Dryer Duct Cleaning: How Often Professional Lodi, NJ Dryer Vent Cleaning's Needed

There’s only one company homeowners in New Jersey call for professional dryer duct cleaning: Apex Air Duct Cleaning & Chimney Services! As Lodi, NJ’s leading dryer duct cleaning company for more than 30 years, we continue to improve the efficiency and safety of New Jersey clothes dryers.

We employ highly experienced, licensed, and insured technicians who utilize the latest tools, state-of-the-art equipment, and proven techniques to remove all lint, dirt, and debris from dryer ducts. We are fast but we do not cut corners, and we charge the most reasonable prices. Get in touch with Apex Air Duct Cleaning & Chimney Services to get the best dryer duct cleaning services in Bergen County!

How Often Do You Need Professional Lodi, NJ Dryer Duct Cleaning Services

While doing the laundry isn’t exactly an enjoyable chore, imagine how much more of a drag it would be if you didn’t have modern appliances, like a clothes dryer. Imagine having to wrestle with your damp laundry, hang it up on a clothesline outside, or find a spot inside your Bergen County house to hang it to dry. It would be a total nuisance.

The process of hanging laundry to dry is not only tedious, but it can also take a long time to completely dry. As a result, it’s pretty safe to say that you’re grateful to have a dryer to help you.

Your dryer needs to be properly maintained if you want it to continue making washing your laundry convenient. Regular dryer duct cleaning is an important part of that maintenance. The dryer duct connects your appliance with the vent located outside your home, where hot air and moisture can escape. 

Lint, dirt, hair, and debris that falls off of your wash, however, can travel up the duct, accumulate, and eventually, clog it up. When that happens, the efficiency of your dryer will be negatively impacted, and even more alarmingly, the risk of a fire breaking out will increase.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that clogged dryer vents and ducts are responsible for about 15,000 dryer fires each year. Why? Because as the heat that escapes your dryer makes contact with the lint and debris that’s clogging the vent and ductwork can ignite.

In order to ensure that your dryer continues to operate as efficiently as possible, to reduce the risk of a fire, and to protect the safety of your family, regular dryer duct cleaning is a must. A professional dryer duct cleaning is recommended at least once a year. However, there are several factors that may require more frequent cleanings. Read on to find out about these factors and if you should have a Lodi, NJ dryer duct cleaning professional clean the ducts and vents more frequently.

You Have a Large Family

The larger your family, the more loads of laundry you’re going to do. The more loads of laundry you run through the dryer, the more lint, dirt, hair, and debris will collect in the vent and the ductwork. If you have a larger family, you should consider scheduling professional Lodi, NJ dryer vent cleaning more than once a year.

You Have Furry Family Members

You love your four-legged family members, but they can increase the frequency that you need to have dryer duct cleaning services performed. Why? Well, there’s no doubt that you know your furry friend’s hair collects on your clothing, linens, blankets, and pretty much everywhere in your Bergen County house.

When you toss your laundry in the wash, the dog or cat hair that’s on your clothing, bed sheets, blankets, quilts, and whatever else you’re washing is going to fall off, collect in the lint trap, and travel up the dryer duct and vent.

Not only will that hair clog up the vent and ductwork, but it is also highly flammable. As such, if you have pets, you’re going to want to arrange to have professional Lodi, NJ dryer vent cleaning services more often than once a year.

You Wash Heavy Fabrics

Towels, sheets, quilts, blankets, pillows, coats; if you wash a lot of items that are made of heavy fabrics, you should really consider having a professional dryer duct cleaning a few times a year. Thicker, bulkier fabrics tend to shed a lot, and as such, they produce more lint. The more lint falls off your laundry, the more frequently your dryer ducts and vents are going to need to be cleaned to reduce the risk of clogs and fires.

Signs You Need to Schedule a Dryer Duct Cleaning Service

So, how can you tell when you should schedule an appointment with a Lodi, NJ dryer vent cleaning professional? If you’re experiencing any of the following, you’re going to want to schedule an appointment for a dryer duct cleaning as soon as possible.

• Damp laundry. Even though you’re using the same cycle that you normally do and running the appliance for the same amount of time as you usually do, your laundry still feels wet when you pull it out of the dryer. If your clothes are taking longer to dry, or if the drying cycle isn’t functioning properly, you’re definitely going to want to contact a Lodi, NJ dryer vent cleaning professional.
• Excess heat. If the exterior of the dryer feels hot to the touch, if your garments are excessively hot, or if your laundry room seems to be warmer than usual, those are all signs that you should schedule a professional dryer duct cleaning. When the ductwork gets clogged, instead of exhausting from your Bergen County home, the heat the appliance produces will cycle back into the dryer, as well as the space that it’s housed in.
• Strange odors. If you notice a burning smell when your dryer is running or if your laundry smells musty when you pull it out of the dryer, a call to a Lodi, NJ dryer vent cleaning professional is a must. A burning smell could indicate that the lint clogged in the ductwork and vent are starting to ignite, and a musty smell indicates that the laundry isn’t thoroughly drying.
• Excessive lint. Lint is normal, and you should empty out your lint trap after each use; however, if it seems like there is a lot more lint than normal, or if there are pieces of lint stuck on your laundry, then you should definitely schedule an appointment with a dryer duct cleaning technician. Lint buildup is much more dangerous than it seems. It can pose a huge carbon monoxide and fire hazard, as the gas dryer exhaust vent system can become clogged with highly flammable material.
• It’s been longer than a year. As mentioned above, experts recommend having your dryer ducts cleaned at least once a year, no matter how frequently the appliance is used. Therefore, if it’s been more than a year since you have had it cleaned or you can’t recall the last time you had it serviced, call a Lodi, NJ dryer duct cleaning professional.