" Dryers are household workhorse courts and often work reliably for years but the dryer vent requires regular maintenance. Lint can build up in the dryer exhaust vent reducing the dryers efficiency. And posing a fire risk here's how to easily clean dryer vent. Opening the dryer door war and grabbing the dryer from the inside pull the dryer back from the wall. Behind the dryer you'll find the dryer vent hose and that a volt plug for electrical drive gas dryers will have a gas line and a 120. Evil. volt plug. unplug the dryer. Using a screwdriver. Unscrew the clamp holding the flexible vent hose to the aluminum elbow. And detach the flexible hose. Remove the aluminum -- elbow inspected inspect it lent. lint. a flashlight. Inspect the vent inside the dryer to make sure articles of clothing or other objects have not become lodged in the vent pipe. Now using an industrial vacuum cleaner first. Clean the back of the drive dryer then vacuum the area surrounding the vent pipe. Finally. Vacuum out the inside of the internal dryer vent. Next it's time to attack the inside of the flexible vent clothes. hose. all the lint from the inside of the dryer for vent hose. we head off to clean the rest of the -- dryer a good idea to vacuum up all the lint and dust behind the dryer. And scrub the entire area behind the dryer to get rid of soaps go scum -- lint sticks to -- When the cleanup is complete slide the flexible dryer vent hose over the aluminum elbow and using the screwdriver. Tighten the hose clamp until the connection is snug. Then slide the aluminum elbow over the end of the dryer vent pipe. Every dryer venting system is different. This one passes through the rule wall the floor and out through the outside wall. Dryer vent lines should be as short as possible. Loosen the hose clamps. And disconnect the vent pipe running under the floor. Pull apart the sections of the -- duct longer the dryer vent pipe run. The more buildup of lint you can expect in the pipes. It's not unusual to find a buildup of lint coating the inside of each section of the pipe. Without regular cleaning. The lint will continue to build up blocking the passage of air reducing the dryers efficiency and offering a fire hazard. To remove the -- lint vacuumed vacuum it from each section of pipe within with an vacuum cleaner. Also. Vacuum out any flexible connecting duct pipe. This leads to the exterior vent cover. Vacuum the flexible duct until it's lint free. Next wearing gloves a dust mask and safety glasses removed the remove stuffed around the duct leading to the exterior vent. Unscrew the hose clamp. And separate homes. The the hose. vent will either be nailed or screwed to the outer surface of the house. Carefully remove the fasteners and gently slide it out and away from the house. Vacuum out the inside of the exterior vent. Be sure to vacuum up underneath the vent door. If lint gets stuck outside the hinged weather door. It can prevent the lint door from opening. Replaced the Replace vent and refashion it refasten place with -- nails or either Slide the inner aluminum plate over the exterior vent pipe. Until it is tight against the wall of the house. Reconnect the flexible hose to the exterior vent pipe. And tighten it down with a whose plan. hose clamp. batting all the way around the vent -- this duct will prevent heat loss and drafts. Attach the other end of the flexible duct to the rigid aluminum deducting that ducting under the floor. And replace and tighten the clamp. Now connected to connect the two rigid aluminum -- back duct again. Reassemble the flexible pipe from the laundry room to the duct pipe that runs across the basement. And tighten the clamp that secures the flexible hose to the rigid duct. Make one last check that all the connections are tight. And the duct runs straight and level. Reconnect the electrical plug for the -- Slide dryer dryer back into place. And you're ready for your next load. Knowing that the dryer will be running more efficiently and with greater safety."