Genius House Hacks · a GopherCentral & PulseTV publication
Laundry & Safety · November 7, 2026 edition

Fifteen Minutes Fixed It Completely

From Anisa's Genius House Hacks newsletter.

Anisa cleaning her dryer vent hose with a vacuum and a long flexible brush.

Hello Neighbor! My laundry has been taking twice as long to dry lately, and I almost called a repairman before I checked one simple thing first.

Turns out the vent itself was packed with lint, not just the little trap inside the door. Five years in this house and I never once thought to check it.

Fifteen minutes with a long brush and my vacuum fixed it completely, and my dryer runs faster and safer now. Below is how I do mine.

Be Well,
Anisa

Clear Out Your Dryer Vent, Not Just the Lint Trap

A dryer vent clogged with lint makes your machine work harder, run hotter, and take longer to dry a single load, and it is also a real fire risk.

How to Do It

Unplug the dryer and pull it away from the wall. Disconnect the vent hose from the back of the machine. Push a long flexible vent brush through the hose and the wall duct in both directions. Vacuum up the loosened lint, then reconnect everything and check that the outside vent flap opens freely.

More Ways to Use It

Wipe down the lint trap screen with warm soapy water every few months, dryer sheets leave a film a quick swipe will not always catch. Set a reminder to repeat the full vent cleaning once a year, more often if you run loads daily.

Ask the Genius: How Often Should I Clean Out My Dryer Vent?

"How often should I actually clean out my dryer vent?"

Once a year is the general rule for most households, more often if you do laundry daily or notice clothes taking longer to dry than they used to.

Did You Know?

Clogged dryer vents are one of the leading causes of home laundry room fires every year. A once a year cleaning, more if you run loads daily, is one of the easiest ways to keep that risk down.

Got a handy tip of your own?

Reply back to Anisa, she loves reading your emails.

Subscribe to Genius House Hacks
This edition is part of the Genius House Hacks archive: 20+ years of tips, rebuilt from the original Handy Hints newsletter. Browse more hacks →