Here’s a question for you: When was the last time you had your dryer vent cleaned? Chances are, you can’t remember. Or maybe the answer is “never.” Well, now’s the time to get it done, and here’s why.

A dryer vent, also referred to as a duct, is essential to the proper, efficient operation of your clothes dryer. Your dryer works by tumbling wet clothes through heated air in a rotating drum. The heated air evaporates and picks up the moisture inside the drum, then pushes it out of the dryer. The vent located on the back of the dryer expels this water-laden air from the dryer to the building’s exterior. This prevents the moist air from being vented directly into the home, where it can lead to mold, mildew and damage.

With time and repeat usage, your dryer vent can get clogged up with lint and dust collected from clothes and laundry loads. The more clogged the vent gets, the less effective it is in expelling this moisture-heavy air. And that’s bad news, for a number of reasons.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Reduces Risk of Fire

First and foremost, a dryer vent clogged with lint poses a significant risk to your home and family’s safety. According to the National Fire Protection Association, clothes dryers and a build-up of lint are a leading contributor of house fires.¹ The U.S. Fire Administration reports around 2,900 dryer-related fires in homes each year, with failure to clean the dryer as the number one cause.²  Regularly cleaning your dryer vent is one way to make your home environment safer.

The Cost of Linty Dryer Vents 

Clogged dryer vents also cost you money. When dryer vents get overladen with lint and dust, they can become traps for moist air that can weaken the hose, leading to failure and costly repairs or replacement. 

A clogged dryer vent also means your dryer is going to have to work much harder to get your clothes dry, which can put added wear, tear and stress on your appliance that may also shorten its lifespan. Longer drying cycles caused by clogged vents additionally exposes your clothes to excessive heat and tumbling that can damage them. 

Longer drying cycles mean more energy consumption and higher utility bills, as well. Cleaning dryer vents regularly can lower those bills while also prolonging the working life of your dryer — saving you the significant cost of replacing it. Plus, you’ll spend less time re-drying loads of laundry, when you have better things to do (and are running out of clean socks to wear).

A Clean Dryer Vent Means Cleaner Indoor Air

That trapped moist air inside your clogged dryer vent is the perfect breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria and mold. If your dryer vent isn’t properly cleaned, it may also be circulating heat, dust, bacteria and other contaminants throughout your living space — contributing to poor indoor air quality that can worsen allergies, asthma and other respiratory conditions.

When It’s Time to Have Your Dryer Vents Cleaned

If you’re wondering whether it’s time to have your dryer vent professionally cleaned, here are some signs to look for.

Hotter than usual: If your dryer, hose and clothes are excessively hot to the touch, it could be because the blocked vents are forcing the appliance to work harder to dry clothes.

Longer than usual cycles: This could be an indication that your dryer can’t blow out the moisture due to a clogged vent, requiring longer times to dry the clothes.

Burning smell: Lint is flammable, so if you smell something burning in your laundry area, turn off the dryer immediately and call for professional dryer vent cleaning service.

Debris around the hose: If you’re seeing debris and lint around the area where the hose connects to the vent, it could be a sign that the vent is clogged and needs cleaning out.

Vent hood won’t open: If you’re struggling to open the vent hood, it’s likely the vent and hose are blocked with lint and it’s time to call in the pros.

Choose Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning

For most homeowners, experts recommend having dryer vents professionally cleaned at least once a year — perhaps more if you have a large family or multiple pets, and do frequent loads of laundry.

Properly cleaning a dryer vent can be tricky and time-consuming, if you’re not familiar with how it works or don’t have the right equipment. At COIT, our dryer vent cleaning specialists use our exclusive HEPA-AireTM vacuum and Aire-SweepTM compressor system to thoroughly and quickly clean the lint and debris from your dryer vent. We’ll make sure it’s working properly and safely to dry your clothes and keep your home environment safe. Call to schedule a professional dryer vent cleaning service today.

1. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/verify/verify-yes-clothes-dryers-are-a-leading-cause-of-house-fires/291-620980774
2. https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Home-fires-involving-clothes-dryers-and-washing-machines