Dryer vent cleaning is an important part of annual house maintenance. It helps prolong the life of your dryer and prevents fires. Dryer fires are one of the leading causes of home fires in Canada.
In this article, we provide helpful safety tips for vent cleaning. Contact your local Toronto Dryer Vent Cleaning company for an estimate for professional cleaning for dryer vents today. In the meantime, use these tips for dryer vent safety.
How Often Is Dryer Vent Cleaning Needed?
Ideally, you should perform Toronto dryer vent cleaning at least once per year. However, if you use your dryer frequently, you might need to clean it more often or less often if you don’t use your dryer every day.
Below is a general guideline for how often you should clean your dryer vents:
- Dryer usage 1–2 times a week; clean your vents every other year.
- Dryer usage 3–4 times weekly; annual vent cleaning is fine.
- Dryer usage 8–10 times within a week; opt for dryer vent cleaning once every six months.
- For dryer usage 2+ times daily, it is ideal to clean your dryer vent every six months.
Dryer Vent Safety Tips
Never put anything with material that is flammable in the clothes dryer.
Take care that you never place any items in your dryer that have been in contact with anything flammable such as gas, cooking oils, and the like. While it is safe to place these things in the washer, they should never go in the dryer. The heat of the dryer may cause these items to ignite. As well, avoid drying anything with rubber or plastic.
Do not store flammable items anywhere near the clothes dryer.
Another important safety tip is to keep the area near the dryer free of anything flammable. This includes paint, cleaning products, chemicals, and clothing items/clothes baskets.
Don’t run the dryer overnight or while you are not home.
It is never a good idea to run the dryer while you are asleep or away from home. As dryer fires are one of the main causes of house fires, it is imperative that you do not run your clothes dryer without proper and attentive supervision.
Have an updated fire extinguisher handy.
Every home should contain at least one fire extinguisher, ideally one in the laundry room and one in the kitchen. Have one located in the laundry area in the event of a dryer or dryer vent fire. Be sure the fire extinguisher has not expired and is working properly.
Clean your dryer lint trap after every use.
The most common cause of dryer fires is lint buildup. Therefore, make sure to clean the lint trap every time you use your dryer. Remove the lint trap and clean. As well, clean the inside of the dryer to remove any excess dryer lint.
Schedule professional dryer vent cleaning as needed.
Cleaning the lint trap does not prevent dryer fires. The best defense against professional dryer vent cleaning as needed. Lint, dirt, and other debris get trapped in the dryer vents, which can lead to dryer fires if not removed.