Your dryer vents are dangerous.

We don’t usually think about our dryer vents. But if you don’t take care of them properly, they can cause some serious problems.

But how do you maintain your dryer vents?

Take a look at this dryer vent cleaning guide and find out how to keep your dryer vents safe and functioning.

Why Does My Dryer Vent Need to Be Cleaned?
If you don’t take care of your dryer properly, it can become a huge fire hazard just waiting to happen.

Nearly 3,000 dryer fires happen every year, and those fires cause an estimated $35 million in property loss, hundreds of injuries, and even five deaths. Clogged dryer vents are one of the leading causes of these fires.

Even if your dryer doesn’t burst into flames, dirty dried vents can still be dangerous. Blocked dryer vents cause harmful gas fumes to make their way into the home. Breathing in these fumes can negatively affect your health.

So even though cleaning out your dryer vents is a chore that usually gets overlooked, it’s an important one. Doing some dryer vent cleaning may actually make your life a little bit easier too.

The Benefits of Dryer Vent Cleaning
Clean dryers work better than dirty dryers, and that means your clothes will dry faster. If it takes more than one load to fully dry your clothes, your dryer vents are probably starting to get clogged. When you unclog them again, your clothes should dry in a single load.

Your dryer will also last longer if you keep it clean. The dirtier it is, the harder it has to work to do its job. This could cause it to burn out or need maintenance much sooner than it should.

And a hard-working dryer makes your energy bill go up. That’s right; you’re actually spending more money on your energy bill if you run a dirty dryer.

Why is that?

Because when a dirty dryer works harder, it sucks up more energy. Cleaning out your vents can make your bill go back down.

And of course, the main benefit of a clean dryer is your family’s safety. There’s no need to put off cleaning your vents and end up with a fire hazard.

Carrying out proper maintenance will make sure your dryer does what it’s supposed to and keeps your family safe.

Why Can’t I Just Clean the Dryer Vents Myself?
You can. In fact, it’s a good idea to clean your dryer vents regularly. This will keep any buildups you can’t reach as small as possible.

Because there will definitely be debris, you can’t clean them out yourself.

You most likely don’t have the same tools and training professional vent cleaners have, which will make it impossible for you to clean all the debris and clogs out from the vents completely.

You Should Always Hire a Professional
Some companies specialize in cleaning out vents. These professionals have all the right tools, all the right training, and several years of experience cleaning out dryer vents already. At Fresh Aire Duct Cleaning, we even offer video camera inspections to ensure that your ducts are cleaned thoroughly and efficiently.

While you can do a good job cleaning your dryer vents on your own from time to time, when it comes to major cleaning, you should always hire a professional.

What to Expect from a Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning
The first thing the professionals will do is find and remove the outside dryer cap.

They will then slide along, tube-like vacuum and snake brush the vent into the vent to dislodge and remove any debris. If there are any blockages stuck to the walls of the vents, the professional will use the snake brush to scrape them away.

The areas of your vents that will get the most attention are the bends and elbows. These places buildup debris faster than other parts of the vent, so they will take special care to make sure anything inside is vacuumed out.

Sometimes, professionals will also conduct a diagnostic test after the dryer vent cleaning. This test will find out how much pressure goes through the vent, how much gas makes it into your home, and finds out if there are any damages inside the vent.

But this isn’t part of every dryer vent cleaning. Most cleanings consist of scraping debris away and vacuuming them out of the vent.

How You Can Clean on Your Own