When you dry your clothing in your dryer, one of the byproducts of the cloth drying process is lint. Lint is created each time you dry your clothing. Lint comes from small fibers that naturally break off your clothing and are released when your clothes are tumbled around in your dryer.

Lint Can Be Dangerous

Lint may seem harmless. After all, it is really just tiny clothing fibers. Lint becomes dangerous, however, when it builds up and collects inside of your dryer in places that it isn't suppose to be, such as inside of the vents of your dryer. Lint is flammable, which is why the build-up of lint in random places in your dryer is so perilous. Lint is more dangerous in electric dryers than it is in gas dryers, as electrical fires are most common.

Why & Where Lint Builds Up

Lint builds up in a variety of places in your dryer. The first place you will notice lint is in the lint trap. This is where the lint should go. You should clean the lint trap after each and every load you put through your dryer. Lint doesn't just stay in the lint trap, though. If you have a long dryer vent, where the air from your dryer is exhausted, lint is more likely to collect inside of a long vent or a curved vent. That is why you should keep the exhaust vent for your dryer as short as possible. If your dryer has a long vent, you need to detach and clean the vent hose every few months, to prevent the build-up of lint and the possibility of a dryer fire. Lint also tends to build up when you don't give your dryer enough room to breathe. You need some space between your dryer and the wall. When your dryer is too close to the wall and it can't safely pull in air and allow air to circulate around the machine, lint tends to build-up. If your dryer is a little to snug against the wall, pull it out and clean behind it every month.

How to Prevent Lint Build-Up

The build-up of dangerous lint is not a given. One of the most important repairs you can make is shortening the exhaust fan. This can be achieved by moving your dryer closer to the exhaust vent, or hiring an appliance repair person to create a new exhaust hole and hook up a new shorter exhaust vent, so that lint don't build up in this dangerous location. An appliance repair person can also take apart your dryer and remove all lint that gets stuck inside of your machine. They can then perform repairs that will prevent lint from traveling to locations it shouldn't.

If you feel that dryer lint buildup poses a risk to your safety, reach out to a company like Collier County Appliance Service, Inc., today.