As a home inspector, I always advise homeowners to perform dryer vent cleaning every year. Generally, the dryer vent is full of lint and therefore needs thorough cleaning. Although this can be understood since most people think that the lint screen in the dryer catches all the lint, this is not true. It is estimated that about 3000 houses each year catch fire, with the dryer vent being the main cause. The reason for this is that lint is, in fact, highly flammable, and a buildup of heat can cause it to catch fire. Some signs that your dryer vents are not clean are:

Dryer vent cleaning is quick and easy for the average homeowner to do. If you have access to a drill and the back of the dryer, it’s a 15-minute job. All you need to buy is a vent cleaning kit, which runs about $15 at your local hardware store. These kits typically come in 12ft lengths, so if your vent discharges on the roof, you may need to clean it from both ends. It’s helpful to have a vacuum ready to catch all the lint as it starts to come out of the vent. Next, simply follow the instructions on the cleaning kit, and your dryer vent will be clean in no time. If you do this once a year as part of a home maintenance program, you can help protect your home from fires and extend the life of your dryer.