According to the Nation Fire Protection Association, nearly 3,000 dryer fires happen every year, and those fires cause an estimated 35 million in property loss, hundreds of injuries, and even five deaths. Clogged dryer vents are one of the leading causes of these fires.

Even if your dryer doesn’t burst into flames, dirty dried vents can still be dangerous. Blocked dryer vents cause harmful gas fumes to make their way into the home. Breathing these fumes can negatively affect your health.

So even though cleaning out dryer vents is a chore that usually gets overlooked, it's an important one. Doing some dryer vent cleaning may actually make your life a little bit easier too.

Clean dryer vents work better than dirty dryers, and that means your clothes will dry faster. If it takes more than one load to fully dry your clothes should dry in a single load. Your dryer will also last longer if you keep it clean. The dirtier it is the harder it has to work to do its job. This could cause it to burn out or need maintenance much sooner than it should. 

The Department of Energy says that a hard-working dryer makes your energy bill go up, why is that? Because when a dirty dryer works harder, it uses up more energy. Cleaning out your vents can make your bill go back down. The main benefit of a clean dryer is your family’s safety. There’s no need to put off cleaning your vents and end up with fire hazards.

Usual signs that your dryer vents gives up are the following:

• The clothes take more than a cycle to dry

• After being done with a cycle, the clothes smell musty

• The room feels hot when the dryer is running

• There’s lint build up in the lint trap

• Clothes are unusually hot after a drying cycle