Now that your clothes dry quicker from those DIY dryer balls you just made, let’s take a closer look at your actual clothes dryer. Maintaining your dryer is a vital routine to get into. Your appliance needs to be clear from debris to keep it running efficiently and safely for you and your family. Listed below are 5 methods to keep your dryer clean and maintained.
Clear Your Vent Line By keeping your dryer vent line clean (from the wall to the outside flap), you decrease your electrical consumption up to 40% in savings annually. A dryer vent cleaning brush is a valuable tool you can find at your local hardware store for under $15. Just like cleaning the coils to maintain your refrigerator, you can also use a shop vac along with the dryer vent brush to clear out your vent line. Prior to cleaning, make sure to disconnect your dryer from any electrical or gas source. You then can pull out your unit about 2 feet away from the wall, disconnect the venting on the back of your unit and remove any debris.
Check and/or Replace Your Vent Hose In addition to regularly cleaning out your vent line, make sure to examine your vent hose. Look for any kinks, bends or visible damage as your vent hose will need to be replaced. It’s highly recommended to replace your vinyl venting with aluminum venting since vinyl can cause lint fires and has been outlawed.
Always Clean & Inspect Your Lint Screen Always! There are no exceptions. Whether there is just a little bit of fuzz in your lint screen or a huge thick amount in there, get into the habit of cleaning your screen after each laundry load. It’s also important to examine your lint screen for any damage, rips or tears—if that’s the case, make sure to replace your lint screen immediately. Also, periodically vacuum the inside of your lint screen housing assembly with a long attachment to remove access lint or debris.
Remove Debris from the Inside of Your Dryer Depending on your use, your dryer’s interior needs to be cleared of dust and lint build-up for proper maintenance and safety. Do this at least once a year and vacuum any accumulation of debris inside of your dryer. Of course, disconnect your dryer from all electrical sources and turn off your gas to your clothes dryer if applicable. If you don’t feel comfortable performing this task, make sure to call your local appliance company for this necessary maintenance.
Check Your Gas Line Is your gas line old? If your line looks debatable, you should consider replacing it. When your pull your dryer forward or push it back during your routinely maintenance, be careful not to over-extend or kink it as this damage could cause a gas leak.
Photo by: Jeremiah | Flickr
