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Okay, I'm ashamed to admit that I've never done this (yes I should be punished by the DIY gods).

So this past weekend our electric Maytag dryer got some much needed cleaning attention. Here are some tips you can immediately put into action to prevent a dryer fire in your own home (and believe or not there over 15,000 annually):

+Add an appliance brush to a 1/4 inch drill and thoroughly clean all duct tubing

+Vacuum tubing, the lint reservoir, and inside the dryer around the heating element

+Make sure there isn't a birds nest or other animal debris in your exhaust vent

+Use stiff walled or rigid metal duct tubing instead of the plastic variety

+When you push your dryer back against the wall don't kink or crush the tubing

+Make all kids & husbands do their own laundry on Sunday (haha, this last one is optional although I wash mine all the time)

In case you need a video showing you how to take apart the front of your dryer there is a video along with pics and more tips over at http://www.homerepairtutor.com/dryer-duct-cl....

Have a great day!

1.) Clean the underside of the rim with a nylon brush and homemade cleaning solution of vinegar, baking soda, and water.

2.) Shut off the water supply and flush the toilet to empty the tank.

3.) Block off the siphon jets with duct tape.

4.) Pour 1 gallon of vinegar in the tank and flush the toilet. Let it sit over night.

5.) In the morning remove the tape and open the water supply. Flush water through once to clear out any remaining vinegar.

1. Select the correct size bath fan. Many have a square footage chart included at time of purchase, but there are tables available online as well, such as this one from HVI:

http://www.hvi.org/publications/HowMuchVent....

2. Ensure adequate make up air can reach the fan. As pictured, allow a minimum of 3/4" clearance under the door, and even more if possible. Use caution, however, that hollow doors only have a small solid rail at the bottom which could limit the cut off.

3. Always terminate the ductwork to the home exterior. In the photo, the duct is attached to a pre-cut galvanized sheet, and connected with a 4" starter collar. It is attached directly under a roof static vent which was installed solely for this purpose.

4. How long to allow a fan to run post-showering? The Home Ventilating Institute recommends that a fan should be left on for 20 minutes after a shower to thoroughly clear humidity and to ensure moisture and condensation in the fan body or ducting is minimized. A preset timer, such as illustrated in the attached photo, helps achive this.

5. Not sure if your fan is drawing air? As pictured, you can give it a quick (albeit not scientific) test using a sheet of paper. if your fan is blocked by insulation, the paper likely will not stick.