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Dryer vent cleaning · fire prevention · annual
U.S. fire departments respond to about 2,900 clothes-dryer fires a year, and "failure to clean" is the leading cause. The lint screen is an every-load habit; the duct behind the dryer is a once-a-year job almost nobody remembers.
Hot, wet, lint-laden air leaves the drum, passes the lint screen (which catches most — not all — of the lint), runs through a short transition duct behind the machine, then through a rigid metal duct in the wall to an exterior hood with a flap. Every foot of that run, and especially every elbow, is a place for lint to settle.
Lint is engineered tinder: dry, fluffy, and packed next to a heating element pushing 130–150°F air. A restricted duct makes the dryer run longer and hotter, which dries the lint further, which restricts the duct more. That loop is why "failure to clean" leads the USFA's fire-cause table.
Cadence scales with laundry volume — daily-load households sit at the short end of every interval below.
| Nº | Task | Interval | Operator | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V-01 | Empty the lint screen | EVERY LOAD | ● DIY | Ten seconds. The screen catches most lint before it reaches the duct — but only if it's empty enough to breathe. |
| V-02 | Clean the full duct run | 1×/YR6–8 mo for daily loads | ● DIY OR PRO | Brush kit and vacuum from the dryer to the hood. This is the job that addresses the USFA's leading fire factor directly. |
| V-03 | Check the exterior hood | SEASONAL | ● DIY | The flap should swing free and shut clean. Lint beard, stuck flap, or a nest means the duct is exhaling through a straw. |
| V-04 | Vacuum behind & under the dryer | 1×/YR | ● DIY | Lint that never made it to the screen collects around the motor and burner intake. |
| V-05 | Replace foil/plastic transition duct | ONCE | ● DIY OR PRO | Sagging foil catches lint in every fold and burns through in a fire. Semi-rigid metal is a one-time, $20 fix. |
This is the one sheet where the failure mode isn't a repair bill:
Clothes-dryer fires in residential buildings reported to U.S. fire departments each year, per the U.S. Fire Administration — causing an estimated 5 deaths and 100 injuries annually.
Share of those fires where "failure to clean" was the leading contributing factor — the largest single cause, per the USFA.
Estimated annual property loss from dryer fires, per the USFA — which also notes incidence peaks in January.
Average professional duct cleaning ($100–$200 typical), per HomeGuide, 2026 — or a $25 brush kit and an hour.
Gas dryers: never strain the gas connector when moving the machine, and if you smell gas, stop and call. Roof-terminated vents are ladder-plus-roof work — that's a pro visit.
Every-load screen habit, seasonal hood checks, and brushing a short ground-level duct run are homeowner jobs.
Dryers are heavy and gas connectors are fragile. Move slowly, never crush the duct behind, and mind the floor.
Runs over ~15 feet or with multiple elbows, roof-terminated vents, and anything involving the gas line. Stop and call.
The full duct run at least once a year — every 6–8 months for households doing daily loads. The lint screen is every load, no exceptions.
No. The folds catch lint, the sag traps it, and neither survives a fire. Replace it with semi-rigid or rigid metal — it's about $20 and one afternoon.
A lot. Shorter and straighter is better; each 90° elbow restricts flow roughly like adding five feet of pipe. Long, kinked runs clog faster and dry slower.
Never. You'd be pumping moisture, lint, and (for gas dryers) combustion byproducts into the house. Dryers vent to daylight, full stop.
USFA data shows incidence peaking in January — more drying, heavier loads, and colder ducts condensing moisture that makes lint stick.
No. TextMyHouse sends SMS reminders timed to your household's pace — so the annual clean happens before the towels start taking two cycles.
Reviewed 2026-06-11. When this sheet and your manual disagree, the manual wins.
TextMyHouse texts you when each task is due for your home — your laundry pace, your season, your climate. 30 days free, $5/month after, cancel anytime.
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