How to Clean a Dryer Vent
Test airflow at the outside hood, then clear the lint.
By Jonathan West · reviewed 2026-10-11 ·how we research these
To clean a dryer vent, clean the lint screen. Next, run the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes and hold a hand under the outside exhaust hood to feel for air movement. If you feel no air movement, clean the lint out of the exhaust system or replace the vent with heavy metal or flexible metal vent. The guide also says to replace a crushed or kinked vent and not to use plastic or foil vent. The steps and the at-least-every-2-years minimum come from one manufacturer's guide, the Whirlpool Electric and Gas Dryers Use and Care Guide. The manual and installation instructions for your own dryer govern wherever they differ.
The Whirlpool guide ties the outside airflow test result to cleaning or replacing the duct. The same guide says the dryer interior and the exhaust vent should be cleaned periodically by qualified service personnel. If you have a gas dryer, the gas connection behind it is a job for a qualified person. You can still wash the screen, clear the hood and run the airflow test yourself.
How to Clean a Dryer Vent in Seven Steps
Cleaning a dryer vent runs in seven steps, from the lint screen inside the dryer to the outside exhaust hood.
- Clean the lint screen before or after each load, and wash detergent and fabric softener residue off it with a nylon brush every 6 months.
- Run the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes and hold a hand under the outside exhaust hood to check for air movement.
- Clear lint, dust and dirt from the exhaust opening and the area around it.
- Check the duct behind the dryer for plastic or metal foil vent, and for any section that is crushed, kinked or not fully extended.
- Clean the lint out of the duct, or replace it with 4-inch heavy metal or flexible metal vent sealed with clamps.
- Call a qualified person for lint inside the dryer cabinet, and for any gas dryer that has to be moved.
- Run the final product check in your dryer's installation instructions, then repeat the airflow test at the hood.
Why Lint in a Dryer Vent Starts Fires
Lint left in a dryer vent is a fire hazard, and failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to ignition in residential clothes dryer fires. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) report Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) estimates that US fire departments responded to 2,900 clothes dryer fires in residential buildings each year over that period.
Those fires caused an annual average of 5 deaths, 100 injuries and $35 million in property loss. Failure to clean was the leading factor contributing to ignition, at 34 percent. The leading items first ignited were dust, fiber and lint at 28 percent, and clothing not on a person at 27 percent.
Newer figures on the USFA appliance and electrical fire safety page show the same leading factor. Failure to clean was the leading factor contributing to ignition in home clothes dryer fires from 2018 to 2020, at 31 percent, in National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data.
The USFA report explains how this happens. The filter traps much of the lint, but moist air carries the rest into the vent system, where it builds up and reduces airflow. Nests of small birds or other animals, or damage to the vent itself, can also block it. A vent that cannot exhaust properly to the outside can let the dryer overheat, and a fire may follow.
Signs a Dryer Vent Is Clogged
A clogged dryer vent shows up as clothes that take longer to dry and no air movement at the outside hood.
The Whirlpool guide lists more than one cause for slow drying.
| What you notice | Cause named in the Whirlpool guide | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes take longer to dry or are not drying | Clogged lint screen, or clogged vent or exhaust hood | Clean the screen, then run the airflow test at the hood |
| No air movement under the outside hood after 5 to 10 minutes | Lint in the exhaust system, or a crushed or kinked vent | Clean the exhaust system, or replace with heavy metal or flexible metal vent |
| Lint falls off the screen | Screen probably clogged | Wash the screen with hot water, liquid detergent and a nylon brush |
| Dryer stops before the load is dry | Residue buildup on the lint screen | Wash the screen as above |
| Lint, dust and dirt around the outside exhaust opening | The guide says to keep this area free of buildup | Clear the opening and the adjacent areas |
| Fabric softener sheet over the grille | Sheet blocking airflow at the grille | Use only one sheet, and only once |
| Electric dryer not drying at all | Blown fuse or tripped breaker (electric dryers use 2 household fuses or breakers) | Check both, and see why a circuit breaker keeps tripping if one trips again |
The Outside Hood Airflow Test
The airflow test is a hand check at the outside exhaust hood after the dryer has run for 5 to 10 minutes. The Whirlpool guide uses its result to decide whether the exhaust system needs cleaning or replacing.
Clean the lint screen before the test, since the guide lists a clogged screen and a clogged vent as separate causes of slow drying. Start the dryer, let it run for 5 to 10 minutes, then go outside and hold your hand under the exhaust hood.
Keep the area around the exhaust opening free of lint, dust and dirt, and clean the exhaust vent at least every 2 years. If you feel no air movement, clean the lint out of the exhaust system or replace the vent with heavy metal or flexible metal vent.
Repeat the same test after any cleaning or duct replacement.
Washing Residue Off the Lint Screen
Clean the lint screen before or after every load, and never run the dryer with the screen loose or damaged. If lint falls off the screen into the dryer while you remove it, the Whirlpool guide says to check the exhaust hood and remove the lint.
