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It’s Time To Clean Your Dryer Vent, And This Tool Can Help

Do it for your safety — but also for the efficiency of your laundry routine.

Posted 6 hours ago

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by Erica Kam Contributor, HuffPost

Erica Kam is a freelance contributor for HuffPost Shopping based in New York City.

You may already be diligent about cleaning the lint screen after every dryer cycle when you’re doing your laundry, but how often are you cleaning the dryer vent (the hose that extends to the outside)? If it’s been a while, you’ll want to listen up for the sake of your safety (and also for the sake of your laundry, if you’ve noticed your dryer becoming less efficient). Cleaning your dryer vent regularly is important — and the right tool can make this annoying household task much easier.

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Experts have previously told HuffPost that the built-up lint in dryer vents can actually be a fire hazard, causing thousands of fires each year, and that lint often builds up faster through the winter due to people running their dryers more frequently and with heavier loads. So if your spring cleaning this year didn’t involve cleaning out the dryer vent, you’ll want to get it done ASAP, and at least once a year.

If the thought of the chore exhausts you, we get it: Many of the hoses can have tricky angles that make it hard to get all that lint, and you might be tempted to just call a professional. But if you’d rather save the money and get this task done yourself, reviewers say this dryer vent cleaner kit by Holikme is “incredibly effective and easy to use, making it a must-have for anyone who wants to ensure their dryer operates efficiently and safely.”

Notably, the all-in-one kit requires no tools for installation and operation other than a standard household drill you likely already own. Your purchase comes with a 4-inch-wide heavy-duty brush head, a flexible nylon handle that extends in sections up to 15 feet, a smaller lint brush, a drill bit adapter, and even protective gloves to wear while using it all.

To use, connect as many sections of the flexible handle as you think you’ll need to get deep into your vent, by screwing them on counterclockwise. Then attach the brush at one end, and the rod to your drill at the other. (You can also use the kit without a drill, according to the brand; it’ll just involve more elbow grease without the drill doing the work of motorized spinning.)

“I was shocked at how much lint I could remove,” one reviewer shared, a sentiment echoed by many others, including one who said, “I realize now there was a real fire hazard there and I’m so grateful to find it before there was a disaster. This brush works great especially when used with a drill. I now plan to make this an annual maintenance and have made my family and friends aware that they may want to check their own hoses.”

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Some others said that based on their findings of huge amounts of clogged-up lint, it’s possible that the previous owners of their homes never cleaned their dryer vents at all. If you didn’t know how important this annual task was before reading this, it’s probable they didn’t know either, making it even more important to check your vent now if you haven’t already been doing so regularly.

In fact, shoppers say that using the Holikme tool to clean their vents even helped their dryers work better. “Our dryer now dries in half the time,” one said. Another chimed in, “No more having to dry loads of laundry 2 or 3 times. Called around the ‘pros’ and it ranged from $75 to $200+. Even if it didn’t work, it would put my mind at ease that I wasn’t an idiot for paying a pro to come out…glad it didn’t come to that.”

If you’ve been thinking that your dryer may need replacing, check the vent first: One reviewer shared that when their new dryer was as inefficient as the old one, an appliance repairman recommended this kit, which was “such a simple fix.” “Maybe we wouldn’t have even needed a new dryer if we had done this in the first place,” they wrote.

Reviewers also say that the extendable handle is better able to reach into vents with tough angles compared to other similar tools. “We have a couple of sharp bends in our dryer vent that previous brushes couldn’t really push through. This worked amazingly and quickly, cleaning and loosening the lint,” said one reviewer.

Needless to say, cleaning your dryer vent is an absolute must, and this tool gets it done for $15 at home without needing to pay even more money to a professional. Below, you’ll find some more customer reviews from people who have noticed a difference after using the Holikme kit. Trust us, you’re going to want to grab one for yourself.

“I recently replaced my outside dryer vent cover with one that permits easy access to the vent pipe. I bought this cleaner brush kit and it works exactly has I had hoped. Combined with my cordless drill operating at low speed, cleaning the entire six foot run was easy and without issues. The extendable shaft has just the right stiffness - flexible enough to navigate curves at offsets, yet stiff enough to avoid floppiness or oscillations. A great value for the money and well made out of appropriate material. Fits the standard four inch duct perfectly. Very inexpensive and a great value. My dryer duct was cleaned out beautifully.” —JL Borges

“Worth the purchase! I was wondering why my dryer wasn’t drying as it should. It kept taking 2-3 more times to run until my clothes got fully dry and after cleaning out the dryer vent, it miraculously dried all my clothes in one go. I also found it oddly satisfying to pull the dust balls out too. Pretty sure the previous owners never cleaned the dryer vent.” —Kelly C

“This was Dryer Vent Cleaner was AMAZING and pulled out years of lint that I had no idea of how much had accumulated deep in the back of the vent. This is a MUST HAVE if you have vent tubing from your dryer.” —Patrick

“Our last vent cleaner had somehow gotten lost in our shed, so we ordered this one. It worked perfectly and easily cleaned out our dryer vent. It was a perfect fit and well constructed. Cleaning out that vent saved at least 20 minutes off of drying time on a load of clean laundry.” —Calibamawife

“Fantastic! Easy to assemble and with the sections makes it effortless to get the right length. We have a couple of sharp bends in our dryer vent that previous brushes couldn’t really push through. This worked amazingly and quickly, cleaning and loosening the lint. I took our leaf blower and blew out the vent, but this brush had removed at least 95% of it already.” —DH

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in three colors).