PORTLAND, OR – When they say that laundry is the real never-ending story, they are right on the nose. Whether you live by yourself or with five other people, you likely know the struggle of staying on top of managing laundry. Maybe you are good enough at cycling it through the washer and dryer, but you never get to folding. Or maybe you find time to fold okay, but something about hang ups is too much and those end up getting left in a disheveled ball at the bottom of the laundry basket.
If you do any amount of laundry on a regular basis, the washer and dryer are two vital parts of your week. Having clean clothes to wear, clean sheets to use, and clean towels in the bathroom is a good feeling… a feeling that many of us want to protect at all costs.
As with anything in our home, did you realize that your dryer requires maintenance to function at its best? During the process of drying, heat is cycled through the machine while a fan blows, allowing heated air, lint, and moisture out of the machine and into the dryer vent. As you continue to use your dryer, the amount of lint and debris in the vent can build up, which is why professional dryer vent cleaning is important!
What is a dryer vent?
You may know what a dryer vent looks like, but there’s more to it than that! A dryer vent can vary in shape and size, but its function is the same. If you could see through walls, you would notice a tube running from your clothes dryer to the exterior of your home. Some dryer vents are as long as 35 feet , while others are as short as three feet. Regardless of how long it is, there is potential for eventual clogging, which will greatly reduce the effectiveness of your dryer as well as create an eventual fire hazard.
What are signs the dryer vent needs cleaned
There are a couple telltale signs that your dryer vent might be in need of a professional clean. Sooner Cleaning + Restoration came up with a list of a few:
The dryer is taking multiple cycles to dry the clothes: This one seems like a no-brainer! If you aren’t getting dry clothes after a 45 minute cycle, that’s a typical symptom of a dryer vent needing a clean.
When you take the clothes out, they are extremely hot: No, this doesn’t mean your dryer is doing an extra good job. What’s happening? The fan is trying to blow the heated air out through a vent that is clogged, so the heated air is trapped in the dryer. An easy way to tell if your vent is clogged is to go to the external end and see if you can feel any air coming out.
The room is warmer than normal when the dryer is running: Hot air trapped in your dryer = hot air going into your home.
You smell something burning when you run the dryer: Lint is flammable, and dryers run fairly hot in order to get your clothes nice and dry. If you are smelling a burning smell whenever you are drying your clothes, we’d recommend calling a professional dryer vent cleaner as soon as possible.
How do you clean a dryer vent?
We clean dryer vents by inserting an air compressor hose that goes up the vent and blasts any existing lint towards the output as we retrieve the hose. The debris is brought back to our truck mounted machine.
The difficulty of cleaning a dryer vent can vary depending on where the output is, if it has any clogs that need to be removed, how long the venting is, and if the dryer or dryer vent is easily accessible or removeable. A vent that is on the third story, for example, will pose more of a challenge than a dryer vent that outputs at ground level on the side of your home.
With 15+ years of dryer vent cleaning under our belts, we’ve overcome a wide variety of challenges. We have helped remove not just clogs, but other miscellaneous items such as dead animals, construction debris, and household items.
How often should I have my dryer vent cleaned?
Typically, dryer vents should be cleaned at least once a year. Making sure that your dryer vent is free of build up is a great way to maximize the efficiency of your dryer and reduce the risk of a fire hazard.
Can I clean my dryer vent myself?
To maximize the end result, it’s always best to call in a professional. At A+ Carpet Cleaning, we even reduce dryer vent cleaning if we are already there cleaning your air ducts, so it’s a win-win! If you utilize the wrong method or tool on your dryer vent, you may do more harm than good. Particularly when you have a long vent or are already having difficulties with your dryer, we’d highly recommend letting us help you using our commercial-grade equipment and years of professional experience.
When should I clean my dryer vent?
You can have your dryer vent cleaned any day of the year—Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall! Though we’ll be in a rainy season for a little while longer, that doesn’t have to prevent you from taking care of your dryer and taking care of your home. You can give us a call at 503-314-7453.
A+ Carpet Cleaning – Portland
2885 NW 111th Ct, Portland, OR 97229
(503) 314-7453
https://www.carpetcleanerportland.com/
continue reading
Related Posts
PORTLAND, OR – By the time April comes around in the PNW, everyone is ready for Summer. The idea of blue skies, warm evenings, long days… Summer has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, it’s about this time of year […]
PORTLAND, OR – It’s hard not to love the smell of fresh. Fresh food. Fresh cut grass. Freshly rained on pavement. Fresh laundry is also a wonderful smell, especially when you remember what it was like before you ran it […]
PORTLAND, OR – Are you new to the world of professional air duct cleaning? If so, you are not alone! HVAC maintenance easily falls to the bottom of many homeowner’s priority list. If you are purchasing a home, you might […]