Clean lint from your clothes dryerBuilt-up lint inside dryer cabinets causes more than 15,000 fires every year. Dryer lint escapes through tiny gaps around the edges of the dryer drum and falls into the cabinet, especially when the exhaust vent or vent cap is clogged and airflow is restricted. The lint can get ignited by electric heating elements, gas burners or even a spark from the motor, and the flames then travel through the lint-lined exhaust vent. To make sure this doesn’t happen in your house, check the exhaust vent and the inside of the cabinet frequently. Show How to Clean a DryerTo clean the exhaust duct, shut off the gas and unplug the dryer, then pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the duct from the dryer. Use a brush and a vacuum to remove the lint in the duct. If you have a flexible duct (especially the plastic type!), replace it with rigid metal duct. To clean inside the dryer, unplug it and turn off the gas, then open either the top or the front. The procedure is the same for gas and electric dryers. For dryers with a top lint filter and a solid front panel, remove the lint filter and take out the two screws on the side of the lint filter opening. Pull the top forward (Photo 1). Disconnect the door-switch wires in the front corner, remove the front screws and drop the panel forward (Photo 2). The drum will tip as the panel drops, but this won’t damage anything. Just hold it up while you clean. Brush and vacuum under the drum and at the top and back of the dryer. Clean thoroughly around the heating element, but work gently around wires and mechanical parts. Use a long brush to clean the dryer vent screen, then vacuum it from the top and back (Photo 3). Finally, reassemble the dryer. Put the front into the drum and lift, then drop the front into the catches near the bottom while holding it tight against the sides. Reattach the front screws and wires, then set the top back down. Cleaning technique if your dryer has a front access panelFor dryers with a removable front panel, release the metal catches (or remove screws) and pull the panel off (Photo 4). Remove the screws that hold the vent in place, then clean out the dryer lint with a vacuum and dryer lint remover brush (Photo 5).
One of the easiest ways to keep your dryer running efficiently is to clean out its lint trap, screen and vent. Over time lint, (aka “formerly known as your clothes”), will build up in these areas and prevent your dryer from moving air efficiently, causing your dryer to work harder to dry clothes and use more energy in the process. (Of course, if you can hang your clothes to dry, you’ll not have to go through this process nearly as much, and you’ll save a bunch of money. But I digress!) Follow these easy steps to clean out the lint from your dryer and get it working efficiently. As always, when you’re working on any large appliance, make sure to unplug it first, or shut the power off to it from the breaker box. Things you’ll need for the job:
Instructions: how to clean out your dryer’s lint trap, screen and ventThe Lint Trap and Screen – Depending on the design of your dryer the lint trap will either be on the top of the dryer or located just inside the door. Be sure to locate the dryer’s lint trap, which houses the lint screen, before continuing. 1. Remove the lint screen from the lint trap. Simply grab the end of the screen and give it a gentle pull. The screen should lift out fully from the dryer (see photo, above). 2. Clear the lint free from the screen. The trick here is to just get a small amount of lint to start with. Once you’ve scraped a small bit free from the screen use it to remove the remaining lint. Like a snowball rolling down hill, the lint will attract to itself and aid in the removing process. Once it’s removed, toss the lint into the garbage bag. 3. Use your vacuum cleaner and use a soft brush attachment to clean the screen. Turn on the vacuum and simply run the attachment over the screen. This will remove any remaining lint from the screen. 4. Now use the vacuum to remove any lint from the lint trap. Swap out the attachment on the vacuum for one with a longer neck. Once you’ve done that, turn on the vacuum and put the attachment as far into the lint trap as possible. Now work the attachment around the inside of the trap. The goal here is to remove any and as much of the residual lint as possible. Occasionally, you might want to pull the attachment out (since you won’t be able to see down the trap), and make sure the tip of the vacuum attachment is not clogged, which it often is. If so, just pull out the lint that’s clogging the attachment, put your hand against the end to check that it’s sucking clearly, and reinsert it into the trap. 5. Once the lint trap is clean, put the lint screen back into place. It’s as easy as it sounds, simply take the lint screen (now cleaned) and put it back into the cleaned lint trap.
How often should you clean your dryer lint trap?The recommendations you've heard are correct – you should clean the lint filter between every batch of clothes. Get into the habit of removing lint from the screen, either before or after every batch. Many new dryers will automatically remind you to check the lint filter before starting up.
How do you clean a dryer lint trap without a vacuum?First, remove the lint trap and run it under water to begin cleaning. The lint usually sticks some, so then you can use a small amount of dish soap or vinegar and your scrub brush to lightly loosen up the lint.
|