For most homes, once a year. For some, every six months. The right schedule depends on how much laundry you do and how far the air has to travel to get outside.
The short answer
| Your household | Clean the vent |
|---|---|
| One or two people, short vent through an outside wall | Once a year |
| Family of four or more, or the dryer runs most days | Every 6 months |
| Pets that shed | Every 6 months |
| Long run, several bends, or a second-floor laundry room | Every 6 months |
| Condo or apartment with a shared or stacked vent | Once a year, building-wide |
| Seasonal home that sits empty | Before you open it up each year |
Why lint keeps building up
The lint screen in your dryer catches most of the lint, not all of it. The fine fibers that get past it settle wherever the air slows down: at every bend, at the joint behind the dryer, and in the flap of the outside hood. Over months that layer narrows the duct, the dryer runs longer to dry the same load, and the heat has nowhere to go.
Why the timing matters on the Seacoast
The U.S. Fire Administration found that home dryer fires are more common in fall and winter and peak in January. That lines up with how New Hampshire households live in winter: windows shut, more loads of heavy clothes and bedding, and outdoor vent hoods that can ice over or catch snow. If you clean once a year, a fall cleaning puts the vent at its clearest going into the months that matter most.
Signs you should not wait for the schedule
- Towels need a second cycle
- The top of the dryer is hot to the touch
- The outside flap barely opens while the dryer runs
- You smell something burning or musty
See the full list in signs your dryer vent is clogged.
Make it automatic
Our annual plan is $129 a year and we text you when the next cleaning is due, so you do not have to remember.
Book a cleaning
Standard vent $149, about an hour, before-and-after airflow readings. Based in Portsmouth.
Book a cleaningOr call or text 603-660-9800