How to clean a dryer vent to prevent fires
If towels now need two cycles to dry, the vent is probably clogged. Empty the lint trap every load. At least once a year, unplug the dryer, ease it away from the wall, detach the flexible duct, and vacuum or brush the lint out of the duct, the back of the dryer and the outside flap. Swap a foil or plastic duct for metal. Gas dryers are a job for a technician.
Why it matters: Lint is the fuel in many house fires, and a clogged vent also doubles drying time.
Steps
- Empty the lint trap before or after every load.
- Once a year, unplug an electric dryer and ease it out from the wall.
- If your dryer runs on gas, stop here and book a technician or ask your landlord, because the gas line must not be disturbed.
- Undo the clamp and detach the flexible duct from the dryer and the wall.
- Vacuum lint from the dryer's outlet and the wall opening, and push a vent brush through the duct.
- Outside, lift the vent flap and clear lint, leaves or nests.
- Replace a foil or plastic duct with a metal one, reconnect, and check for a strong stream of air outside while it runs.
Stop and call a professional if
- the dryer runs on gas, or you smell gas: a technician does the job, and for any gas smell leave and call from outside
- you smell burning, see scorch marks, or the dryer's outside feels very hot: stop using it and call a technician
Common mistakes
- Running the dryer with a torn or missing lint screen.
- Using a crushed foil or plastic duct behind the dryer.
- Leaving the dryer running while you are out or asleep.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to clean a dryer vent to prevent fires
What to say
If towels now need two cycles to dry, the vent is probably clogged. Empty the lint trap every load. At least once a year, unplug the dryer, ease it away from the wall, detach the flexible duct, and vacuum or brush the lint out of the duct, the back of the dryer and the outside flap. Swap a foil or plastic duct for metal. Gas dryers are a job for a technician.
What to show
- Empty the lint trap before or after every load.
- Once a year, unplug an electric dryer and ease it out from the wall.
- If your dryer runs on gas, stop here and book a technician or ask your landlord, because the gas line must not be disturbed.
- Undo the clamp and detach the flexible duct from the dryer and the wall.
- Vacuum lint from the dryer's outlet and the wall opening, and push a vent brush through the duct.
- Outside, lift the vent flap and clear lint, leaves or nests.
- Replace a foil or plastic duct with a metal one, reconnect, and check for a strong stream of air outside while it runs.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if the dryer runs on gas, or you smell gas: a technician does the job, and for any gas smell leave and call from outside.
Check question
What is a common sign of a clogged dryer vent?
Answer: Clothes need more than one cycle to dry. Blocked airflow keeps damp air inside the drum.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US fire prevention guidance on clothes dryers, 2025. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .