Dryer Duct Cleaning: Dust Bunnies are Pyromaniacs

We all clean our dryer's lint trap but when is the last time you vacuumed the dryer ducts or around the heating element?
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-cleaning/.
Have a great day!
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  • Spi7607325 Spi7607325 on Oct 24, 2016
    When the repair man pulled out my appliances, he disconnected the drier tube from the back, inserted the hose of the garage vac, reversed the air and blew all the lint out into the back yard. Easy job.
  • Thank you so much for pisting this! We all need reminders from time to time. Plus some of the new homeowners never knew this. I do this twice a year myself. For the amount of laundry I do, this seems to be sufficient. Plus it prolongs the life of your appliance! Thanks!👍
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