Utilizing your dryer happens almost daily, and it is needed to help you have clean and quality clothes. In order to keep it working properly, you need to clean your dryer vent inside the dryer and the one that winds out of your home. Removing lint and dust build-up will help you dry your clothes faster and limit major fire hazards in your home.
Sierra Vista Maintenance offers thorough dryer cleaning to help make your home safer, lower utility bills, and limit fire risk. Our team is trained to handle even the worst dryer vent situations.
1- Your Clothes Take Longer To Dry
One of the key signs that you need to clean your dryer vent is that your clothes take multiple cycles to dry. Cleaning out your dryer vent will help moisture to escape faster and make your clothes dry in just one cycle. If you are having to redry your clothes multiple times, the culprit could be your dryer vent.
2- Musty Smells On Your Clothes
Noticing musty smells just out of the dryer or your clothes smell sour, is another sign that you need to clean your dryer vent. If you put these clothes away before they are dry, the musty smell can linger and become much worse. Cleaning your dryer vent and rewashing the clothes will help eliminate the smell from your entire home.
3- Burning Smells In Your Home
While some older heaters and homes can have burning smells, if you smell fire or burning while drying clothes, your dryer vent needs to be cleaned and maybe even replaced. If you have let your dryer vent go without cleaning for a long time, the clogs may be too hard to fully remove. Avoiding a fire in your home is the ultimate goal of quality dryer vent cleaning.
4- Excessive Lint
Clinging lint on your clothes is something that is bound to happen when washing and drying, but if large clumps of lint are clinging to your clothes, this could be a sign that it had nowhere to go and stuck to your damp clothes instead. Your dryer vent may not be able to hold any more debris and needs to be removed before it works.
5- You Haven’t Had It Cleaned In A While
Asking yourself if it is time to clean your dryer vent is probably a good indicator that you need to schedule a service. Dryer vents that have not been cleaned in over a year are due for a good cleaning. Life does happen and people get busy, but contacting Sierra Vista Maintenance can limit your fire risk and help improve your dryer quickly.
While your dryer may keep working and seem normal, cleaning out the lint and build-up will eliminate hidden problems.
6- The Laundry Room Is Hot
The laundry room should stay the same regulated temperature no matter how many clothes you dry. If the room is getting hotter than the rest of the house your dryer vent could be clogged. If the room is really hot, this can be a red flag when it comes to the probability that a fire could occur in your home. If you have noticed this sign, don’t fret, just refrain from drying clothes until you can schedule a thorough dryer vent service. Clean your dryer vent as soon as you notice any concerning signs in your home.
7- Your Vent Hood Is Damaged
Located outside your home, your dryer vent hood helps keep out critters and outside debris from entering the dryer vent. If you notice that the hood is hard to move, has been dented, or is stuck, this could mean that the hood is obstructed by debris. If it has been damaged by outside forces, getting it replaced could make cleaning much easier.
The hood and vent should look completely clear. When you can see debris or only a narrow opening to the dryer vent, it is time to clean!
8- The Lint Flap Doesn’t Open
When your dryer is in use, the outside lint flap should open. If the flap doesn’t open when the dryer is running this means that airflow is restricted through the vent and the lint buildup is causing blocked airflow. If small lint pieces or dust are coming out of the lint flap, you need to clean your dryer vent as soon as possible.
Dryer Vent Cleaning With Sierra Vista Maintenance
Having your dryer vent cleaned annually is the best practice to keep your home safe. Sierra Vista Maintenance recommends once-a-year cleanings because preventing housefires, drying your clothes quickly, and keeping your home energy efficient are all benefits of proper dryer cleaning.
While your vents are meant to catch lint, dust, and debris, cleaning them out will improve the functionality of your dryer. Burning smells or musty clothes are concerning, so contact our team to improve your dryer vent today!