Dryers are mostly taken for granted, like most technological advancements which make our daily lives a bit better. In the past, washed clothes were dried for days on a line in the garden or cellar. Today, this task is easily accomplished in less than 40 minutes. However, if the dryer isn’t regularly cleaned and maintained, you might have to go back in time and invest in some clotheslines.
You asked: How important is cleaning your dryer vents? And we answer: Very important! To get more insight, check out this list of dangerous side-effects of an unclean dryer vent:

Toxic Gases!

Most dryers are gas-operated and these contain small amounts of carbon monoxide. If the dryer isn’t properly vented or if it’s clogged, this harmful gas can back up and release itself right into your laundry room. The worst case scenario is carbon monoxide poisoning whose symptoms are: nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

Fire!

When functioning, dryers reach extremely high temperatures. If the vent isn’t clean or if some part of the dryer is loose and dysfunctional, your dryer will immediately become a fire source. In the United States, there have been 16,800 recorded dryer fires. It may sound silly to some, but the dryer is a bigger fire hazard than candles (15,600). To avoid this dangerous side-effect, inspect and clean the dryer at least 2 times a year.

Pests

Unclean and moldy areas are the perfect environments for pests nesting. When the vents aren’t cleaned for a long time, debris and dust start building up inside them. After debris comes to mold and after mold – pests. Have in mind that these maleficent creatures leave feces and bacteria behind and imagine what happens to your clothes when they are put in a dryer filled with insect feces.

Higher Bills!

If your dryer is working slower than usual, it is most probably clogged. However, it is still trying to get the job done and it succeeds – barely. To increase its functionality it uses more electrical power as an energy boost. And with every additionally used Wat for drying up your clothing, a sum is added to your electrical bill. Cleaning the lint after every usage reduces your electrical spending to 30%.

Damaged Clothing!

Last but not least is damaged clothing! We have mentioned that pesticides and mold can contaminate your underwear, socks, and jackets with bacteria of the worst kind. But what else can happen to them? Well, if the dryer is clogged or dysfunctional in any way, the process will last much longer than 40 minutes. This really destroys the fabric and cuts its lifespan in half! Using a dryer already damages clothing more than line-drying, so try to keep damage to a minimum with simple clean up, at least 2 times a year.

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