How to Eliminate Lint From a Dryer Vent in a Garage
Whether your dryer vents into the garage or to the outside, your dryer vent needs to be cleaned of the lint buildup that takes place during routine drying. According to Reader's Digest, every year about 25,000 fires take place, hundreds of people are injured, and thousands of dollars in property damage occurs because of dryer fires. When the lint builds up near the motor, vent, heater or gas burner of the appliance, the chance of a fire increases. Additionally, lint and other material buildup in the vent will prevent your dryer from venting properly, causing bigger issues for the appliance. It's of utmost important to remove lint buildup in the vent about every two or three years, according to Ask the Builder. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Unplug your dryer and pull it out from the wall. Remove the clamps that hold your dryer vent to the dryer and the wall and take off the dryer vent.
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2
Gently tap the outside of the vent to remove the loose lint from inside, making sure to pick up the fallen lint to prevent a fire hazard.
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Clean the lint caked to the side of the inside of the vent. Most of the buildup will be at both ends of the vent. Use a damp rag for the easy-to-reach parts and an unraveled wire coat hanger for the hard-to-reach spots. Push the lint in the middle out of the vent with the coat hanger.
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4
Remove the lint from the vent hole in the back of the dryer. Also, remove the lint from the outside vent by removing the vent cover and scraping the lint from the hole. If your dryer vents into the garage, sweep up any lint that has been pushed out by the vent.
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Clamp the vent back onto the dryer and wall and plug the dryer back in. Give it a few minutes before using the dryer again.
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Tips & Warnings
Cleaning the lint out of your dryer is important. There are several places it can lodge, including on the floor, behind the dryer and in the lint filter.
Dryers that vent into the garage are dangerous and not as good of an option as dryers that vent to the outside. Venting into the garage releases an abundance of lint into the room--a fire hazard--and releases unnecessary moisture that can cause mildew and mold over time, according to Ask the Builder.