Residue from detergent and fabric softener can build up on the screen. It can lengthen drying times or stop the dryer before the load is dry. Lint falling off the screen is the guide's sign that the screen is probably clogged, and the fix is a nylon-brush wash every 6 months, or more often if it clogs.
- Roll the lint off the screen with your fingers.
- Wet both sides of the screen with hot water.
- Scrub it with a nylon brush and liquid detergent.
- Rinse it with hot water.
- Dry it thoroughly with a clean towel.
- Put the screen back in the dryer.
Do not rinse or wash the screen just to get lint off. Wet lint is hard to remove, so roll it off dry with your fingers and save the water wash for residue.
Duct Material, Kinks, Clamps and the 4-Inch Hood
The Whirlpool guide calls for 4-inch (10.2 cm) metal or flexible metal vent, and it says not to use plastic vent or metal foil vent because both are a fire hazard.
Flexible metal vent must be completely extended, with no kinks or crushed sections. If the vent is crushed or kinked, the guide's fix is to replace it with heavy metal or flexible metal vent. Route the duct along the straightest path possible and end it at a 4-inch exhaust hood.
Seal every joint with clamps. Do not use duct tape, and do not use screws or other fasteners that extend into the interior of the vent.
Venting also affects who pays for repairs. Under the Whirlpool guide, improper venting is not covered by the warranty, and the customer pays for service calls caused by improper venting.
If you find plastic or metal foil duct behind the dryer, replace it with 4-inch metal or flexible metal vent. The Whirlpool guide lists both as a fire hazard.
How Often to Clean a Dryer Vent
Clean a dryer vent at least every 2 years, and more often depending on how much the dryer is used, according to the Whirlpool guide.
The same guide adds a cleaning whenever you install the dryer in a new location, and it sets shorter intervals for the lint screen.
| Task | Interval in the Whirlpool guide | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Clean the lint screen | Before or after each load | You |
| Wash residue off the lint screen with a nylon brush | Every 6 months, or more often if clogged | You |
| Keep the exhaust opening and adjacent areas clear | Keep free of lint, dust and dirt | You |
| Remove lint from the exhaust vent | At least every 2 years, more often depending on use, and when the dryer moves to a new location | Qualified service personnel, per the guide |
| Remove lint inside the dryer cabinet | Every 2 years or more often | A qualified person |
Cleaning the Duct and Who Should Do It
The sources cited here, the Whirlpool guide and both USFA documents, do not give a step-by-step method for cleaning the duct itself.
Before you pull the dryer out, disconnect power as your dryer manual directs. A gas dryer also has a gas connection, and that connection is a job for a qualified person.
People use vent brush kits and vacuums on the duct run. If you use one, follow the kit's or the vacuum's own instructions. These sources make no claim about how well either works, and they do not describe a leaf blower method or cleaning a roof-mounted hood.
When the duct goes back on, clamp every joint, keep flexible vent fully extended, and run the final product check in your dryer's installation instructions. Then repeat the airflow test at the outside hood.
When to Call a Qualified Person
Call a qualified person for lint inside the dryer cabinet and for any gas dryer that has to be moved.
The Whirlpool guide says lint inside the dryer cabinet should be removed every 2 years or more often by a qualified person. It also says the dryer interior and the exhaust vent should be cleaned periodically by qualified service personnel.
Common questions
How often should you clean a dryer vent?
Clean a dryer vent at least every 2 years, more often depending on how much the dryer is used, and whenever the dryer is installed in a new location, according to the Whirlpool guide. Clean the lint screen before or after every load.
Can I clean a dryer vent myself?
The Whirlpool guide has owners clean the lint screen, keep the exhaust area clear, run the airflow test, and clean lint out of the exhaust system when no air reaches the hood. It also says the dryer interior and exhaust vent should be cleaned periodically by qualified service personnel, and that lint inside the cabinet should be removed by a qualified person. A gas dryer's gas connection is a job for a qualified person.
Can I use plastic or foil duct for a dryer vent?
No. The Whirlpool guide says not to use plastic vent or metal foil vent because both are a fire hazard. Use 4-inch metal or flexible metal vent, fully extended, with clamps at every joint.
How can I tell if my dryer vent is clogged?
Clothes that take longer to dry, and no air movement under the outside exhaust hood after 5 to 10 minutes of running, both point to a clogged vent or hood. Clean the lint screen first, since a clogged screen also slows drying.
Do dryer sheets clog a dryer vent?
The Whirlpool guide lists a fabric softener sheet blocking the grille as a cause of slow drying, and says to use only one sheet, and only once. Fabric softener residue also builds up on the lint screen, and the nylon-brush wash every 6 months removes it.
Can I clean a dryer vent with a leaf blower or vacuum?
The sources cited here do not describe a leaf blower, vacuum or brush kit method, and they make no claim about how well any of them work. If you use one, follow that tool's own instructions, disconnect power as your dryer manual directs, and repeat the airflow test at the outside hood afterward.
Who pays for a dryer venting problem under warranty?
Under the Whirlpool guide, improper venting is not covered by the warranty, and the customer pays for service calls caused by improper venting. The guide calls for 4-inch metal or flexible metal vent and says not to use plastic or metal foil vent.