point where you now need to run multiple cycles before clothing is completely dry.
Finally, your dryer will last longer when it is properly cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. No one loves having to unexpectedly plunk down extra cash to purchase a new dryer because theirs conked out. But what is even less fun is to find out the reason your dryer suddenly stopped operating is because it was clogged up beyond resolution!
Get in Touch
Have you noticed your clothes dryer takes longer to dry your laundry, seems hot to the touch after a cycle or takes multiple dry cycles to fully dry your clothes?
It may be time to schedule your professional dryer vent cleaning. We highly recommend adding this to your annual appliance service and maintenance calendar as a way to save money and reduce home fire risk.
Contact us online or give us a call at 905-544-2470.
