If you are like most people, you clean the lint trap on your dryer each time you run a load of laundry. The lint trap can accumulate a significant amount of debris after you run even a single load through the dryer. In order for your dryer to work efficiently, super-heated air must pass through the lint trap, vent and duct work so that it can exit your home. Cleaning the lint trap regularly facilitates the efficiency with which heated air can escape the home as needed. However, the vents and ducts can also become filthy over time and must be cleaned as well.

The lint trap will capture a significant number of particles that blow out of the dryer, but some particles will work their way through the trap and will blow through the vent and air duct. Just as debris in your HVAC system’s air vents can accumulate in the ductwork and must be removed, the same holds true for your dryer vent and duct. Many homeowners overlook this important home maintenance step, and this oversight can be detrimental in several ways.

Consider that the air that passes through the dryer vent and duct is super-heated, and lint is highly combustible. Fires related to dryers and dirty ducts are unfortunately common, and they are entirely preventable. In addition to the risk of property damage and personal injury related to a fire, your dryer’s condition can also be impacted by a dirty vent or duct. When the vent or duct is filthy, the heated air cannot pass out of the home as efficiently as it needs to. This creates unnecessary wear on the dryer. Over time, this could lead to repair issues that otherwise could have been avoided. Energy costs may be higher than necessary because the dryer cannot operate efficiently. In addition, it could result in the need to replace the dryer much sooner than you otherwise would have had to.