How to Clean Your HE Dryer

DeeDee
by DeeDee
3 Materials
$15
6 Hours
Medium
We have a set of front loading Whirlpool HE Duets, they are stacked. We purchased them in 2010. So, I'm doing laundry one day and the dryer said NOPE, not today lady! Oh My Gosh! Why don't these appliances give you any warning? I mean, leave me a note saying you're going on vacation or something!
For safety we used a stacking kit that holds them together and keep them from moving apart during the washing and drying processes.  Our dryer model number is WED95HEXW0, and this post will show you how we cleaned our dryer.


In the process of both of us on the internet and Youtube doing research on how to DIY home repairs of our dryer, I found out that you should clean your dryer at least once every two years.  I never knew that I was supposed to internally clean it/have it cleaned.  Oooopsie! It saves you money to keep your dryer clean!


NOTE:  There are many different models of Whirpool machines, so if yours isn't the same model as ours, it may look totally different.
This is what our laundry room normally looks like on the weekends.  Both machines going literally all day long.  I'm the type of person that can't stand for the laundry to pile up, so its done every weekend, without fail.  Washed, dried, folded, hung and put away all in one day.....sometimes it takes me two days. 


Oh, by the way, you should try my homemade laundry soap and softener.  They are so good and we are saving so much money by using them! Visit our blog here to get the recipes.
Our laundry room is tiny, so we had to disassemble it to get to the machines.  If you want to see how we  created this room, click over to our blog for the links to each project. Link down below this post.
We moved in our home back in March of 2011 and so did these machines.  They have not moved since we placed them in their spot.  Um, eeeeww!!  Dust bunnies and dirt everywhere! Yuck!


NOTE:  Before you start with cleaning your dryer, please make sure you disconnect the machine from the electricity.  We also removed the dryer vent duct and the water line so we could pull the machines out away from the wall.


After disconnecting all the power in back, he removed the top cover.
This is looking in from the top.
There are LOTS of pieces (and one million screws) to remove to get to the inside parts that need to be cleaned.
There are several helpful Youtube videos that you should really watch before attempting this project.
WOW! It's really bad! More up close pictures on our blog, link down below.
I used our small shop vac to clean all the dirt and debris from inside.
This tool right here is awesome!  I not only use it for the dryer, but for my fridge as well.  Check out how to clean your fridge coils over on our blog too.
I don't even know how this machine was working!  Well, now its not working.....so.
Much better now! Be sure to visit our blog at the link down below to see ALL the steps and also find out how my honey fixed our dryer for free! He's pretty awesome if I do say so myself! :)


Thanks for looking!
Suggested materials:
  • Shop Vac   (Lowes)
  • Lent tool   (Amazon)
  • Clorox Wipes   (Walmart)
DeeDee
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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4 of 6 comments
  • B. Enne B. Enne on Jul 03, 2018

    Thanks for the share. I use my brush all the time. I have a wooden one, but I prefer my wire one which is longer and more flexible. The brush is softer too. It works well for cleaning out my furnace too, especially around the fan where I can't reach.

  • Patty Patty on Jul 06, 2018

    Hi! I always clean my lint screen, I was told Always do that so you don’t have a fire. What I never knew was to check the vent hose make sure it’s clear, not getting plugged up with lint. I have an HE W&D not to old, I do use quite abit. The top of dryer started getting so hot you couldn’t put hand on and keep it there. My sister & brother in-law were over (Thank you God)he’s really good at Home repair of any kind! He took back off dryer and pulled hose out. It was Packed with black burned lint. He went on roof where dryer vents to - the whole thing was completely packed with lint. Only at bottom was there burned lint (aprox.1-2 feet) thru the hose there was damp clumped lint. That’s why the top of dryer got so hot! I Believe there would have been a Fire within a few days or so. I’m very Lucky & Blessed that it was found before that happened. Now I check constantly,however I didn’t know about taking the front off and checking for lint!? I will be going on Utube and find out how I do it.


    Thank you for your Info.

    • DeeDee DeeDee on Jul 06, 2018

      Oh my Patty! So thankful your family could help before it was too late! Good luck with the rest of it!

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