How to Clean a Dryer Vent and Remove Lint
If you’ve ever taken clothes out of the dryer and found they were still damp, you might be dealing with lint buildup. Your dryer will run much more efficiently if air can flow easily. Removing lint, which is highly combustible, also reduces the risk of fire. Take these steps to help keep your dryer lint-free.
What You Need
BrushFabric softener sheetVacuum cleaner Vacuum crevice attachment (optional)Dryer vent cleaning kit
Step 1: Clear the Lint Screen
Clean the lint screen or filter every time you dry a load of clothes. Pull the lint screen straight out to remove it from the dryer. Remove as much lint as you can with a brush, then wipe the screen with a used fabric softener sheet to pick up any remaining pieces of lint.
Step 2: Remove Leftover Lint Inside the Trap
Clean the lint trap (also known as the lint-trap housing cavity) occasionally. This is the area in which the filter fits. Use a long flexible dryer lint brush ($5, Target) and a gentle twisting motion to clean the cavity. Vacuum the brush clean, then repeat the process until you can’t remove any more lint. Alternatively, try using the crevice attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean out the lint.
Step 3: Clean the Vent Hose and Pipe
Vacuum up any lint on the floor and inside the holes in the dryer and wall using a crevice tool attachment. Repeat this process on the outdoor vent where the exhaust exits your house.
How to Clean Inside a Dryer
Despite how carefully you check everyone’s pockets, something unexpected can still make it into the dryer. The most likely culprits are pens, crayons, chewing gum, candy, and lipstick. Or maybe you washed a dry-clean-only item whose dye still clings to the drum. Stains inside your dryer can transfer to other clothes and ruin them. Here’s how to clean the most common stains inside a dryer.
How to Remove Crayon from a Dryer
What You Need
Plastic spatulaOld credit card (optional)Soft clothWD-40SoapCloths
Step 1: Check the Drum
Start by checking the drum for stuck-on pieces of crayon. Scrape them off with a plastic spatula or an old credit card. Wipe the drum with a soft cloth sprayed with a small amount of WD-40 ($5, Target) until the stain is gone. (Never spray the WD-40 directly into the dryer.)
Step 2: Wash the Interior
Unplug the dryer and wash the interior with warm, soapy water. Pay special attention to any areas that were wiped with WD-40. Finish by wiping the dryer drum with clean dry cloths or running a load of dry cloths through a complete drying cycle.
How to Remove Ink from a Dryer
What You Need
White ragIsopropyl alcoholClothsOld white towels
Step 1: Clean the Interior
Run the dryer for about 10 minutes to warm up the metal drum and make it easier to remove the ink. Unplug the dryer. Dampen an old white rag with rubbing or isopropyl alcohol, and use it to remove the ink stains from the warm dryer interior. Change rags as needed to prevent ink from being redistributed. Rinse with a damp, clean white cloth.
Step 2: Double- and Triple-Check
Before drying another load of clean clothes, check your work. Run an old white towel through a complete drying cycle. If it comes out completely white, you’re done. If not, repeat the process.
How to Remove Dye from a Dryer
If the entire dryer drum is covered with splotches of dye, it’s unlikely you can remove all of it by hand.
What You Need
Old towelsHousehold bleachProtective eyewearRubber gloves
Step 1: Prepare Old Towels
Soak several old towels in a solution comprised of three gallons of hot water to one cup of household bleach. Wearing protective eyewear and rubber gloves, wring the towels nearly dry.
Step 2: Run and Repeat
Throw the towels in the drum, and run the dryer for 30 minutes at an air-fluff setting. Repeat the process if needed.
How to Remove Candy or Gum from a Dryer
What You Need
Plastic spatulaOld credit card (optional)Blow dryerRagAll-purpose cleanerClean, dry cloth
Step 1: Scrape and Soften Residue
Scrape off as much hardened candy and gum as you can with a plastic spatula or old credit card. Unplug the dryer. Use a blow-dryer to soften the remaining gum or candy with hot air. Then remove the softened particles by scraping them off with a plastic spatula or old credit card.
Step 2: Scrub and Wipe Clean
Scrub the stained area with a rag dampened with an all-purpose cleaner, then wipe with a clean, dry cloth.
How to Remove Lipstick from a Dryer
What You Need
Soft, dry clothsRubbing alcohol
Step 1: Remove Stains
Remove as much of the lipstick as possible with a soft, dry cloth. (This will be more successful if the dryer is still warm.) Unplug the dryer and let it cool down completely. Wipe the remaining lipstick stains with a soft cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol.
Step 2: Clean Thoroughly
Plug the dryer back in and dry a small load of old towels to remove any remaining lipstick stains and traces of rubbing alcohol.
How to Maintain a Dryer
Even if there are no stains to remove, you should clean the interior of your dryer about once a month to prevent odors and residue buildup. Start by unplugging the dryer. Use a cloth dipped in warm, soapy water to wipe down the drum and dry with another clean cloth. If you clean the interior of your dryer with anything other than soap and water, delay using it again for several hours. Leave the dryer door open and let any fumes or residue dissipate before heating it up again.
How to Clean a Dryer Exterior
Clean the outside of your dryer every week or two to remove dust, detergent spills, and other buildup. Wipe the dryer down with a damp cloth dipped in soapy water. Remove the soapy residue with a clean, wet cloth, then wipe dry.
