How to Clean a Dryer Duct

Follow the airflow from the screen to the outlet

You clear the lint screen, but your clothes still need longer to dry. Lint may be collecting farther along the exhaust path. We'd start with the screen and trap after shutting down the dryer, because a blocked screen increases drying time and clearing the trap helps airflow.

Extra-hot clothes, moisture or lint collecting indoors, and a slight charred smell without an obvious source are other reasons to check the vent. Lint and dust can restrict airflow and cause overheating, and trapped lint can also pose a fire hazard.

These cleaning steps are for dryers that exhaust outdoors. If yours is ventless or condensing, follow its model-specific maintenance instructions instead, because it doesn't use an exterior exhaust path. For a vented dryer, check your model's access instructions and use the cleaning equipment according to its instructions and applicable local rules.

Gather your tools and unplug the dryer

Gather a dryer vent cleaning brush or kit and a vacuum with a hose attachment. A crevice tool or brush attachment lets you clean the lint trap, and you may need a screwdriver for the vent clamps. If your brush kit has extra handle sections, have them ready for extending into the wall duct.

Turn off and unplug the dryer before cleaning, moving it or adjusting the vent. This prevents accidental operation while parts are removed or disconnected.

Before moving anything, locate the hose or duct behind the dryer and the outlet outdoors. Think through how you'll reach both ends, because cleaning from outside still leaves interior work to do.

Choose the route you can actually reach

The same screen-to-outlet route applies to vented dryers, but the access points change the job. We'd arrange help for a concealed or hard-to-reach section instead of leaving part of the duct full of lint.

Clean the screen and the space it sits in

The removable screen catches lint, but the trap around it needs attention too. Use your model's instructions to locate and remove the screen, which is commonly near the dryer door.

For routine lint removal, gently lift the lint off by hand. Keep the screen dry and don't scrub it during this job, because wet lint is harder to remove.

1. Remove the screen, lift off its lint by hand and set it aside. You should be able to see the trap opening. If lint is still stuck to the screen, clean the screen according to your model's instructions before replacing it.
2. Vacuum the inside and outside of the lint trap with a crevice tool or brush attachment. The accessible opening should be clear of loose lint. If you can't reach a blockage, ask a service professional to clear the remaining area.
3. If your dryer has moisture sensor strips on the outside of the trap, vacuum those too. Put the screen back in place before working on the duct.

Keep the screen and duct jobs separate in your maintenance routine. Clearing the screen after a load helps with lint there, while the hose and duct still need their own cleaning.

Make room and detach the hose

Once the shutdown preparation is complete, ask another person to help you carefully move the dryer about one foot away from the wall. That gives you room to clear debris while helping protect you and the appliance.

Unscrew the clamps or remove the attachment tape holding the vent to the back of the dryer. Detach the hose at the wall connection too, using a screwdriver where the clamps require it. The rear hose and wall opening should now be accessible.

Include the back of the dryer and the inside of the detached hose in the cleaning.

If you can't move the dryer, you can clean from an accessible exterior wall outlet, but the interior still needs attention, so hire a professional for that part. Maytag owners can review the brand's cleaning and service options (opens in a new tab) when deciding how to arrange the remaining work.

Loosen the lint, then vacuum it out

Start by lifting out large pieces of lint with your hands. Use the dryer cleaning brush to loosen the remaining buildup, then collect lint and dust in crevices with the vacuum hose. The brush loosens material so the vacuum can pick it up.

1. Work gently around the back of the dryer, then through the detached hose, following its turns with the brush. Vacuum the loosened debris. If lint remains in a turn you can't reach, leave that section for a professional to clear.
2. Insert the brush into the dryer-side duct and rotate it as you go. Open the dryer door, then vacuum the duct as you withdraw the brush. The reachable duct should be free of loose lint; get help if the brush stops at an obstruction you can't clear.
3. Insert the brush into the exhaust duct that enters the wall. Add handle sections as needed, rotate the brush according to the kit instructions and vacuum up the loosened lint. If the brush can't reach through a long or sharply bent run, ask for a full-run inspection and cleaning.

Some kits support powered rotation. Use a drill or electric screwdriver only as directed for your particular kit, so the tool choice stays matched to the brush you're using.

If you need a visual reference for either opening, these brush-and-vacuum steps (opens in a new tab) show the dryer-side duct and the section entering the wall.

Clear the outdoor opening too

Check that the outdoor outlet is unobstructed and its flap or louvers can open. The exhaust must end outdoors, not in an attic or crawlspace.

1. Where the outdoor end is accessible, open or remove the cover and lift out large lint clumps by hand. The opening should be clear enough for its flap or louvers to move; if you can't reach it safely, leave this step to a professional.
2. Brush inside the ductwork, then vacuum out the loosened lint and debris. If you can't reach through to the section cleaned indoors, ask for the remaining run to be inspected and cleaned.
3. Replace the exterior cover, including any louver cover you removed for access. The opening should be clear, with the flaps able to open.

Reconnect without squeezing the duct

Clean up loose lint around the dryer, then secure the vent between the wall and the back of the machine. Reattach the clamps or attachment tape as applicable before plugging the dryer back in.

For a gas dryer, have the qualified professional reconnect the gas supply and restore service. Keep that work separate from the vent connections you're handling. Never run a gas dryer with its exhaust duct disconnected.

Ask another person to help you gently slide the dryer back into place. Don't crush the duct behind it. Keep the hose as short and direct as possible, because excessive length and bends can restrict airflow and encourage lint buildup.

Rigid and semirigid metal ducts are less likely to kink or crush, but they give you less room to maneuver when aligning the connections. If your existing setup has a corrugated or accordion-style hose, align the dryer so the hose sits compactly and directly without being crushed. Follow your model's requirements for that connection.

If a connector remains crushed or damaged, arrange to replace it before using the dryer. Our guide to installing a new dryer vent covers the route and materials.

Before the test cycle, check the parts you've worked on. The ductwork should be cleared, the connections secure, the hose uncrushed and the outdoor outlet unobstructed with opening flaps.

Once the connections, power and any gas supply are restored and the dryer is back in position, run an empty cycle. On Whirlpool dryers, run it for 10 to 15 minutes to remove excess dust. On Maytag dryers, run it for roughly 15 minutes to clear residual debris.

During that cycle, check from a safe, reachable spot that the outdoor flap or louvers open. If they stay shut, stop using the dryer and arrange cleaning or inspection of the part of the run you couldn't clear. On Samsung models that offer a Vent Blockage test, a result of 0 or End means the duct system is normal and unblocked; use that model's instructions for the test controls.

Cleaning can restore airflow and improve drying. Pay attention to how subsequent loads dry. If extra-hot clothes, indoor moisture or a burning smell continues, stop using the dryer and request service to find the cause.

For a long, concealed or inaccessible house duct, ask a duct-cleaning professional to inspect and clean the full run, then check the outlet's operation. Report the longer drying times, heat, moisture or smell that prompted the work and which parts you already cleaned. Request a quote for your specific duct run. For Maytag dryers, internal house-vent cleaning is outside the appliance warranty and is not performed by an appliance service technician.

Questions that come up while cleaning

Dryer sheets can also leave film inside the drum. If that's the buildup you see, what dryer sheets do covers that separate care issue.

Give the screen and duct separate reminders

Clean the lint screen after every use, because lint blocking the screen can increase drying time. That routine is separate from cleaning the larger exhaust path.

For the duct, we'd set an annual reminder and clean it sooner if drying performance worsens. The DOE's annual guidance is a useful routine; Whirlpool and Maytag give at least once every two years, with your model's instructions and usage affecting the timing.