Thrively Back home

How to clean dryer lint, and when the vent needs a pro

Last reviewed November 1, 2026 by Jordan Reeves

Clear the lint screen before or after every load, and check that the outside vent flap opens while the dryer runs. NFPA says to clean the vent pipe at least once a year. That part means moving the dryer, so leave it to a dryer vent cleaning service.

How often: Lint screen every load. Vent duct at least once a year, or sooner if drying slows down.

Steps

  1. Take out the lint screen and clear it. Do this every load.
  2. Vacuum the slot the screen sits in with a crevice tool. Don't force it past where it goes easily.
  3. Go outside while the dryer runs and check that the vent flap opens freely and nothing covers it.
  4. Clear any lint you can reach at the outside vent from the ground, by hand. Don't push anything into the duct.

Stop and call

Call a dryer vent cleaning service: if the flap barely moves, clothes take more than one cycle to dry, or the duct is due. Don't pull the dryer out yourself.

Why it matters

  • Failure to clean was the leading factor in home dryer fires, at 31 percent from 2018 to 2020, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
  • From 2008 to 2010, the U.S. Fire Administration counted about 2,900 residential building dryer fires a year, with about 5 deaths and 100 injuries a year.

Sources

Never forget this one.

Thrively keeps track of the jobs your home needs and tells you when each one is due.

Download on the App Store

Free to download. iPhone and iPad.

See the full home maintenance schedule, with sources

Related guides

How to test your smoke alarms

Press the test button on each alarm until it sounds. NFPA and the U.S. Fire Administration say to do this at least once a month. An alarm that stays silent with a fresh battery, or that is more than 10 years old, needs replacing.

How to change your furnace or AC filter

Turn the system off, slide out the old filter, and put in a new one of the same size with the airflow arrow pointing toward the furnace. ENERGY STAR says to check it every month and change it at least every 3 months.