You've Been Cleaning Your Lint Trap Wrong All Along

If you've ever had a nagging mother you've probably been reminded many times to make sure you clean out the lint trap in your dryer. While you may not remember every time you do a load of laundry, you may want to start. Cleaning your lint dryer not only helps your dryer last longer, but most importantly reduces the risk of starting a fire (via Mr. Appliance).

The dangers of dryer fires and carbon monoxide poisoning from dryer lint clogs are very real, but many people believe that cleaning off the lint in their lint trap is enough to eliminate those risks (via Dryer Vent Wizard). In fact, there are a few more steps you should be taking to ensure that your lint trap is fully clean. According to Family Handyman, you should take about 30 minutes to completely clean your dryer, from inside your clothes dryer drum to the dryer lint caught in the exhaust vent.

A lint trap is a great first line of defense for catching lint, but it doesn't capture everything. There are tiny gaps around the edges on your lint trap that lint can get caught in (via Family Handyman). This can become a problem when those pieces of lint fall into the cabinet of the dryer and get caught in the exhaust vent, restricting airflow.

To avoid this, you should be rinsing off the lint particles from your lint trap (via Dryer Vent Wizard). Using a small amount of hand soap or dish soap, along with a soft bristled brush, can make all the difference. You should also commit to cleaning the inside of your dryer. For this you'll have to remove the top or front cover of your dryer and get a small vacuum to ensure you've gotten all of the lint out. Don't forget to clean the dryer hose as well! While this sounds like a pain, more than 15,000 fires every year are caused by built-up lint inside dryer cabinets (via Family Handyman).

Properly cleaning the lint out of your dryer is so important for your safety, but if you ever feel uncomfortable tackling these extra steps alone, there are plenty of professional cleaning services you can hire to get the job done and feel safe in your home.