The short answer is once a year. The honest answer depends on how your house is built and how you do laundry. Here is how we help customers set a schedule.
Start with the baseline: every 12 months
The U.S. Fire Administration, the National Fire Protection Association and nearly every dryer manufacturer recommend having the exhaust duct cleaned annually. For a household doing 4–6 loads a week with a straight, short run to a wall vent, that's the right interval.
Move to every 6 months if any of these apply
- Roof vent. Lint falls back down the vertical run and mats against the cap. Roof vents clog about twice as fast as wall vents.
- 8+ loads a week. Big families, cloth diapers, sports uniforms. More loads, more lint.
- Pets. Fur and dander produce dramatically more lint than fabric alone.
- Duct over 25 feet or 3+ elbows. Every elbow is a collection point.
- Gas dryer. Same lint, but a blockage also backs up carbon monoxide. Err on the side of caution.
- Older flex duct. Ridged foil or vinyl duct traps lint; until it's replaced, clean more often.
Why Minnesota is harder on vents
Cold caps condense the moisture in dryer exhaust, so lint arrives damp and sticky and packs harder. Snow drifts bury low wall vents and freeze flappers. Spring brings birds looking for warm 4-inch holes. A fall cleaning before heavy winter use is the best single appointment of the year; roof vents benefit from a second visit in spring.
Between cleanings
- Clean the lint screen every load and wash it monthly with dish soap to remove softener film.
- Check the outdoor flapper opens while the dryer runs.
- Keep shrubs and snow 12 inches from the cap.
- Make sure the transition hose isn't crushed behind the dryer.
Not sure where you land? Book once and we'll tell you how much lint came out and recommend an interval. Book online, or read about pricing.