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It makes it so much easier to do on your own. All you need it the kit and a vacuum. You can head over to Amazon to grab a dryer vent kit.
I have found this kit is totally worth the money to clean your dryer vent. When you use it regularly your clothes will dry faster. Plus, it will help your dryer last longer. It’s a win-win!
Step by Step DIY Dryer Vent Cleaning
Step 1: You will want to start by cleaning off the lint trap. Then vacuum around the lint trap and vent to get out what you can.
Step 2: After you have vacuumed that area take the lint trap vent brush and insert the brush into the lint trap vent as far as you can.
It is very flexible and takes a bit of maneuvering to make sure it goes in all of the way. Once you get it in, twist the handle of the brush while slowly removing it to trap the lint.
Step 3: Repeat if necessary.
If you have much lint on the brush I recommend repeating this step once more. You can see below I am not getting a lot off with the brush, but that is because so much lint was inside the vent.
Step 4: Once you have removed some of the lint with the brush you can use the vacuum hose attachment to really get in there and clean. This is where the magic happens!
I am always amazed at the amount of lint that the attachment removes.
It is very slow going, you need lots of patience to use the attachment. The attachment is very flat so it fits in the vent trap.
Unfortunately, if you have as much lint as I usually do in my trap you will need to repeat this step about 10-12 times.
Carefully feed the vacuum hose attachment into the trap. Attach to your vacuum and turn on the vacuum.
Most likely you will quickly hear it clog and need to remove it.
Remove it very carefully and pull the clog out and then repeat.
Step 5: Keep repeating the above step until all the lint is removed.
It takes a while, but you will be amazed by how much lint it removes. I sometimes spend 20-30 minutes doing this.
Check out all of the lint it removed below! It is crazy!! Make sure you clean your dryer lint catcher too!
Cleaning Dryer Vent Pipe
Once you feel like the vent trap is clean you can move on to the dryer vent duct behind your dryer. Dryer duct cleaning is pretty easy and doesn’t take a lot of time.
Use the large dryer vent duct brush to clean out the duct. Move it carefully spinning while you push it in.
Pull it out and remove the lint from the brush. If you find much lint on it repeat the step again. I never find too much lint in the duct. I think the majority of it was stuck in the dryer.
The first time I cleaned my dryer vent this way I was amazed at the difference it made in drying time.
My drying time of most of my clothes was cut in half. This not only saves me time but money too. I don’t have to spend as much on gas to dry my clothes.
By using the cleaning kit once a year I get a good amount of lint from it and don’t have the same dryer problems that I did before.
**UPDATE** I now clean my dryer vent every 3-6 months instead of once a year as I previously said.
I might be crazy, but I just got so much out every time I did it once a year. Plus, since I started doing this I have heard of too many house fires started by lint in the dryer vent.
Just to be safe I spend a little more time and keep it clean every few months.
This simple dryer vent cleaning hack is amazing!
Plus, it’s so much cheaper than paying someone to clean my dryer vents. You don’t need to be a big DIYer to do this DIY dryer vent cleaning.
Following these tips on how to clean your dryer vent like a pro will help save you money and time!
Common Questions
Can dryer vent cleaning be done by the homeowner with a kit?
Yes, it is easy to clean a dryer vent at home with a kit. You can pick up a kit on Amazon for cheap and clean your dryer vent in under an hour.
After years I had to replace my first dryer vent kit and I now use the Lint Lizard Dryer Vent Kit. You can see which kit I use here.
Why is my dryer so slow to dry clothes?
Your dryer vent can accumulate lint and over time this will clog your dryer and slow your drying time. Cleaning your dryer vent every 6 months or so will help keep your clothes drying fast and prevent a dryer fire.
Can a dryer really cause a house fire?
Yes, you should never run your dryer while you are sleeping or aren’t at home. Dryers can easily cause house fires. By using a kit every 6 months to clean a dryer vent you can prevent a dryer fire and keep your dryer from overheating.
