How do you clean a dryer lint filter?

Dryer vent cleaning: how to clean the lint filter

To clean a dryer lint filter, take it out, remove the fluff, rinse it when residue builds up and let it dry before refitting. On a condenser or heat pump dryer, clean the condenser too (see the next section). The National Environment Agency (NEA) advises in its energy-saving tips that you clean the lint filter in the clothes dryer after every load to improve air circulation.

Electrolux's dryer performance troubleshooting page, written for its own dryers, lists dirty or blocked filters as a common cause of poor drying. It advises removing the fluff, rinsing the filter under a hot tap, letting it dry before refitting and replacing it if water cannot pass through, and notes that a filter may look clean but still be blocked. For other makes, check your own manual.

1. Take out the filter. Open the door and remove the lint filter as your manual shows.
2. Remove the fluff. Lift the lint off the mesh and put it in the bin.
3. Rinse when needed. Rinse the filter under a hot tap when residue builds up.
4. Check the flow. If water will not pass through the mesh, replace the filter.
5. Dry and refit. Let the filter dry fully before you put it back.

Condenser and heat pump dryers

Condenser and heat pump dryers have more to clean than the lint filter. Electrolux's dryer troubleshooting FAQs explain that a condenser dryer cools the moist air through a heat exchanger and collects the water.

For its own heat pump and condenser dryers, Electrolux's performance troubleshooting page says to clean the condenser and its compartment. It also says detergent residue can clog filters. Its heat pump dryers dry at a maximum of about 54 degrees C, so cycles take longer. This is Electrolux's guidance for its own models; other makes may place the condenser differently or add a second filter, so follow your own manual for where it sits, whether it lifts out and how often to clean it.

If you are still choosing a machine, the condenser vs heat pump dryer comparison sets out how the two types differ.

Vented dryers and the hose

Electrolux's dryer troubleshooting FAQs explain that a venting dryer needs a ducting hose to vent moist air out of an enclosed room. If the hose is crushed, kinked or packed with lint, the air cannot flow out freely.

Keep the hose as short and straight as the space allows, with no sharp bends or loops behind the machine. Make sure the free end leads out of the room, not into a cabinet. About once a month, with the dryer unplugged, pull it out a little, check the hose for kinks or tears, and clear any lint from the hose end and the floor around it. Replace a hose that is torn or crushed flat.

Lint behind a hot appliance is worth clearing as part of general home safety. The home fire safety checklist covers other checks around the home.

Signs the filter or vent is clogged

These signs suggest the filter, condenser or hose needs attention:

• Longer drying times. A load that used to finish in one cycle now needs a second run.
• Damp clothes. Thick items such as towels and jeans come out damp at the seams or pockets.
• A hot casing. The sides of the dryer feel hotter than usual.
• A musty smell. Clothes or the drum smell stale after drying.

If you notice any of these, clean the filter, then the condenser or hose, and run a normal load to compare. Heat pump models run longer cycles anyway, so judge drying time against your manual.

A musty smell does not always start in the dryer. If clothes smell stale straight out of the washer, see how to clean a washing machine.

A simple routine

NEA's energy-saving tips advise cleaning the lint filter in the clothes dryer after every load. For the rest, follow your manual and how often you use the dryer.

The weekly cleaning schedule shows how to fit small jobs like these into your week. If you book deep cleaning for your home, ask whether the laundry area, including the space behind the dryer, is part of the job.

Questions