Clean Those Dryers!!

11/24/2021 (Permalink)

Many common ways a fire is started is because people forget to change out the lint traps before putting a new load to dry. Every year, firefighters across the country respond to around 13,820 home fires caused by clothes dryers, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Dryer fires are responsible for seven deaths, 344 civilian injuries, and $233 million in property damage annually. Here are 4 tips to prevent a house fire due to lint. 

1. Clean out lint traps: Clean it out every single load, this helps prevent fire and helps your laundry dry faster.
2. Replace accordion style ducts: Generally, dryers are equipped with a 4-inch vent in the back, which homeowners or installers connect to the exterior vent with a duct. But not all ducts will do. If you see a plastic or foil accordion-style duct connecting your appliance to the vent, it’s a good idea to replace it. These are risky because they can sag, allowing lint to build up at low points and trapping lint in their ridges
3. Clean the dryer duct annually: If you notice that your dryer takes longer to dry laundry than it used to, that’s a clue that there may be a blockage in the dryer vent system
4. Handle chemical stains with care: Clothes stained with gas, cooking oil, cleaning agents, or other flammable chemicals or substances need special care. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends washing such stained clothing more than once to minimize volatile chemicals, then hanging to dry

Here at SERVPRO Kempsville/Military Circle we can help get things back to normal with any fire that happens. Give us a call at 757-479-4447 and we will be glad to help.