Can you clean a dryer vent yourself?

For a short, straight vent through a first-floor or basement wall, a handy homeowner can do a reasonable job. For long runs, second-floor laundry rooms, roof vents and gas dryers, a professional cleaning is usually the safer and faster choice.

What you need

• A rotary dryer vent brush kit with flexible rods that attach to a drill
• A shop vacuum, ideally with a fine filter
• Foil tape and clamps to reconnect the transition duct
• A drop cloth and a flashlight

The basic steps for an electric dryer

1. Unplug the dryer and slide it out carefully.
2. Loosen the clamp and pull the transition duct off the dryer and the wall.
3. Vacuum the dryer outlet and the lint screen housing.
4. Run the brush through the wall duct toward the outside, spinning the drill clockwise so the rod sections do not unscrew inside the wall.
5. Go outside, open the hood flap and clear the lint that the brush pushed out.
6. Reconnect with clamps or foil tape, not screws, which catch lint.
7. Run the dryer and check that the outside flap opens fully.

Mistakes that cause damage

• Spinning the drill counterclockwise. Rod sections unscrew and get stuck inside the wall.
• Using a leaf blower from inside. Pressure can blow apart joints you cannot see.
• Moving a gas dryer. Disturbing the gas connection is work for a licensed gas fitter in New Hampshire.
• Reusing a crushed foil duct. If it is flattened, replace it. See foil vs semi-rigid ducts.

When to call a professional

• The vent runs more than about 15 feet or has several bends
• The laundry room is on a second floor or the vent ends on the roof
• It is a gas dryer
• You cleaned it and the dryer is still slow
• You need a dated report for a home sale or a condo board

A professional cleaning also measures airflow before and after, so you know the vent is actually clear. Ours is $149 for a standard vent.