Regular care of your laundry drier ensures it keeps functioning efficiently and prevents you from possible dangers associated with driers that are not maintained. This article walks you through the steps of maintaining your dryer.
Thought it’s just your portable washing machine that needs care and maintenance? Even the dryer needs proper maintenance to keep working properly and last long.
When you use your drier to dry your clothes, there is lint build up in the lint trap and dryer vents, something which could cause a fire outbreak.
Failing to clean the drier could also bring you unnecessary extra-financial costs. Imagine your laundry drier failing while customers are waiting for their clothes to be delivered?
Or failing when you need to wear the clothes you just laundered to a meeting or another important event.
Well, that’s how serious it can be, and that is why you need to take care of your drier by regularly servicing it.
Maintaining your drier is not a very hard task. Actually, it involves very simple steps that when followed properly, the drier will continue to function efficiently.
So, what are the steps involved in cleaning a laundry drier? Basically, there are 3 main steps to cleaning a laundry drier.
These are:
- Cleaning the lint filter and the lint screen
Before every batch of clothes are put in the drier, it is recommended that the lint filter be cleaned. Lint is the softy airy covering that stays on the screen.
Cleaning the lint from the screen involves gently scrapping it off then disposing it. It is important to never allow lint to pile on the screen.
Most laundry drier owners are aware of the possible outcomes of allowing lint to build up such as fire outbreak, increased electrical bills, and slow drying of clothes.
Removing the lint prevents you from these dangers and ensures that your drier operates smoothly and efficiently even in the time to come.
- Wiping the external parts of the drier regularly
Apart from taking care of the inside of the drier, it is also very important to ensure the outside surfaces of the drier are also taken care of.
During the operation of the drier, there could be the pile up of the soap used. This normally occurs when you place your just-washed clothes on top of the drier before putting them inside it. Cleaning the outside of the drier on a regular basis helps remove this soap pile up and should be done at least once a month.
This cleaning can be done using a damp rag or by using a cleaning chemical reagent stored in a bottle. During cleaning, some people tend to forget the lid of the drier. Make sure you also clean the lid.
- Cleaning the exhaust vent
If you want to increase the time with which your clothes dry up or reduce power bills, then consider cleaning up the vent.
Vent cleaning is an important process in the drier maintenance routine. Lint can get stuck in the drier vent thereby increasing the possibilities of a fire outbreak. Also, debris stuck on the vent prevents air flow to the drier thereby increasing clothes drying time, causing overheating of the drier, and may make the drier to malfunction.
It is good to clean the exhaust vent at least once per year. But this totally depends on how regularly you use it.
Most steps involved in vent cleaning are pretty straightforward.
However, if you feel that you cannot be able to clean it efficiently by yourself because maybe you are not good with it, then it is important to seek the services of a professional cleaning company to clean and maintain the drier for you.
Wondering how it is done? Here are some few steps involved in the general cleaning of the drier and the exhaust vent.
- Turn off and unplug the drier – Unplug your drier from the main socket to cut off power supply and avoid being electrocuted while performing the cleaning. For those who have a gas dryer, it is recommended to turn off the gas before beginning the process.
If by any chance you could not be knowing how to turn off the gas, DO NOT RISK! Instead, contact the gas company or a qualified professional to do it for you.
- Pull out dryer and move it away from the wall – Pull out the drier and remove the vent clamp in order to access the vent duct. The clamp normally connects the drier to the wall and you may have to disconnect it with the drier.
You will have to use a screw driver to remove the clamp and depending on the type of the clamp, it might require releasing or squeezing.
After accomplishing this, then comes the time for inspection. Check the vent piping for any mechanical damage such as cracks, or any other type of weakening and decide whether to continue using it or replace it with a new one.
- Check for and remove clogs in the vent – Inspect for stuck debris that can be hand-removed. Note, it is important to take precaution of sharp objects that could be in the vent.
To protect your hand, consider putting on gloves. To clean the deeper inside of the vent, you will need a vacuum cleaner brush to get out lint remains.
If you do not have one, you can purchase it from hardware and home stores.
- Check for and remove clogs from exterior vent – Remember taking care of inside alone is not enough.
That’s why, the exterior vent also needs to be inspected. Go outside the house and check the exterior vent opening closest to your home roof.
If the exterior vent is covered with debris, remove the debris and dispose it off somewhere appropriate.
- Connect the vent back to the drier – Get back to the house and connect the vent to the drier by fastening the clamp.
- Turn on power supply and turn on the drier – Power on the drier and let it run for a few minutes as you check the external vent for any debris that may still be deposited on the vent.
Final Word
One thing I have seen many people do is getting a portable washing machine that comes with a dryer unit attached. This is extremely convenient for those living in a small house or apartment. It also works great for RV.
Why? Because it saves money to buy a 2-in-1 portable washing machine and dryer combo than to purchase two separate units. Besides, it saves lots of space. And there’s one more thing – it’s easier to care for a 2-in-1 portable washer and dryer than to maintain two separate units.
Oh, and before I go, here is one critical care tip you want to always keep in mind – never put dry garments or very dirty clothes in the dryer. It is meant for wet but clean clothes.