How to Remove Dryer Vent Lint
Removing dryer lint is an important step in maintaining your dryer and preventing a potentially dangerous fire. Each year, approximately 25,000 fires are caused by a build up of dryer lint. To keep your home safe, it is important to remove vent lint inside and around your dryer regularly by emptying the lint trap, vacuuming around the exterior of the machine and cleaning lint from around the motor and heating element inside the dryer cabinet. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Clean your dryer's lint trap after every load. If you aren't sure where your dryer's lint trap is located, check the owner's manual. On most machines, you'll find the lint trap door either on top of the dryer or on the inside of the dryer door.
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Vacuum the area around your dryer regularly to remove built up lint and dust--particularly in the back of the dryer where lint can unknowingly collect and cause a fire.
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Clean your dryer's vent ducts once a year with a dryer vent cleaning brush, which can be purchased from most home improvement stores. To clean the ducts, disconnect the ducting from the dryer and snake the cleaning brush through the outside vent to loosen and remove built-up lint. If you don't have a vent cleaning brush, you can also manually clean the ducts by disassembling them first.
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Unplug the dryer and clean the inside of the dryer cabinet where the motor is located once a year.To access the inside of the dryer, pry the access door off the dryer with a screwdriver. Once open, vacuum the inside of your dryer--paying close attention to removing lint around the motor and heating elements.
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Tips & Warnings
Refer to your dryer's instruction manual if you have any questions regarding where to find the access door and how to clean the inside of your dryer.
If you have a gas dryer, make sure you turn off the gas valve prior to cleaning the dryer vent.
