How Often Should I Clean A Dryer Vent?

We often don’t notice how essential our household appliances are to our daily life until they aren’t functioning properly anymore. The same goes for your clothes dryer. Unfortunately, it’s ubiquitous for dryers to break down because they haven’t been properly maintained.

Clean your dryer vent at least 1 time each year or more frequently if your clothes take a long time to dry. Keep your dryer vent clean to save up to 30% in energy costs. Clean your dryer vent 2-3 times per year if you have a large family and dry many loads of laundry.

We’ll dive into the details on how often you should be cleaning your dryer vent, some warning signs that it’s due to be cleaned, and why it needs such frequent maintenance.

A larger family means more loads of clothes that need to be washed on a daily basis. The more often the dryer is used, the more lint that is accumulated in the dryer vent. Therefore, you’ll likely need to clean out your dryer vent several times throughout the year.

You Have Pets

If you have pets in your household, your vents will become clogged more quickly than those in pet-free homes. Clean your dryer vent more often to remove pet hair and fur from potentially clogging the system.

Buying New Clothing

Research suggests that new items of clothing generate more lint than old clothes. If you find yourself buying new clothes rather frequently, you may need to clean your dryer vent more than once a year.

Types Of laundry

How often you should clean your dryer vent is influenced by the type of laundry that you do. Blankets, towels, and other bulky items produce more lint and cause the vent to become clogged more easily. If this applies to you, it is advised to clean your dryer vent several times throughout the year.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, clothes dryers were the cause of more than 15,500 U.S. household fires in 2010. The lint and debris that builds up in the dryer vent over time will reduce airflow, backup exhaust gases, and potentially lead to fires.

You can prevent these hazards by inspecting and thoroughly cleaning your dryer vent yearly. As previously mentioned, there are some cases where your vent needs to be cleaned out more frequently. However, how do you know that this is the case? Let’s examine the following warning signs indicating that it’s time to clean your dryer vent.

Aside from reducing your fire risk due to lint buildup, regular dryer maintenance will help save energy. Cleaning the dryer vent improves efficiency, reducing the amount of power that the unit consumes. According to experts, homeowners that perform frequent cleanings of their dryer vents can save up to 30% on energy costs.

Also, when your dryer vent is often cleaned, it is less likely to overheat or become clogged, effectively reducing maintenance costs for a broken-down dryer. When your dryer vent isn’t cleaned regularly, you force the dryer to work harder in order to dry your clothes. The unnecessary strain can create wear on crucial pieces of the dryer.

Clean your dryer vent regularly to improve efficiency and prevent excessive wear and tear.

If you still want to hire a professional, that’s okay too! You can have someone come out and clean your dryer vent once a year, but it will cost you between $89 and $179. You can call around to at least three different companies to see what their rates are. Even though $89 to $179 isn’t much, it’s still a lot to pay for such a small amount of work.

The fee that you are paying is a labor fee. When it comes to cleaning the lint out of your dryer, there aren’t many tools or materials needed aside from a screwdriver, a ShopVac, and a garbage can. So keep that in mind before you fully decide whether you want to hire a professional or do it alone.

The vent to your dryer should be cleaned at least once a year. However, this depends on how much laundry you’re doing. If you have a home full of people and the dryer is constantly running, you will want to provide more frequent maintenance.

For more common dryer related questions check out, “ What Size Gas Line Do I Need For My Dryer?” and “ Dryer Making Loud Noise? We Have a Fix (Ultimate Guide).”