Homeowners have a lot to consider regarding home maintenance, and one often overlooked area is the dryer vent. Knowing when and how to clean your dryer vents could be one of the best steps you take to keep your family safe.
This beginner’s guide to dryer vent cleaning can help you figure out when it is time to unclog those vents and decide whether to do it yourself or hire a dryer vent cleaning company.
How Much Does It Cost To Clean My Dryer Vent?
Though there is some variation based on your location, dryer vent cleaning cost depends on whether you plan to handle it yourself or hire an experienced professional. Of course, if it has been a while or you have other problems with your system, you can expect to pay more.
The DIY Method
Handy homeowners may want to attempt the DIY method because it only costs the price of tools and a few hours of your time. You may even have some of the tools on hand. You will need:
- Dryer vent cleaning kit
- Power drill
- Vacuum or shop vac to suction the lint out of the inside of the dryer ducts
- Screwdriver to remove the hose, pipes and clamps
- Safety gloves
- Foil tape
- Safety glasses
- N95 mask
If your dryer ducts are too long for a vacuum to clear out, the cleaning kit and power drill do the heavy lifting. Dryer vent kits have special brushes with extensions and flexible rods to reach tough spots. You can find them at your local home improvement store, usually for less than $40. The brushes attach to the rods, which connect to a power drill. Turn on the drill to make the brushes spin and clear out the vents.
Hiring A Professional
The DIY method may be cost effective, but it is not always enough to unclog your ducts. If you cannot sufficiently clean dirty dryer vents, you put your family at risk, so it may be best to hire a dryer vent cleaning company to do a thorough job.
Around Waukesha and Milwaukee, a professional dryer vent cleaning usually runs about $100 to $300 depending on where the vent exits your home and how long the run is. Rooftop vents on two story homes take longer and cost more. If you are already having your air ducts cleaned, SimpliHome adds a dryer vent cleaning for $40.
How Often Should My Dryer Vent Be Cleaned?
Dryer vents need annual cleaning to keep your family safe and your machine operating efficiently. Some circumstances may require more frequent cleaning to preserve the lifespan of your dryer.
Semi Annually Or Yearly?
It mostly depends on how frequently you use your dryer. As a general rule, get your dryer exhaust vents cleaned and inspected by a professional at least once per year. There are two main exceptions to that rule.
First, if you do a lot of laundry that requires frequent use of the dryer, you can expect lint to build up faster. Consider increasing cleanings to every three to six months, depending on the amount of laundry you do each week.
The other exception is people who have dryers located far from the outside wall. Long hoses and ducts make it tougher to unclog them, so you may want to get them cleaned every six months instead.
Signs Your Dryer Vent Needs Cleaning
Buildup in dryer vents does not happen overnight, so watch for these signals:
- Clothes take longer than usual to dry
- Your lint trap fills up much faster than usual
- You notice lint and debris around your dryer hose
- The outside of the dryer gets hot, and your clothes may feel unusually warm
- The clothes smell musty or a bit like something burning
- Your vent hood flaps do not open or close properly
- The dryer sheets have a funky smell or seem to fall apart after one cycle
- You have not had your dryer vent inspected or cleaned within the last year
- Your laundry room feels unusually hot whenever you do laundry
When you have excessive buildup in dryer vents, the machine operates less efficiently, which can translate to higher utility bills. If you cannot figure out another reason for an increase in your utility bills, check your dryer.
Clothes Dryer Fire Safety Facts
Dryer vent clogs contribute to thousands of home fires every year. Knowing the most common dryer fire safety facts and tips can help keep you and your family safe.
- Always have an experienced technician install clothes dryers
- Carefully clean the lint screen and filters before and after every load, and do not forget to clean the back of the machine
- Have your dryer vent system inspected and cleaned regularly
- Apply coverings to the outside walls so rain, snow and debris cannot get into the pipes and hoses
- Make sure everything is properly connected and wired by professionals
- Watch outside for blockages like small animal burrows, insects and bird nests
- Never use clothes dryers without the lint filter, and always replace damaged filters
- Avoid overloading the dryer
- Always follow manufacturer instructions for the machine and for any clothes or items you want to put in the dryer
- Only operate the clothes dryer when you are at home and awake
It only takes a few minutes to do many of these checks, but it can save you thousands of dollars in repairs and the heartache that comes with a house fire.
Pros And Cons Of DIY Dryer Vent Cleaning
Understanding the importance of cleaning your dryer vent system is one thing. Deciding whether to do it yourself or hire an experienced technician is something else. It is tempting to save money on what sounds like a quick and easy job, but there is more to consider, even if you are handy.
