Why Dryer Vent Cleaning Is Important for Utah Homes
Over here at Crystal Clean Vents, we talk a lot about the importance of air duct cleaning for both health and home maintenance reasons. Did you know that dryer vent cleaning is just as important for Utah homes? It may be surprising to learn that dryer vents that aren’t cleaned on a regular basis pose a risk to the health and safety of Utah residents.
Here are the top reasons why every Utah homeowner should have their dryer vents cleaned annually:
Unclean dryer vents are a fire hazard
Dryer vents that have not been cleaned in a long time will get clogged, and once they are clogged, the risk of getting too hot and sparking a fire increases drastically. In fact, dryers are responsible for nearly 3,000 in-home fires per year. Lint and dust buildup, combined with the high heat dryers require to dry clothes, make it the perfect environment to spark a fire.
To help prevent home fires, it is crucial that Utah residents ensure they have their dryers cleaned at least once per year. Aside from that, remember to clean the dryer filter for lint every time you’re ready to run a load of laundry through your dryer.
Mold growth in dryer vents = smelly clothes and home
Another negative side effect of an unclean dryer vent is mold growth around the dryer. In many Utah homes, wet clothes thrown into the dryer don’t always dry properly, and the moisture from these wet clothes can cause a mold growth in our dryer vents if not cleaned regularly. This happens when lint that isn’t fully dry gets stuck in the dryer vents. From there, the moisture gets trapped in the vent, and mold grows.
Once mold starts growing in the dryer of a Utah home, it often causes an unpleasant smell in the laundry room or around the washer and dryer. Additionally, any clothes run through a dryer cycle are way more likely to smell musty and moldy.
Unclean dryer vents increase allergen exposure
With lint accumulating in dryer vents over time, allergen particles that are commonly found in Utah homes like dust, dander, and pollen also get stuck in these dryer vents as well.
Whenever you dry your clothes in your dryer, these allergen particles are likely to get stuck to your clothes. Allergies in Utah are infamously intense, and Utah residents with allergies need to be proactive to limit their exposure to allergens wherever possible. Having the dryer vents in your home cleaned annually helps ensure that it doesn’t trigger your allergies unnecessarily.
Blocked dryer vents elongate drying time and increase expenses
Additionally, if the vents in your dryer time are blocked or dirty, the time required to dry your laundry will increase. This means that it will cost you more money to dry your clothes, because more time needed to run your dryer equates to more electricity will be needed.
Furthermore, think of the frustration that comes with pulling clothes out of the dryer that are smelly from mold. Or, think of the irritation caused by having your allergies triggered by allergens stuck to clothing that should be clean.
All of this adds up to time, energy, and health costs wasted by having a dryer that isn’t doing what it should be doing for you.
How to know your dryer vents need to be cleaned
If you’re wondering whether it’s time for your dryer vents to be cleaned, here’s what to look for:
The laundry room gets significantly more hot when running the dryer,
When you take your clothes out of they dryer, they smell must and/or moldy
There’s a burning smell when your dryer is running
When the dryer cycle is done, your laundry is abnormally too hot to touch
You haven’t had dryer vents cleaned in over a year
Utah residents looking for a dryer vent cleaning: call Crystal Clean Vents
For Utah residents who know they need to have the dryer vents in their home cleaned, we recommend hiring a professional. While you could attempt to clean these vents for yourself, it’s a safer bet to have them cleaned professionally. This way, you’ll have the assurance that your dryer vents have been cleaned properly and thoroughly. Then, a professional dryer vent cleaner will know how to put your dryer back together and handle it so that nothing breaks or gets disconnected. This is the best way to ensure that your dryer will continue to work properly.
By having your dryer cleaned and inspected professionally, you can save yourself from hefty repair fees in the long run or if anything goes wrong in your attempt to clean your dryer.
If you’re a Utah resident in the Salt Lake City area looking for dryer vent cleaning, call Crystal Clean Vents today: 801-561-0924!