How to – Clean your dryer vent

There are certain tasks that home owners must do on a regular basis to keep their home operating efficiently and running smoothly. We provided a list of recommended home maintenance to do in September to help you stay on track.

One of the most important tasks to do on a bi-annual basis is cleaning your dryer vents to prevent fire hazards. While many people routinely clean out any lint from the vent after each load, it is also important to clean the ducting hose and the ports on each end of the hose. This is a fairly simple task to do by following these recommendations:

• Clean lint filter and trap – remove any lint build up from the screen, vacuum the screen with a brush attachment on your vacuum hose, then use the crevice tool to vacuum any lint particles from the trap itself
• Vacuum inside the dryer – if you are able to access the inside of your dryer, vacuum any dust and lint from around the motor, being careful not to dislodge any wires
• Clean the duct tubing – undo the clamp holding the hose to the back of the machine and remove the hose. Vacuum the exhaust port at the back of the machine to remove loose debris. Using an appliance brush, remove additional debris from the port. Use the brush to clean the full length of the hose of any lint buildup.
• Clean the exterior exhaust port – Using the brush, clean the exhaust port leading outside, vacuuming any debris and lint particles.
• Vacuum the area – before replacing the hose and putting the machine back, vacuum the area to ensure any link and debris has been removed, and won’t find it’s way into the machine or ducting.

Doing this task once every six months will ensure your dryer functions to its full efficiency and does not pose a fire risk. This YouTube video by Jeff Patterson walks you through these steps, and shows how easy the task is done when you attach the appliance brush to your drill!