If your clothes need two cycles to dry, the vent is probably the problem. Lint that gets past the lint screen builds up inside the vent pipe, and when the air can’t get out, the dryer runs hotter and longer. That wastes energy, wears out the heating element, and creates a real fire risk. O So Kleen cleans dryer vents from the machine all the way to the outside wall or roof cap, so the dryer can breathe again.
We’re a Hermiston company, and our fire restoration crews see firsthand what a clogged dryer vent can do. A routine cleaning costs far less than cleaning up after a laundry room fire. We clean dryer vents in homes, manufactured homes, rentals, apartments, and commercial laundry rooms across Eastern Oregon and the Tri-Cities.
Call us if you notice any of these:
This matters for safety. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, about 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported in U.S. homes each year, and failure to clean is the leading cause, behind 34% of them. They happen most in winter, with January the peak month, when dryers run the most.
Eastern Oregon adds its own problems. Wind-blown dust and field silt stick to the damp lint inside the vent. Birds and wasps like to nest in warm exterior vent hoods. And many manufactured homes vent the dryer down through the floor and under the home, where a long, sagging line can fill with lint, or come loose and blow lint and moisture into the underbelly.
Q: How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
A: Once a year for most homes. Clean it more often if you have a large family, run several loads a day, have pets, or have a long vent line or one that exits through the roof or under the home. Rentals are best done between tenants, since you don’t know how the last renter used the dryer.
Q: Isn’t cleaning the lint screen enough?
A: No. The lint screen catches most lint, but not all of it. What gets past it builds up inside the vent pipe, especially at bends, low spots, and the outside hood, where you can’t see or reach it.
Q: Can a clogged dryer vent cause a fire?
A: Yes. Lint catches fire easily, and a clogged vent traps heat around the dryer’s heating element. The U.S. Fire Administration lists failure to clean as the leading cause of home dryer fires.
Q: Will cleaning the vent lower my energy bill?
A: It usually helps. When air moves freely, clothes dry in fewer and shorter cycles, so the dryer uses less power or gas and the heating element and motor don’t wear out as fast.
Q: My dryer vents under my manufactured home. Can you clean it?
A: Yes. Under-floor dryer vents are common in manufactured homes, and they need attention because the line is long and often sags or comes loose. We clean the line, reconnect it securely, and make sure it vents outside the skirting, not into the crawl space.
Q: Can you clean dryer vents and air ducts in the same visit?
A: Yes, and it saves you a second appointment. Many customers book air duct cleaning and dryer vent cleaning together.
O So Kleen offers dryer vent cleaning throughout Umatilla and Morrow counties and the Tri-Cities, including:
We work with homeowners, landlords, property managers, and businesses with commercial laundry rooms.
Dry your clothes faster, lower your energy bill, and reduce your fire risk. Call O So Kleen to schedule dryer vent cleaning in Hermiston or anywhere in our service area. If you’re also due for duct cleaning, ask about doing both in one visit.
