DIRTY or blocker dryer vents can cause irreparable damage to your unit or home if not cleaned properly.

Frequently cleaning your dryer vent will allow your unit to work at maximum performance level and will create fewer issues down the road.

If you want to properly clean your dryer vent, you'll need the following items:

Follow these steps to successfully clean out your dryer vent:

In order to avoid building up lint in your dryer, you should take some precautions including:

A clean dryer vent is essential to the overall functionality of the machine.

If it isn't regularly cleaned and maintained, the lint buildup can cause your dryer to work harder to dry your clothes, increasing your electricity bill.

Lint buildup is highly flammable and is also the leading cause of dryer fires, accounting for 3k house fires in the US each year, according to KY3 News.

Whitney Weaver, the Assistant Fire Chief for the Nixa Fire Department in Missouri told KY3: “It’ll just start to light off and smoke and smolder.”

She advised cleaning your dryer vents at least once per year, although depending on how much laundry you do, you may need to clean it more frequently.

Keith Ostrander, with Cook’s Appliances, told the outlet: “Appliances are very safe to use as long as we’re using them the way they’re designed."

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