Why Lint Buildup Can Be a Dangerous Thing

If you are not up to speed on dryer lint, you could run into difficulties at some point in the future. However, there’s no need to worry because in today’s blog post we are going to tell you everything you need to know about dryer lint: what it is, how it accumulates in your dryer vent, why it can be dangerous and what exactly you can do about it. We have put together this short guide in consultation with our dryer vent cleaning technicians to make sure we get all the facts straight so if you’ve been looking for an accurate source of information on this topic, you have come to the right place.

A Concise Dryer Lint Guide from Our Broomfield Dryer Vent Cleaning Team

Let’s get started with a quick definition for anyone who is not quite sure what dryer lint is:

Dryer lint is the name given to the loose fibers that are pulled out of your clothes as they go round and round in your tumble dryer. No matter how carefully you use your dryer or what products you put inside it to prevent this type of thing happening, you cannot stop lint from accumulating in your dryer vent over time.

Now you know exactly what dryer lint is, we’ll go over the main dangers that an accumulation of dryer lint can pose - dangers that as dryer vent and dryer duct cleaning specialists, we are very familiar with.

The Main Dangers Posed by Dryer Lint

If you don’t arrange for your local air duct cleaning / vent cleaning experts to come and attend to your dryer duct and vent on a regular basis, you will be more likely to encounter the following issues:

Dryer Fires

The most significant danger that an accumulation of dryer lint poses is the risk of fire. A pile of lint in the vent is very similar to kindling and as it is exposed to hot air during every drying cycle, it becomes more and more likely to catch on fire. For this reason alone, it is imperative that you engage the services of a reputable vent cleaning team once every year or so. If you don’t know where your nearest service provider is located, try using the search term “your location + dryer cleaning near me”. You should see a number of local companies in the search results. Of course, if you live in Broomfield, our dryer vent cleaning technicians will be very happy to help.

Lower Air Quality in Your Home

Whilst the majority of lint fibers that come off your clothes will remain in the dryer vent, not all of them will. If you leave them to accumulate over a period of years, some of them will escape and begin to circulate around your home. Inhaling such small particles of clothing can damage your lungs in the long term, which is another reason we strongly urge everyone with a dryer in their home to have the vent and duct cleaned at least once a year. If you have already left it a few years and you want to make sure that your HVAC system is also free of lint, search for “air duct cleaning near me” and contact a couple of the companies you find to request competitive quotations. As we mentioned above, if you happen to be in Broomfield or the surrounding area, you are more than welcome to get in touch with us should you need dryer vent, air duct or furnace cleaning services. We offer a full range of HVAC and dryer cleaning services to both residential and commercial customers in the area.

Damaged Clothing

Although not as dangerous as poor air quality or an electrical fire, it can be very annoying to see your favorite clothes damaged by a machine you bought specifically to take better care of them. Unfortunately, if you allow lint to accumulate in the dryer duct and vent, some of it will inevitably make its way back into the dryer every time you use it. Furthermore, as these fibers are repeatedly heated and dried, they become more and more abrasive. Because of this, they create additional friction during the drying process, pulling even more fibers off your clothing as they roll around the drum and entangle themselves with your tops, shirts, skirts and pants. If you don’t want to subject your favorite garments to unnecessary wear and tear, you should contact your local dryer vent cleaning team and ask them to come and clean your vent annually.

Whether you are looking for more advice on dryer vent maintenance or you would like to book a visit from our technicians in Broomfield, please do not hesitate to call or email us whenever you have a moment to spare.