🧺 Laundry
How often should you clean your dryer vent?
Clean the dryer vent duct once a year, and empty the lint filter after every load.
Why it matters
Lint is highly flammable and a clogged vent traps heat. Dryers are a leading cause of household fires, and a blocked vent also makes every load take longer and wastes energy.
How to do it
- Unplug the dryer (and shut off the gas valve on a gas model) and pull it away from the wall.
- Disconnect the duct from the back of the dryer and vacuum out the lint from both ends.
- Push a dryer-vent brush kit through the whole duct, from the dryer side and from the outside hood.
- Check that the outdoor flap opens freely and is not blocked by nests or snow.
- Use rigid or semi-rigid metal duct rather than plastic foil, and keep it as short and straight as you can.
In your HouseKiper schedule
Clean the dryer vent duct: once a year. Built-up lint reduces efficiency and is a fire hazard. Get a reminder when it is due.
Related tasks
Clean the washing machine pump filter
Every 3 months
Run a washing machine cleaning cycle
Every month
Test smoke and CO detectors
Every 6 months
Clean the bathroom exhaust fan
Every 6 months
See it in a checklist
This job is part of the complete home maintenance checklist and of the fall checklist, first-time homeowner checklist and the apartment checklist.