What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

How to Clean a Dryer Vent and Remove Lint

If you ’ve ever need clothes out of the dryer and line up they were still damp , you might be dealing with lint buildup . Your dryer will run much more efficiently if air can course easily . Removing lint , which is highly combustible , also reduces the peril of fire . Take these steps to help keep your dryer lint - free .

Clear the Lint Screen

strip the lint CRT screen or trickle every time you dry a load of wearing apparel . Pull the lint projection screen directly out to slay it from the dryer . Remove as much lint as you could with a brush , then wipe the covert with a used fabric softener sheet to pick up any remaining piece of lint .

Remove Leftover Lint Inside the Trap

Clean the lint trap ( also known as the lint - gob housing cavity ) from time to time . This is the area in which the filter correspond . Use a long flexible dryer lint brush and a gentle twisting motion to clean the cavity . Vacuum the encounter fair , then restate the process until you ca n’t remove any more lint . instead , essay using the crevice attachment on your emptiness cleaner to clean out the lint .

Clean the Vent Hose and Pipe

Once a twelvemonth or so , clean the dryer ’s venthole hose and pipe to keep the political machine run efficiently . you may either charter a pro or do it yourself with the help of a dryer vent clean kit . To take off , rive the drier away from the wall and disconnect it ( or shut out off the gas if you have a gas role model . ) Disconnect the duct from the dryer and the wall , and use the vent brush to loosen any lint or detritus inside . you may connect the brush head to a practice for extra cleaning power and seize extenders for added length .

Vacuum up any lint on the level and inside the holes in the drier and bulwark using a crevice tool attachment . Repeat this process on the outdoor vent where the exhaust exits your house .

How to Clean Inside a Dryer

Despite how carefully you check everyone ’s pockets , something unexpected can still make it into the dryer . The most likely culprits are pens , wax crayon , chewing gum , confect , and lip rouge . Or maybe you washed a dry - clean - only point whose dye still clings to the barrel . stain inside your dryer can transfer to other apparel and bankrupt them . Here ’s how to make clean the most vulgar stains inside a dryer .

How to Remove Crayon from a Dryer

Check the Drum

Start by match the drum for get - on pieces of crayon . genuflect them off with a moldable spatula or an old deferred payment card . Wipe the drum with a voiced textile sprayed with a small amount of WD-40 until the stain is gone . ( Never spray the WD-40 directly into the dryer . )

Wash the Interior

disconnect the dryer and moisten the inside with fond , soapy water . yield special attending to any country that were pass over with WD-40 . Finish by wiping the drier drum with clean teetotal cloths or endure a burden of ironical material through a complete dry round .

How to Remove Ink from a Dryer

Clean the Interior

start the drier for about 10 minutes to warm up up the metal drum and make it easier to remove the ink . Unplug the drier . soften an one-time white rag week with rubbing or isopropyl alcoholic drink , and use it to remove the ink stains from the warm dryer interior . Change rags as needed to forbid ink from being redistributed . Rinse with a damp , clean livid fabric .

Double- and Triple-Check

Before drying another load of fair dress , train your work . Run an sometime white towel through a complete dry cycle . If it fare out completely white , you ’re done . If not , recapitulate the outgrowth .

How to Remove Dye from a Dryer

Prepare Old Towels

fleece several old towel in a root comprised of three gallons of red-hot piss to one cupful of household blanching agent . Wearing protective eyewear and rubber baseball glove , wring the towels well-nigh ironical .

Run and Repeat

shed the towel in the drum , and execute the dryer for 30 mo at an air - fluff setting . iterate the unconscious process if needed .

How to Remove Candy or Gum from a Dryer

Scrape and Soften Residue

Scrape off as much indurate candy and gum as you’re able to with a formative spatula or erstwhile credit rating card . Unplug the dryer . employ a blast - dryer to soften the rest gum or confect with hot air . Then remove the soften particles by scraping them off with a plastic spatula or old credit card .

Scrub and Wipe Clean

Scrub the varnished field with a shred dampened with an all - determination dry cleaner , then pass over with a clean , dry material .

How to Remove Lipstick from a Dryer

Remove Stains

Remove as much of the lip rouge as potential with a diffused , dry cloth . ( This will be more successful if the dryer is still ardent . ) Unplug the drier and let it cool down down all . Wipe the remaining lip rouge stains with a gentle textile moisten with scratch alcohol .

Clean Thoroughly

Plug the drier back in and dry a small load of old towels to transfer any remaining lipstick discolouration and traces of rub alcohol .

How to Maintain a Dryer

Even if there are no stains to withdraw , you should clean the interior of your dryer about once a month to foreclose odors and residue buildup . come out by unplug the dryer . Use a cloth dipped in warm , soapy body of water to wipe down the drumfish and dry with another clean cloth . If you clean the Department of the Interior of your drier with anything other than soap and water , holdup using it again for several time of day . leave alone the dryer door open and let any fumes or residue dissipate before heating it up again .

How to Clean a Dryer Exterior

Clean the exterior of your dryer every week or two to remove dust , detergent spills , and other buildup . Wipe the drier down with a damp fabric dipped in oleaginous body of water . bump off the soapy balance with a sportsmanlike , wet cloth , then wipe dry .

white utility room with open shelves and large sink

Credit: Brie Williams

white utility room with open shelves and large sink

Credit: Brie Williams

laundry room with shelves above washer and dryer

Credit: Brittany Ambridge

laundry room with blue and white striped floors

Credit: Lauren Rubinstein