DIY Vs Professional Technicians
Few situations make for a quick and easy DIY project. If your vent is perfectly straight with no bends and comes out on the side of your house, it may be easy enough for a DIY kit. The other situation is a short line, around six or seven feet, that comes out the side of your house.
In other situations a DIY vent cleaning can be extremely challenging for a few big reasons:
- You have a rooftop vent, especially on a two story house. It can be unsafe, even with the proper gear
- Your vents are long, winding or both. It is not easy to clean a dryer vent system with multiple bends between the dryer and the opening
- Some DIY kits can damage the system, especially cheaper ones. One of the most common issues is the brush getting stuck in the vent system
While some handy people can clean their vents in a jiffy, you may not be as lucky. If you get a brush stuck or push enough lint together to completely block the vent, you could be in for a more expensive fix.
Can I Use A Leaf Blower?
Maybe you saw your neighbor going to town with a leaf blower on their outside vent and thought it was a great idea. Leaf blowers pack a lot of power, but your neighbor might be making the biggest mistake of their life!
Even with an exceptionally short dryer vent system, using a leaf blower could be dangerous. Forcing air through a small vent can cause significant damage to the system, including blowing out the line and damaging the surrounding walls. That kind of trouble could mean a major mess and a massive construction job.
When To Hire A Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning Service
How do you know when the job is too much for a DIY fix? Some people read the drawbacks of a DIY job and skip right to calling an experienced technician. If you are not sold on hiring a pro, consider some of the advantages.
Advantages Of Hiring A Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning Service
Not all dryer vents look, run or operate the same. A leaf blower may work just fine for your neighbor with a short four foot dryer vent, but it will not be as effective for your twisty system. A professional dryer vent cleaning company has the tools and expertise to adapt to those bends and twists, but that is not the only reason to go with a pro.
It Is Safer
Personal safety is the reason you need that dryer vent cleaned, so why would you risk injury to unclog it yourself? It can be extremely dangerous if you have a rooftop vent, especially without the right ladder and equipment. Even without a rooftop vent, there are plenty of components involved. You also have to be savvy with electrical or gas lines, depending on your dryer.
It Is Convenient
Some systems may be a quick job, but that is not always the case. Think about what happens if you pick up a kit and the brush gets stuck. Can you get it out? There is a good chance you have to call in a professional at some point if something goes wrong. Why waste time when you can make a phone call, schedule an appointment and let a pro do the rest?
It Gives You Peace Of Mind
There are a lot of steps involved in cleaning out a dryer vent system, and if you miss any of them it could mean trouble. When you hire an experienced technician, you know it is done properly. Many professional dryer vent cleaning services do airflow tests before and after, so you see how effective the work is and know if anything was missed.
Pros Have The Proper Equipment
To do it yourself, you likely need to pick up a kit that may or may not do the job. Professional dryer vent cleaning companies often have industrial quality equipment that can handle any vent system, no matter how long or complex. If something needs repairing during the process, a professional likely has the parts to make that fix, and the training to know what to look for.
Winter Tips for Wisconsin Homes
Our winters are hard on dryer vents. Cold air meets warm, damp exhaust at the outside hood, and lint plus moisture can freeze the flap shut. Snow drifts can bury low vents along the foundation.
- Check the outside hood after big snowfalls and clear any drifts
- Look for frost or ice around the flap, which means moist air is getting trapped
- Make sure the flap opens when the dryer runs and closes when it stops
- Clean the lint trap before every load, especially in winter when you dry more indoors
If you see these signs, read about the other signs of a clogged dryer vent or book a professional vent cleaning.
Who Needs Dryer Vent Cleaning
Getting your dryer vent cleaned is not solely an issue for homeowners. Anybody who uses clothes dryers on their property should pay careful attention to those vent systems to prevent damage to the building. Some people do not even consider their dryer vents, including:
- Property managers who oversee rental properties, apartments and condos. Whether tenants have individual laundry facilities or a shared spot, the buildings could see dozens of loads of laundry per week. That is a lot of lint!
- Laundromats, which do little more than laundry. How many people clean those lint screens before and after using them?
- Hair salons, which wash loads and loads of towels every day. How much lint and debris do you think builds up in those systems?
Everybody who uses a clothes dryer also has a dryer vent system to care for. While it is possible to take the DIY route, hiring an experienced dryer vent cleaning service is easier and safer. It is also one of the more affordable maintenance jobs you can get, so why not save yourself some time and struggle?
SimpliHome cleans dryer vents across Waukesha County, from Waukesha to Oconomowoc, with a 175 PSI air line that pulls the lint out of the whole run, and we show you before and after photos. Get a free quote or call (262) 289-1035.