Clean Your Dryer Vent (Fire Prevention)
Lint buildup in the vent line causes ~15,000 home fires a year in the US, per the NFPA. Clean it annually — and more often for big households.
Tools
- ✓
- ✓Flexible rod + brush head — Gardus LintEater is the standard kit
- ✓Some brush kits attach to a drill to spin while cleaning
- ✓
Materials
- No materials needed.
Steps
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1
Disconnect the dryer
Pull the dryer out, loosen the clamp on the flexible vent at the back, pull the hose off.
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2
Vacuum the easy parts
Vacuum the dryer's lint trap housing (where the screen goes), the flexible hose, and the rigid vent leading out of the wall.
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3
Brush the duct
Feed the brush through the wall vent toward the outside exhaust hood, adding extensions as you go. The drill attachment spins it for better lint capture. Pull back slowly to drag debris out.
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4
Check the outside vent
Go outside. Make sure the exhaust hood flap opens freely and the outside opening is clear of lint, leaves, or bird nests.
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5
Reconnect and test
Reattach the hose with the clamp. Run the dryer empty for a few minutes — check that air comes strongly from the outside exhaust hood.
Tip: Replace any flexible foil/plastic transition hose with smooth-walled aluminum if you can — corrugated foil traps lint, smooth aluminum doesn't.