The cold weather outside will force many to spend more time indoors. No matter how tempting it would be to just sit back in front of the fireplace with a hot cocoa and a good book in hand, take this time to finish chores that you might have been putting off.
Winter Cleaning
One chore that you should prioritize, especially this winter, is cleaning your dryer vents. There are several reasons why you should do it regularly, and one of which is to prevent the vents from becoming a safety hazard to your home and your family.
You can do the maintenance yourself, but it is better to hire dryer vent cleaning services. In Boise and across Idaho, you would not have trouble finding professionals that can assess and thoroughly clean your vents while you spend this holiday season enjoying the company of the people you love.
A Dirty Dryer Vent is a Fire Risk
A dryer works by blowing hot air and expelling moisture from your laundry. That hot air, unfortunately, brings lint and other debris to the vent, which builds up over time and could cause serious problems.
Lint is a highly-flammable material. In fact, according to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), dryers cause 2,900 house fires every year, about 34% of which were caused by the failure to maintain the vent. Fires caused by home clothes dryers also occur more often during fall and winter.
A Dirty Dryer Can Spread Poisonous Gas Inside Your Home
There is a possibility of air degradation inside your home because of a blocked dryer vent. As lint and other debris prevent hot air from your dryer from getting out, gasses (including carbon monoxide) might back up and pose a threat to you and your family.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. Unless you have a working CO detector in your home, you would not be able to notice its presence until it is too late. This winter, when ventilation is poor, carbon monoxide poisoning is a real threat.
Mold Can Grow
Moisture also travels through the vent, making it the ideal place for mold to grow. Mold sends spores, which is a common allergen, into the air. If you are allergic, these mold spores can cause you to experience sneezing and blocked/runny nose throughout the winter season or until you have eliminated the source.
Clean Vent Equals Shorter Drying Time And Lower Electric Bills
The buildup of lint and debris inside your dryer vent will prevent air from escaping quickly. If you find that it takes your clothes longer to dry, it is not just because of the winter cold; your dryer vent is likely clogged. Your home clothes dryer, like other appliances and electronic devices, would work more efficiently if properly maintained.
Shorter drying time also means that you would be using less energy to do your laundry. If you get your dryer vents cleaned, you will be saving not just time doing chores but also money. In addition, cleaning the ventilation of your home clothes dryer would prevent damages to your machine that would require potentially expensive repairs or, worse, replacement in the future. By taking good care of your appliances, you can be assured that they will be with you for a really long time.
You will be using more clothing and bedding to keep yourself warm this winter. Be sure to clean your clothes dryer vent to keep it working at its most efficient and ensure the safety of you and your family.
