How to clean your dryer to prevent a house fire

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Lisa Balick and KOIN 6 News Staff – PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Clothes dryers cause fires in thousands of homes every year due to the highly combustible fuzz they produce.

Here's how it happens: Lint that comes off clothes as they're drying builds up in the dryer and its exhaust ducts, blocking air flow and causing heat to build up.

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Even if you clean the lint trap with each load, it may not be enough to prevent fires. Some lint can get trapped and build up in other parts of the dryer and cause problems.

There are special brushes you can buy from hardware stores or online for less than $20 to get lint out of the duct work. The brushes twist through vents to get all the lint.

If clothes come out of the dryer much hotter or take longer to dry, that could be a warning sign that your dryer may have lint buildup.

You should also make sure there is space between the dryer and the wall to prevent vent material from getting crushed and causing more buildup.