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Dryer vent cleaning — vacuum the dryer's back exhaust port too

Dryer vent

Dryer vent cleaning tip: after you brush the duct, vacuum lint out of the dryer's own back exhaust port before you reconnect the hose.

Dryer vent cleaning: vacuum the dryer's back exhaust port too (related household photo)
Photo: Somebody in the WWW / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Dryer vent cleaning usually focuses on the duct, but lint also packs into the short collar on the back of the dryer itself. Clear it while the hose is off.

Clear the exhaust port before you reconnect

  1. Unplug the dryer (and shut off gas if it is a gas unit and you are comfortable doing so) before you pull it out.
  2. With the hose off, look into the round exhaust port on the back of the dryer.
  3. Use a shop vacuum or a narrow crevice tool to pull out the lint you can reach. Do not push a brush deep into the cabinet.
  4. Reconnect the hose snugly and push the dryer back without crushing it.

That is it for this one. If the port is packed deep inside the cabinet, that is a technician job.

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