Figuring out how often to have your dryer vents cleaned is important. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, however. Many factors go into figuring out how often to have your dryer vents cleaned.
The answer will be different based on whether you’re cleaning a residential dryer vent for a house or vents for a commercial building or an apartment complex. How often the dryer is used, along with the setup and length of the dryer vent hose will also need to be factored into how often you clean your dryer vents.
The Bare Minimum
When it comes to how often you should have your dryer vents cleaned, the bare minimum is once per year. For most, this won’t be often enough, but for those lucky enough to have a very short dryer vent hose, you might be able to get away with cleaning your vents once per year.
If you only schedule one professional cleaning each year, you will likely need to take the DIY route to make sure your vents are clean enough for your dryer to function well the rest of the year. It’s best to choose a dryer vent cleaning schedule that includes more than one professional cleaning per year.
A Better Recommendation
For most household dryer vents, professional cleaning should be scheduled once every six months or twice per year. You will still need to perform some spot checks and cleanings on your own throughout the year, but two professional cleanings a year will make a pretty big difference.
If you have a dryer vent hose that goes up and out through the roof, you might need three or four professional cleanings per year. It’s harder to perform spot checks and DIY cleanings on dryer vents on the roof compared to the back or side wall of your home.
How often should commercial dryer vents be cleaned?
While you might think, due to the regular usage of commercial dryers, that you need to have your dryer vents cleaned more often compared to residential dryer vents, this may not be the case. It will depend on the machines you have and where the vent is, along with the length of the vent hose.
You always want to follow the recommended maintenance schedule for your specific machines. However, commercial dryers are larger than residential dryers and often don’t need to have the vents cleaned as often. Of course, the lint trap should be cleaned out at least daily, but with every load is better.
You should pay attention to the signs that it might be time to have your dryer vents cleaned with commercial machines. If one dry cycle isn’t getting close to dry, it’s time to have the vents cleaned. Remember, good maintenance on your commercial machines will help them last longer and function better.
If you want to know the right schedule for dryer vent cleaning services for your specific situation, you should speak to a professional. They will be able to advise you based on your specific venting situation and type of dryer.