In addition to annual professional dryer vent cleaning and service, there are a few other simple things you can do to help your dryer running smoothly. One that will amaze you is a quick cleaning of your lint screen.
The lint screen is designed to trap stray lint in your dryer. But it only captures about 70% of the lint (the remaining 30% gets sucked into the dryer exhaust system). If you use dryer sheets or fabric softener, that lint screen can become coated with an invisible film that can make it sticky, clogged and less effective at doing what it was designed to do—trap lint.
When we ran water over this dirty screen, it actually pooled on the surface, allowing very little water to run through. But after a few minutes of scrubbing with an old toothbrush and warm, soapy water, the water ran clear through.
Washing your screen every 6 months is a quick and easy way to help your dryer trap more lint, reducing the stress on your dryer exhaust system.
