Dryer vents and ducts that are not regularly cleaned have the potential to start house fires, as well as damage your dryer, and increase your electric bill.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly 17,000 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year. These clothes dryer fires cause around 51 deaths, 380 injuries, and $236 million in property loss. Unsurprisingly, the leading cause of these fires, at 34%, is the failure to clean dryer vents.

How do you know when it’s time to have your dryer vents cleaned?

• Your dryer takes an unusually long time to dry your clothes. Even after multiple cycles, clothes may still be damp. If there isn’t anything wrong with the dryer, this can be a sign that the dryer vents are restricted and need to be cleaned.
• At the end of the dryer cycle, your clothes are very hot. This can be because the hot air that the dryer produces isn’t able to escape properly through clogged vents and backs up into the dryer.
• The outside, especially the top, of the dryer is very hot. This is often because the dryer is working too hard, trying to push air through vents that are clogged with lint.
• The dampers or flappers of the exhaust termination don’t open or barely open when the dryer is running. This can be because air is not traveling at all or very poorly through the vents.
• The laundry room starts to feel very warm or humid when the dryer is in use. The hot, damp air can’t escape through the vents, so it lingers in the laundry room.
• Moisture stains occur along the path of the dryer vent and exhaust. This can indicate that hot, moist air is escaping through the venting system, due to a blockage.
• You may notice excessive dust in the laundry room. This is because lint is getting backed up in the dryer vents and then blown back into the laundry room.
• The dryer may stop before the dry cycle is finished because it can’t properly vent the hot air, or the unit itself gets overheated.
• A burnt smell in the laundry room can indicate that lint is backed up. If you notice a burnt smell, you should have the dryer and dryer vents inspected right away, as this could cause a fire.

Cleaning your lint trap after each dryer cycle is a good way to extend the time when the dryer vent system should be professionally cleaned.  Even though the dryer lint trap is a good line of defense, it will not trap all lint or fine particulate that makes its way past the trap and sticks to the sidewalls of the duct system where over time, lint will continue to build up and clog the system.

If you notice any of the warning signs above, it is time to call the experts. Tru-Clean Surface Care has the expertise to examine, clean, and disinfect your dryer duct system.

Tru-Clean Surface Care is A+ Rated by the Better Business Bureau and a seven-year-in-a-row-winner of the coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award.  Our state-of-the-art video inspection and rotary cleaning services guarantee a lint-free dryer duct system.

For more information about our dryer vent cleaning services, please visit us online at www.TruCleanSurfaceCare.com or call us anytime at 239-541-4888.  We service all of Lee, Charlotte, and Collier County.