How to Clean a Dryer Vent in 3 Easy Steps!

How to Clean a Dryer Vent in 3 Easy Steps!

If you’re wondering how to clean a dryer vent in 3 easy steps you’re going to love to read this post on the BenzVac blog. Imagine, you are doing laundry, BEEP! The dryer goes off and you open the door to warm, clean smelling clothes. Do you ever just want to pull those warm clothes out of the dryer and snuggle for a bit? Or maybe it’s cold and you take out your sweater and put them on warm and cozy? I do! But, what if when you opened that dryer what you got was still damp and moldy smelling clothes? YUCK! Well then, you might have a dirty dryer vent. 

When dryer vents aren’t cleaned properly they can cause your clothes to smell horrible and stay damp longer. They also can contribute to allergies and cause your dryer to heat up. When this happens the lint in the pipes and trap can catch causing lint fires if not properly prevented. But, how do you prevent fires and make sure your clothes come out clean and warm every single time? Not sure how to go about doing that? Well here is how to clean out a dryer vent in 3 easy steps! 

PRO TIP: If you are experiencing a major emergency, don’t hesitate to reach out to a dryer vent cleaning company. Many air duct cleaning specialists offer commercial dryer duct cleaning, so you may want to try one in your local area. Many also offer same day dryer vent cleaning so give them a call.

Step 1: Clean that Lint Trap!

Tools: Nothing!

The first thing you want to do is prevention. This means pulling out the lint trap and cleaning it. The lint trap should be located in the front of your dryer. It should just pull right out. Here’s what you do:

• pull out the lint trap
• collect all the lint
• dump that lint away!

It’s as easy as that! Just make sure you clean that lint trap every single load. This should help prevent soggy clothes and dryer fires in the long run. Plus, it’s so easy your kids can do it. 

Step 2: Vacuum the Vent and Pipe

Tools: a vacuum with a hose, or a shop vac, a screwdriver, and maybe a brush

First, unplug your dryer. That is the most important thing you can do. You don’t want to accidentally get hurt by electrocuting yourself. Also, if you have a gas dryer, make sure the supply valve is screwed shut. When that is done, go ahead and follow these steps:

• Push the dryer from the wall so you can get behind it with the vacuum.
• Disconnect the pipe from the vent. You may need the screwdriver for this part. 
• Take a vacuum hose and clean the pipe and vent real good! If you need to you can put on some gloves and clean out what you can by hand before vacuuming. 
• If you can’t reach parts of the vent that are in the wall, you may need to get a brush or vent cleaning kit to help you. 

Note: Some pipes are made of foil or vinyl, so you may need to replace them if you notice them getting worn or ragged. 

Step 3: Vacuum or Sweep the Exterior Vent

You want to do the same thing to the exterior vent that you did to the interior. This vent will be located outside. Take the covering off the vent and vacuum it out. 

Once you have finished vacuuming, you can reassemble your vents. This means putting those covers back on and reattaching the pipe using your screwdriver. Finally, you can plug the dryer back in!

 Remember, if you have a gas dryer, make sure you turn that vent back on. 

Let’s recap: How To Clean A Dryer Vent In 3 Easy Steps

It just takes 3 easy steps to clean out the vent. The simplest thing you can do is prevention. This means making sure you clean that trap every wash. You can also keep a nose out for burning smells. This means your lint is catching, and you could be risking a fire.  Then, every 6 months go ahead and give your home some love by treating your vent to a nice deep clean with that vacuum. Not only will this help make sure you have dry clothes, but it can prevent fires and keep your energy costs down. Finally, it’s time. The moment you have been waiting for. Beep! You open the dryer and there are those nice clean smelling shirts. Go ahead and snuggle those dry warm clothes. You’ve earned it. Happy Snuggling! 

Companies such as BenzVac of NJ and NY offer dryer vent cleaning and a variety of other services. You can learn more about their business and location below.

You should now know how to clean a dryer vent in 3 easy steps so good luck

source https://benzvac.com/how-to-clean-a-dryer-vent/