Number 5 In Our Weekly Series Of Tune-up/ Check-up Tips

Cleaning your dryer vents and ducts should be done once a year. This will prevent a fire hazard, reduce the time needed to dry your clothes, and save you money on your electric bill. There are two options for getting this done, the first being to call in the professionals. The average professional dryer vent cleaning costs about $150. Or you could do it yourself!

This should be a relatively simple task, requiring only a screwdriver to loosen the dryer clamp, a lint brush or tool to scrape out the lint, and your household vacuum cleaner.

Most of the lint collects within a foot of either end of your dryer duct, so even if it twists and turns or is longer than your vacuum can reach, you will be able to remove most of the problem.

If you want to do a really thorough job and clean the entire vent or you suspect the tube is blocked in the middle, specialized dryer vent cleaning kits and brushes can be purchased online or at your local hardware or home improvement store.

Here's some more detailed instructions.

Don’t forget to empty the lint trap inside your dryer after every load. This will reduce (but not eliminate) the lint buildup in your vents.