How To Clean Lint Out Of Dryer Vent

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How to Clean Your Dryer Vents Like a Pro

Inside: Is your dryer slow to dry? Check out how to clean your dryer vent like a pro. Save some time and money with dryer vent cleaning. See how to clean dryer vent!

Believe it or not, I spent years not knowing that you needed to clean out your dry vent. I would clean the lint off of the lint trap when I put clothes in the dryer, but that was as far as I ever got.

I have to admit, it never occurred to me that you would need to go any deeper into the dryer to clean it. After all, isn't that what the lint trap is for?

It helped that we moved every 2-3 years therefore, I guess my dryers never got clogged with lint. Or at least so bad that they were overheating. Actually, I got really luckily!

Not until we had lived in the same house with the same dryer for about 6 years when I started having problems.

I first noticed that my clothes were slower and slower to dry. I would have to run the same load twice just to get it to dry.

Then, I noticed that the dryer was getting extremely hot to the touch. I even burned one of my son's sweatshirts in the dryer.

Since I really didn't want to buy a new dryer, so I tried to look up what was causing this problem.

I was surprised to find out the problem was very simple. The dry vent was clogged with so much lint from over the years.

This not only leads to clothes drying very slowly, but it can also cause a fire. Since I often start the dryer and leave the house this scared me. I figured I needed a dryer vent cleaning right away.

How To Clean A Dryer Vent Like A Pro

If the idea of cleaning a dryer vent sounds overwhelming don't worry! It's really pretty easy to clean a dryer vent and get it unclogged. If you haven't done it before you will probably find all sorts of fun things when you clean your vent out.

To prevent fires and keep your dryer runny smooth check out these easy tips on how clean a dryer vent like a pro.

What You Will Need To Clean The Dryer Vent

Vacuum (any kind will do)
Dryer Vent Cleaner ( I have owned a few, but currently have this one)
Microfiber Clothes
All-Purpose Cleaner

Since I wasn't about to pay someone (it's around $150 or more where I live) to come and clean it out, I picked up a do it yourself kit.

It makes it so much easier to do on your own. All you need it the kit and a vacuum. You can head over to Amazon to grab a dryer vent kit.

I have found this kit is totally worth the money to clean your dryer vent. When you use it regularly your clothes will dry faster. Plus, it will help your dryer last longer. It's a win-win!

Plus you can use the dryer vent kit to clean your fridge coils too!

Dryer Vent Cleaning

I like to start by cleaning off the lint trap. Then vacuum around the lint trap and vent to get out what you can.

After you have vacuumed that area take the lint trap vent brush and insert the brush into the lint trap vent as far as you can.

It is very flexible and takes a bit of maneuvering to make sure it goes in all of the way. Once you get it in, twist the handle of the brush while slowly removing it to trap the lint.

If you have much lint on the brush I recommend repeating this step once more. You can see below I am not getting a lot off with the brush, but that is because so much lint was inside the vent.

Once you have removed some of the lint with the brush you can use the vacuum hose attachment to really get in there and clean. This is where the magic happens! 🙂

I am always amazed at the amount of lint that the attachment removes.

It is very slow going, you need lots of patience to use the attachment. The attachment it very flat so it fits in the vent trap.

Unfortunately, if you have as much lint as I usually do in my trap you will need to repeat this step about 10-12 times.

Carefully feed the vacuum hose attachment into the trap. Attach to your vacuum and turn on the vacuum.

Most likely you will quickly hear it clog and need to remove it.

Remove it very carefully and pull the clog out and then repeat.

It takes a while, but you will be amazed by how much lint it removes. I sometimes spend 20-30 minutes doing this.

Check out all of the lint it removed below! It is crazy!! Make sure you clean your dryer lint catcher too!

You can see step by step instructions here on how to clean the dryer lint trap. You will actually want to scrub it not just remove the lint.

Once you feel like the vent trap is clean you can move on to the dryer vent duct behind your dryer.

Use the large dryer vent duct brush to clean out the duct. Move it carefully spinning while you push it in.

Pull it out and remove the lint from the brush. If you find much lint on it repeat the step again. I never find too much lint in the duct. I think the majority of it was stuck in the dryer.

The first time I cleaned my dryer vent this way I was amazed at the difference it made in drying time.

My drying time of most of my clothes was cut in half. This not only saves me time but money too. I don't have to spend as much on gas to dry my clothes.

By using the cleaning kit once a year I get a good amount of lint from it and don't have the same dryer problems that I did before.

**UPDATE** I now clean my dryer vent every 3-6 months instead of once a year like I previously said.

I might be crazy, but I just got so much out every time I did it once a year. Plus, since I started doing this I have heard of too many house fires started by lint in the dryer vent.

Just to be safe I spend a little more time and keep it clean every few months.

I have had the same kit for a few years now and it still works great.

Plus, it's so much cheaper than paying someone to clean my dryer vents. Following these tips on how to clean your dryer vent like a pro will help save you money and time!

Materials List

Dryer Vent Kit
Vacuum Cleaner

Common Questions

Can dryer vent cleaning be done by the homeowner with a kit?

Yes, it is easy to clean a dryer vent at home with a kit. You can pick up a kit on Amazon for cheap and clean your dryer vent in under an hour.
After years I had to replace my first dryer vent kit and I now use the Lint Lizard Dryer Vent Kit. You can see which kit I use here.

Why is my dryer so slow to dry clothes?

Your dryer vent can accumulate lint and over time this will clog your dryer and slow your drying time. Cleaning your dryer vent every 6 months or so will help keep your clothes drying fast and prevent a dryer fire.

Can a dryer really cause a house fire?

Yes, you should never run your dryer while you are sleeping or aren't at home. Dryers can easily cause house fires. By using a kit every 6 months to clean a dryer vent you can prevent a dryer fire and keep your dryer from overheating.