How to Deep Clean Your Dryer

The dryer is one of those appliances you may almost never clean, but it is important to keep your dryer running safely and effectively. Here is how to deep clean your dryer from the inside out.

A clothes dryer such a simple invention, but having one is an extreme convenience. What most people don’t realize, is that dryers need a good deep clean every once in awhile in order to run effectively as well as safely so they are not a fire hazard. While most of us clean the lint trap, there are other places that should be deep cleaned periodically. Your dryer should be deep cleaned at least once every couple of months. Here are some tips on how to deep clean your dryer so you’re not waiting forever for your clothes to dry.

How to Deep Clean Your Dryer

First, make sure that you’re cleaning the lint trap after every single dry cycle. Most people do this, but, it’s important not to get lazy about it because doing so can cause even more build up in your hoses and other vents in your dryer. This leads to the fire hazard that I talked about earlier. To clean your lint trap, simply pull it out, and use your hands to just grab the lint that’s on it. I make this easy to do by keeping a small trash can in my laundry area.

Next, let’s move on to how to deep clean your dryer. The deep cleaning portion of this project will take most people about a half hour. While this can be a time-consuming chore, it is a very important one to keep your expensive machine running properly and your family safe from fires.

Before starting any project that requires deep cleaning, make sure you unplug your machine. Pulling your machine away from your wall – you may need someone to help. You will want to clean behind the dryer as well as the floor. If your dryer is gas powered, make sure you shut off the gas.

This is a good time to deep clean your lint trap. Most people don’t realize that lint traps need to be deep cleaned especially if you use fabric softeners. Fabric softeners can build up on your lip trap and prevent it from working properly. To deep clean your lint trap, simply take it to your sink and gently scrub it with warm soapy water. Then, set it on a towel and allow it to air-dry.

Now it’s time to clean the hoses. Some people find it easier to just replace the whole hose. You can do this or you can vacuum it out with a narrow vacuum attachment. Just make sure you do a thorough job as these kind of hoses are very prone to lint buildup. To find your hoses, look on the back of your dryer. Detach the hose from the back of your dryer, and vacuum it out thoroughly.

Before you attach your hose again, make sure to clean the vents. You can usually just reach up there and grab large amounts of lint, or use the attachments on your vacuum. Make sure you check the vents outside your home as well if you possibly can. Sometimes, animals or birds create nests in these areas.

Finally, here comes the more time-consuming part. You will want to clean around the drum on the inside of your dryer because lint will build up here. To do this, look in your instruction manual that came with your appliance. In there, you will find instructions for opening up your machine either top or side as well as precautions to take. Generally, you will vacuum and wipe all the areas on the inside paying special attention to not bother the wiring.

When you have your machine completely cleaned out, make sure to reassemble it correctly. Then, I like to take a rag and wipe down the exterior buttons and sides. I do this last because I know there will be much more lint and buildup on it after I’m done.

Don’t forget to plug your machine back in when you’re done.