Why does nobody talk about cleaning dryer vents after a fire scare?

Last Tuesday my neighbor's house almost went up because of lint buildup in their dryer vent. The fire department showed up and said it's one of the most common causes of house fires they see. I clean houses for a living and I realized I never once checked a client's dryer vent. Now I make it a point to pull the dryer out and vacuum the vent line every 3 months. Took me maybe 20 minutes and the amount of lint that came out was honestly terrifying. Has anyone else dealt with a close call from something this simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley_jones1mo agoTop Commenter

Ngl I had a similar wake up call after my cousin's dryer started smelling like burning plastic. I pulled it out and found the vent pipe was basically clogged solid with lint. Took me about 30 minutes with a shop vac and a dryer vent brush kit I got for like 15 bucks. The amount of lint that came out was insane like a whole pillow's worth. Now I do it every few months and it takes no time at all. I also started checking other people's vents when I'm over at their place because nobody thinks about it.

kimmurphy1mo ago

Wait, a whole pillow's worth of lint was in there?

kim.jake1mo agoProlific Poster

Seriously, @kimmurphy, you would not believe it. I did the same thing last year and it was actually worse than a pillow. I had a lint ball the size of a small dog. Took me a full hour with a wet-dry vac and this long flexible brush I bought online. The dryer had been taking forever to dry clothes, I just thought it was getting old. Nope, it was just choking on lint. I check mine every two months now, rest is super quick and saves so much electricity. You'll be shocked how much junk comes out.