7 Advantages of Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning

You might not think about it much, but drying clothes, linens, and bedding is a large part of life. A residential dryer goes to work anywhere from two to 10 times a week and collects a great deal of lint in the process.

Some of this lint ends up in the dryer's lint filter. Unfortunately, a good deal of it ends up in the dryer vent that leads outside.

This, of course, can cause problems over time, as the lint can block the passage of exhausted air. For this reason, it's wise to have a Dallas handyman professional dryer vent cleaning from time to time.

Curious as to the advantages of a professional dryer vent cleaning? Then keep reading because we'll review 7 of them below.

The Benefits of Using Dryer Vent Cleaning Services

In truth, you shouldn't look at cleaning your dryer vent as an option. It's a necessity, as it offers the following benefits.

1. Reduce the Risk of Dryer Fires

Did you know that the lint in your dryer has the capability to catch on fire? If it does catch on fire, it can burn your entire house down.

In fact, in the United States, from 2010 to 2014, fire departments responded to an average of 15,970 fires a year that were caused by either dryers or their neighboring washing machines. So, in other words, this is quite a legitimate concern.

Want to reduce the risk of dryer fires in your home? You have to have your dryer vent cleaned.

By removing the lint and other buildups from your dryer vent, you leave nothing for sparks to catch. If a spark has nothing to catch, it won't start a fire; it's as simple as that.

2. Save Energy

Over time, dryer vents collect more and more dust and debris. As this dust and debris accumulates, it leaves less room through which exhausted air can travel. As a result, the dryer must work harder and harder in order to stay operational.

This, of course, results in a greater expenditure of energy. So, if you want to save as much energy as possible, you need to clean out your dryer vent. A cleared dryer vent will allow exhausted air to travel freely, placing no undue strain upon the dryer itself and requiring no additional energy.

There's no telling just how much money vent cleaning will save you on your energy bills. Make note, however, that it's almost sure to be greater than what you'll spend on a professional dryer cleaning.

3. Reduce Wear and Tear On Your Dryer

As was noted above, the dirtier a dryer vent is, the harder its adjoining dryer has to work. The harder a dryer has to work, the more wear and tear it will suffer.

In order for your dryer to run optimally, you should have your dryer vent cleaned at least once yearly. If you have a larger-than-average household (for example, more than 5 people), you might want to consider a cleaning every six to nine months.

4. Allow for Faster Drying Times

The more lint that a dryer vent collects, the less efficiently the dryer will run. Sure, it will still get the job done, but it will take much more energy in order to do so.

But it's not only wasting energy. It will take more time as well. In fact, in some cases, it could prevent clothes or bedding from being dried fully in a single cycle. This may force you to monitor your dryer carefully and run it in quick succession—for if you fail to do so, your clothes and bedding may take on a musty odor and dingy appearance.

Don't want to monitor your dryer for several hours straight? No problem. Just have your dryer vent cleaned instead, and you'll be able to forget about your wash load until the end of the day.

5. Keep Your Clothing Looking Good Longer

Every time your clothing is thrown into the dryer, it loses a small fraction of its quality. This is because heat deteriorates the small fibers within the clothing, causing it to become stretched and worn.

Now, there isn't much you can do to prevent this from happening (short of foregoing a dryer entirely) but there is something you can do to slow down the process. Namely, you can clean your dryer vent on a regular basis.

As was noted above, a dirty dryer vent makes for an inefficient dryer. An inefficient dryer has to run longer than an efficient dryer. So, when clothing gets thrown into an inefficient dryer, your clothes are subject to more wear and tear per drying session. In other words, they are meeting an early demise.

The fix is simple. Just have your dryer vent cleaned. Your local handyman can help you with the task.

6. Keep Allergens at Bay

One of the issues with a dirty dryer vent is that it traps water from wet clothing. Once this water is trapped, it attracts all sorts of allergens from mold to dust and much, much more.

Unfortunately, over time, these allergens can spread to the rest of your home. Should you breathe them in, you could very well develop a cough, a rash, congestion, or another similar symptom.

You don't want to live your life in an allergy den. Have your dryer vent cleaned entirely and you'll be able to breathe easy.

