Most dryer manufacturers recommend that residential dryer vents be cleaned every year or two to prevent fires. Some insurance companies even require it. Some dryer ducts need cleaning even more frequently due to their structure or amount of use.
Clothes dryers are the biggest fire hazard in the home, primarily due to lint buildup in the dryer ductwork and failure to clean the airways and ducts. According to the Insurance Journal, “failure to clean” is the number one cause of dryer fires. Proper dryer duct cleaning, also known as dryer vent cleaning, can prevent many of these fires.
Clogged dryer ducts can force the dryer to take up to three times longer or more to dry clothes. Cleaning can significantly reduce utility bills and prevent future dryer repairs.
Lint and dust not only collect on the lint trap, but also within the dryer chassis, around the dryer, and in the ducts that carry the lint from the dryer to outside.