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How to Get the Most From Your Clothes Dryer

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Let's face it, home appliances are not cheap. In fact, they can range in price from a few hundred dollars to well over $1,000. So, once you have made the investment in your home's appliances you want them to last as long as possible which means you are going to spend the time necessary to keep them in the best working order. For some appliances, it may be a thorough cleaning on a regular basis, changing the filters, or perhaps, calling in a maintenance provider. Of the many jobs you need to do around the house, one of the most important, yet often unmentioned, is that of maintaining your clothes dryer. Each year, there are over 15,000 home fires caused by dryer vents. To avoid becoming one of these statistics, there are several steps you can take. Simple preventive maintenance includes:

  • Read the instruction manual so you know how best to maintain your particular dryer.
  • Always clean the lint filter before or after every load.
  • Do not dry clothing or fabric on which anything flammable has been spilled as this can cause an explosion.
  • Replace the plastic or vinyl exhaust hoses with rigid or flexible venting

This last one is perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of home dryer maintenance. However, if you follow the steps below, you can do it. (Of course, if you would rather avoid the trouble, call in a dryer vent professional to do it for you.) Before you begin, make sure that your dryer is unplugged and if it is a gas dryer, be sure the valve is turned off!

  1. Use a vacuum cleaner with the brush head attachment and clean out any lint/dust in the lint tray and the lint tray cavity.
  2. Disconnect the dryer vent in sections and clean them out-oftentimes these can be easily accessed from inside the home. If you do this section by section it will be much easier to reconstruct. Begin by disconnecting the duct joint closest to the dryer.
  3. Use a dryer duct brush ( or a long-handled 20" gong brush or scrub brush) attached to a drill to clean out the duct work (read instruction on package). You can also, do this without a drill, but it will take more time. Insert the brush into the duct and sweep it clean. If you do not use a drill, you will need to move the brush in a rotating motion while pushing back and forth.
  4. After each part of the duct work has been cleaned, you can reassemble the ducting. Do this by attaching an adjustable rigid 90 elbow to the exhaust end of the dryer. Then connect the rigid metal and semi-rigid duct work sections with stainless steel duct bands.
  5. Once all the pieces are re-attached, you can turn the gas on/plug in the dryer. Put the lint tray in its place and now you are ready to do your laundry.

Many websites provide additional information on the topic of dryer vent maintainance. One such site worth visiting is http://www.twincitiesdryerguy.com.

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