7. Eliminate Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Do you use a gas dryer as opposed to an electrical one? If so, you have yet another reason to have your dryer vent cleaned: carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gas dryers produce carbon monoxide; given that they're attached to dryer vents, they're able to dispose of this carbon monoxide—unless, of course, those dryer vents are clogged. If the dryer vent is clogged, the carbon monoxide could back up into the dryer and be released into the home, creating a dangerous environment for everyone living there.

Carbon monoxide is not something you want to mess around with. In fact, it can be fatal. So, be sure to have that dryer vent cleaned every year or so. Your life could depend on it.

How Often Should You Have Your Dryer Vent Cleaned Professionally?

We've discussed the advantages of professional dryer vent cleaning. Now, you're probably wondering: how often should you have your dryer vent cleaned professionally?

Generally speaking, it's wise to schedule a cleaning once a year. This is for a normal-sized household consisting of about two to five people.

However, if your household is on the larger side or if you do a greater than average amount of laundry, you should think about increasing your cleaning schedule to every 6 to 9 months. You'd be surprised at how much more laundry residue a few more family members can create.

How Do You Find Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning Services?

Looking for a company to come and clean your dryer vent? Here's how to go about finding one.

Search on Google

First and foremost, you should search on Google. Type "dryer vent cleaning services near me" into the search box for a list of services in your area.

Then, use the star ratings and customer reviews beside them to decide on which services are the best. We recommend choosing services with a minimum of a 4-star rating.

Note: many handymen have the ability to clean dryer vents. As such, you might consider searching for handymen in your area as well.

Ask Your Friends

While Google will certainly be able to provide you with a fair share of viable candidates, you shouldn't stop at asking Google. You should ask your friends and family as well.

After all, if they own homes, they've almost certainly had someone in to clean their dryer vents before. Ask if they know of any good cleaning services and make a note of them.

A recommendation from a friend or family member can feel much more credible than a recommendation from strangers online.

Ask About Experience

You don't want an inexperienced individual cleaning out your dryer vent. You want to hire someone who has completed the task before, and preferably, someone who has completed the task hundreds or thousands of times.

For this reason, when perusing different services in your area, you need to ask about experience. Make sure that the service you choose has at least two years of experience in the field. Generally, this is a sufficient period of time for honing necessary skills and perfecting working processes.

Inquire About Insurance

When you hire someone to clean your dryer vent, you are inviting that person into your home. Unfortunately, this puts that person in a position to cause damage to your home.

To protect yourself, you need to ensure that the service you hire has insurance. If a service provider has insurance, they will generally have no problem covering the damage that may be done to clients' homes. If they don't have insurance, there's a chance the service provider may fight you tooth and nail over money.

Another thing you'll want to consider is workers getting injured on your property. If this occurs, you could be held liable. So, you'll want to make sure the company has insurance for that as well.

In particular, look out for general liability and workers' compensation insurance. The first will cover damages to your property while the latter will cover injuries to workers. Make sure to see proof of both. Any reputable service will be glad to provide you with this proof.

Get Estimates

Not all dryer vent cleaning services are going to charge the same thing for their services. In fact, there can be quite a bit of variation in price. So, before hiring anyone, you need to obtain estimates.

Any reputable professional will provide you with an estimate when you ask for one. If a company refuses to provide you with an estimate, you should avoid it entirely.

When comparing your estimates, keep an eye out for estimates that are much lower than the others. If an estimate is remarkably low, it could be indicative of poor service.

Speak on the Phone

We also recommend speaking on the phone with the candidates on your list. This way, you can get a feel for the legitimacy of the business, and decide for yourself whether or not they will be able to get the job done.

Speaking on the phone isn't the end-all and be-all. However, a business should be able to demonstrate professionalism and quality service through a phone conversation. If they aren't acting professionally over the phone, you can't expect them to act professionally on the job either.

Make Sure There's an Actual Business Property

The last thing you'll want to do is ensure that the service has an actual business property. This is the best way to avoid scams, as business properties almost always indicate legitimacy.

Note, the property doesn't have to be anything elaborate. Some cleaners work out of their homes and use their home address as their business address. This is sufficient.

Need Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning in Dallas?

What do you think? Looking to have your dryer vent cleaned professionally? Need professional dryer vent cleaning in Dallas? If so, the experts at Mr. Handyman are the people to see.

Our team is well-versed in the cleaning of dryer vents and will ensure that yours is ready for action. We look forward to helping you.