Dryer Vent Wizard of the Greater Twin Cities | Dryer Vent Cleaning & More

In just the U.S. alone, clothes dryers can be found in around 81.5 million homes. As clothes spin around in the dryer, lint and other debris will come off and hopefully be caught by the filter. However, some of that lint and debris makes it past the filter and into the dryer vent , where it either exits your home or becomes stuck. This is a major cause of dryer fires, which number around 16,000 per year in the United States. So, what can you do to make your dryer usage a bit more safe? First, it's important that you regularly clean out the dryer filter after each load you dry. If you wait two or three loads before cleaning the filter out, you're making it much harder for your dryer to do its job. This can cause certain parts to work harder or fail altogether, which is another risky proposition. Next, contact a professional at least once per year to come out and clean your dryer vent from the dryer to the exhaust area outside your home. When the lint and other build-up is ...

While dryer lint and debris getting caught in your dryer vent is an important thing to watch out for, there's another danger that may be present in your dryer. According to a fire chief interviewed by About.com , certain types of fabric sheets may cause a film to develop on the dryer filter, which keeps air from flowing through properly, and can create another fire hazard. Fortunately, there is a way to test whether or not your dryer is at risk. Remove the lint filter from your filter and take it to a nearby sink. Turn the water on, and hold the filter underneath the running water. If the water passes through, your filter should be okay and the dryer sheets you're using are not creating a film. If the water simply pools in the filter without running through, you'll want to thoroughly clean the filter with a nylon brush and soap, and change the type of dryer sheets you're using. Have any other questions about dryer vent cleaning or dryer safety? Give the Dryer Ven...