Spring is the time for “cleaning.” Many things are on the list, rugs, cupboards, closets, the exterior of the home and many others. If you are like me and my wife, you may also be changing out your winter flannel sheets for lighter summer sheets. Obviously, these will need to be laundered and put away until the next winter season. You may also have an overall “uptick,” like us, in the amount of laundry you are doing during this time. While we are in the middle of these tasks, we may forget one particularly important item that should be included on our Spring-cleaning list, the dryer vent ducts. The dryer vent ducts, from the dryer to the wall or floor, and the main duct will over time accumulate lint. While the lint screen on the dryer does do an excellent job in collecting much of the lint, it does not catch all of it. This is where regular maintenance or cleaning should be included on your to do list. If you have noticed an increase in the amount of time it takes to dry your clothes or had to run a cycle twice, it may not be your dryer, but a duct line clogged with lint. Also, if it has been more than a year, or you have never had your dryer duct cleaned, it may be time to complete the task. A clean duct line will improve efficiency, cut your drying time, reduce utility costs, and most importantly reduce the risk of fire.
