In a Reddit post about dryer lint traps, a homeowner pointed out a peculiar hobby: “I collect [laundry lint] and use it to get the fire going in my fireplace. It’s highly flammable.” While this may come in handy for fireplace owners, this also should be a reminder to everyone who uses a clothes dryer: If the dryer duct is not cleaned out consistently, it is a fire hazard in a home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2010-2014, U.S. fire departments were called for approximately 15,970 home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines each year. The number one reason those dryer fires started was due to dust, fiber or lint. If you find that your clothes are startlingly hot after drying, taking longer than usual to dry or the machine randomly shuts down, these are (easily avoidable) hints that you need to clean your dryer ducts.

Dryer Fires Can Be Fatal

While it’d be nice to believe that becoming a stickler for cleaning the lint trap is all that’s needed for clothes dryer maintenance, it’s not. Unfortunately, even the most dutiful lint trap cleaner still can be at risk of a dryer fire. How? If the dryer ducts aren’t cleaned efficiently (and annually), then dust and lint can collect in each machine. More advanced dryers have a signal to let homeowners know when there’s a duct blockage. But like tire pressure lights on a car, some can be sensitive and end up lighting up all the time.

However, ignoring the light altogether is not the way to go. An NFPA spokesperson confirmed dryer fires were responsible for seven deaths, 344 civilian injuries and $233 million in property damage annually. The only positive news to come from this is that home deaths appear to be coming down from 24,100 dryer fires in 1980 to 15,050 in 2014. Although the majority of home fires are linked to cooking (49%) by 2022, that 4% of clothes dryer fires in the past couple of years could be even lower if dryer maintenance was prioritized.

Difference Between Dryer Vents and Dryer Ducts

While the terms may be used interchangeably, the outside opening where the air exits is the dryer vent. Meanwhile, the dryer duct is a tube (or pipe) that carries the air from the dryer to the outside vent. Both the dryer vent and dryer duct should be cleaned at least once per year (and ideally two times per year). Dryer ducts should never be blocked by any kind of home remodeling or construction and labeled in accordance with state law.

Installation manuals and warranty paperwork will usually document Underwriters Laboratories’ UL 2158A, which is the standard (as of 2006) for flexible transition ducts that connect a dryer to an exhaust vent. This applies to gas and electric dryers, and the ducts can handle heat anywhere from 284 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

How To Clean Dryer Vents and Dryer Ducts

If you have a pair of old pantyhose you don’t want and a leaf blower, you can get a quick idea of how much lint is stuck in your dryer duct fairly fast. Here are a few steps before you get to that point though.

1. Unplug your dryer.
2. Slowly pull your dryer away from the wall.
3. Disconnect the dryer duct from the dryer vent.
4. Vacuum surface areas of the dryer. The back of the clothes dryer may have a considerable amount of dust and lint, especially if it has never been cleaned before.
5. Wipe down the entire machine, removing any sticky detergent or any other stains.
6. A dryer vent brush cleaner can be bought at popular retails for under $20 and usually comes with a synthetic brush head and flexible rods that extend multiple feet. (Depending on where your dryer is located from the outside, the number of feet on the rods will be extremely significant.)
7. Use your fireplace chimney brush to fit into the lint trap and remove any lint residue. A vacuum also comes in handy here.
8. Head outside to find out where the dryer vent is, and remove the cover from the exhaust hole.
9. (Optional) Use Clean That Up’s cleaning hack tip by covering the vent with a pair of pantyhose. Then, return to the laundry room with a leaf blower. Stick the leaf blower in the hole on the other end of the wall (not the actual dryer), turn it on for up to one minute and lint will fill up the pair of pantyhose.
10. Connect the rods to the flexible lint brush at whatever length is needed.
11. With a power drill (in clockwise motion only), connect the rod to one end.
12. Slowly insert the connected rod with the flexible lint brush into the dryer vent exhaust hole.
13. Feel free to stop and start as needed, vacuuming the outside area as lint appears. (This is ideal to avoid a huge mess at the end.)
14. Once cleared out, re-attach the dryer duct to the dryer vent. Plug it in. Now you’re ready to use your newly cleaned dryer.

How To Clean Lint Traps

While cleaning the lint traps after each use is strongly recommended, there are a few other tips to keep the lint trap in good condition in between dryer duct cleaning. After your laundry is complete and the lint trap is cleared, use dishwashing liquid, warm water and a soft-bristled brush to remove any residue. Use a vacuum’s crevice tool to clear out the lint trap area (viewable from the front of the machine). Replace the lint trap if you see tears or holes. If not, dry it with a clean towel (microfiber towel preferably), and put the lint trap back in place.

Hire a Professional Or DIY This Dryer Duct Cleaning Job

Generally, this is a job that someone who is reasonably handy can do on their own. As with any do-it-yourself job, if you’re uncomfortable with doing it on your own (and ideally having a friend on the other side of the dryer to keep tabs on what’s going on with the other end of the dryer duct and vent hole cleaning), contact a professional. With the machine unplugged, this is pretty much an extensive vacuuming job once the dryer duct is removed. As long as it’s securely put back into place on the dryer and the dryer vent’s exhaust hole, this shouldn’t be too hard to do. This DIY project is guesstimated to take approximately one hour for a residential dryer (and a few hours for commercial dryers).