We often take our household appliances for granted and are left hanging when they malfunction. It seems almost inevitable in life that on the day you need your clothes the most, your dryer stops working and they’re all too wet to wear. Needing to get your appliances replaced or repaired is never convenient. One thing that can help you avoid having to make repairs is cleaning.

As with any appliance, ensuring its parts are clean and running smoothly will help extend the life of your dryer and making much less likely you’ll be stuck with a pile of wet clothes. When the vents are clogged, the machine must work harder and so it wears out quicker than usual. The extra wear and tear mean the dryer won’t last as long and it might break down and need repairs more often. However, more importantly, cleaning the vents is also safer. Leaving a build up of lint, dirt, debris in your dryer vents can be extremely dangerous and has been known to start house fires as all that lint is highly flammable.

This is why you clean the lint trap, right? Well, plenty of lint and debris is going to get past the trap into your dryer’s system. So yes, not keeping them clean can even endanger you and your family. On a side note, another consequence of the machine working overtime to dry is that it can affect your electric bill. Just another reason to stay on top of it!