7 Reasons to Get Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning

Have you ever had to hang your laundry out on a clothesline to dry? If you have, you know that an automatic clothes dryer is a modern convenience that's well worth having. However, most people don't realize that their machine requires something to keep functioning safely and efficiently: dryer vent cleaning.

Failure to have your dryer vent cleaned out regularly may have serious consequences. That ventilation is essential for more than just drying, and there are important safety considerations that you should consider when you’re thinking about dryer vent cleaning.

Luckily, there's a simple solution for keeping your loved ones safe and your laundry dry—call Mr. Handyman of Arlington, Mansfield and Grapevine! Our professionals are very experienced and have helped many local homeowners. We can get even the longest and most twisty vent hose clean as a whistle! Not sure if you need dryer vent cleaning? We’re also here to help with useful information just for you.

How Do I Know If My Dryer Vent Needs to be Cleaned?

Before we dive into the reasons you need a vent cleaning service, let's go over the signs that your drying machine is crying out for help. Your ventilation hose or pipe needs to be cleaned if:

• Laundry is damp at the end of one cycle
• It takes more than about 30 to 45 minutes to dry a load of laundry
• Fabric gives off a lot of heat when you take it out of the dryer
• After drying, clothes have a musty smell
• There's visible lint and debris around the ventilation hole opening
• It's been more than a year since it was last cleaned

Dryer ventilation systems need to be cleaned annually for most households, but larger families—meaning more laundry—may need cleaning as frequently as every six months.

Why You Need Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning

There are seven main reasons why your tumble-dry appliance needs annual maintenance, and they range from crucially important to nice-to-have.

1. It Greatly Reduces House Fire Risk

We mentioned above that annual ventilation maintenance can actually protect the safety of your family and home, and here's how: dryer lint is supposed to collect in the lint trap, while the ventilation hose is used to rid the machine of moisture and hot air. But over time, lint, dust, and even dryer sheets make their way into the hose, lining it with highly flammable lint buildup. One tiny, otherwise harmless electrical spark can send flames raging through your home.

Unfortunately, this happens a lot more than most people realize. About 2,900 dryer vent fires are reported in the U.S. every year, resulting in an estimated five deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss annually.

Because of how horribly devastating the damages of a house fire can be, this is by far the most critical reason to keep those ducts clear of lint. Ventilation fires can be among the most destructive because the flames run along the wall duct, igniting the timber of your home from inside the walls on multiple levels of the building. Aside from regular cleanings, you can help reduce the fire hazard by emptying your lint screen after every load.

2. Save Money

Saving money isn't as important as saving lives, but it's still a pretty nice benefit. When your ventilation is clogged up with lint and other debris, the airflow is reduced and your machine has to work much harder to dry your laundry. The harder it works, the more energy it uses—and the more you pay on your energy bill.

3. Save Time

While it still doesn't take as much time as the good old clothesline, it's a hassle to have to keep running the dryer over and over again to get your clothes dry, or just to have to wait for an hour (or sometimes more) for the machine to finish its cycle. Because it can run much more efficiently when it has access to proper airflow, drying laundry will go a lot faster—and when you have a mountain of laundry to get through, that's a plus.

4. Keep Your Dryer Working

Your drying machine can only take so much abuse before it just gives up. Annual ventilation cleaning will prolong its life, possibly by years, meaning you can replace it later, not sooner. A little regular maintenance is a lot less expensive and aggravating than buying a new dryer every couple of years.

5. Preserve Your Clothing

Drying can be hard on your clothing. The heat causes fibers in the cloth to break down, making your clothes a little more stretched and worn than before. Because it works faster and more efficiently with a clean duct, your clothes will spend less time being tumbled around and the wear and tear will be reduced, keeping your wardrobe looking greater for longer.

6. Reduce Allergens

If you have dust allergies, this will be one of the most important reasons to keep your drying ventilation clear of lint, dust, and other debris. A dirty vent traps allergens inside your ducts, and over time they can seep back into the rest of your home, causing the misery of sneezing, congestion, and other unpleasant allergy symptoms.

7. Reduce the Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

An electric dryer doesn't have this hazard, but if you have a gas dryer, this is another significant safety risk. Gas-powered machines create carbon monoxide, which is safely vented out through the ductwork—unless you have a clogged dryer vent. The clog prevents the carbon monoxide from exiting your home, leaving your family vulnerable to fatal carbon monoxide poisoning. That said, clean ventilation is even more critical for those with a gas dryer.

Trust Mr. Handyman with Your Dryer Vent Cleaning

Don't risk the safety of your family and home while throwing away money and time! Have the experts at Mr. Handyman of Arlington and Northwest Mansfield take care of your machine's ventilation ductwork, so you can rest easy.

While we’re at your home, why not take care of your other maintenance and repairs with any of our many additional handyman services? We’re your one-call solution for repairs, maintenance, and home remodeling.

Give us a call today to make an appointment, or fill out our request service form, and we'll be at your door with a smile to give you peace of mind. We proudly serve Arlington, Mansfield, Grapevine, and many nearby areas.