The importance of clothes dryer vent cleaning has been well documented and cleaning the lint filter or lint trap after each load of laundry isn’t enough. A lot of clothes lint gets past the lint trap inside the dryer and into the dryer duct work where much of the damp, and often fabric softener laden, lint sticks the duct work.
The benefits of cleaning dryer vents include reducing the risk of home fires, reducing the time it takes to dry a load of laundry and because your dryer will run less you will save money on utility bills and reduce the wear and tear on your dryer so it will last longer, saving you money by not having to buy a new dryer as often. Below are some tips on how to clean a dryer vent so you can add dryer vent cleaning to your home maintenance routine.
We often get asked how do I clean dryer vents? Unlike air ducts, dryer vents can often be cleaned by the homeowner. Circumstances that may make it difficult for a homeowner to clean the dryer ducts themselves include the dryer being located long distance from the outside vent and the homeowner being unable to move the dryer to disconnect the dryer duct between the dryer and the wall.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Kits
The best way to clean dryer vents is to use a dryer vent cleaning kit like the Gardus Lint Eater. These kits are designed specifically for cleaning dryer vents and do much better job that doing it by hand or with a leaf blower. Dryer vent cleaning kits are specialized tools are very affordable and so simple to use you won’t hesitate to clean your dryer vents once per year. The Lint Eater attaches to a power drill (corded or cordless) and uses brushes designed specifically to clean dryer ducts.
With the standard Lint Eater you may be able to clean ducts up to 24 feet long. The kit comes with 12 feet of flexible rods (four 3-foot extensions that screw together) so as long as you can get access to the exterior vent and the vent behind your dryer you can reach a total of 24 feet. A 12 foot extension rod is available.
The Lint Eater is designed by a leading manufacturer of commercial duct cleaning equipment and has been used for over 15 years. The Lint Eater works with all types of dryer vents including metal, foil and even white vinyl ducting. The kit comes with step-by-step instructions. If you are interested in the lint catcher bag used in the video at the end of this post, here is a link.
Do-It-Yourself Dryer Vent Cleaning Tips
A lot of lint is released during the cleaning process so you may want to wear goggles and an breathing mask. No need for expensive equipment, eye glass or sunglasses will work and a cheap surgical type mask works just fine. If you can clean the entire length of duct work from the inside it will mean less mess in your house. Sometimes it is tempting to clean from the outside it the exterior dryer exhaust duct is easily accessible and you don’t want to move your dryer. If you leave your dryer connected to the duct much of the lint you dislodge will end up in your dryer. When cleaning from the outside it is best to connect a shop vac or household vacuum to the interior end of the duct to capture the lint. Otherwise you can end up with a mess in your home.
Whether you do it to prevent a fire, to save money or to save energy, you should be cleaning your clothes dryer vents regularly. And when simple to and affordable tools like the Lint Eater are available there is really no excuse for not doing it. If you can operate a drill, you can use the Lint Eater clean much more than just your lint trap.
Professional dryer vent cleaning can cost $100 or more. The Lint Eater costs just a fraction of that and will last for many years, paying for itself many times over. In fact, it is so durable you won’t hesitate to let your friends and family borrow it.If you want to add dryer vent cleaning to your home maintenance routine you now know what equipment you will need and how to clean dryer vents.