Dryer Safety
Myth or Fact? Don’t let your dryer run while you are not at home.
The other day a friend was late to a meet up and she had mentioned that she had to turn back because she forgot to turn her dryer off when they left the house. I was very confused. She continued to tell me that her mom had always told her that they could not leave the dryer on in case it was to start a fire. I knew immediately that I had to look into this.
After doing my research I discovered this to be both a myth and a fact. Dryers will not just randomly start fires but without proper maintenance they can be a fire hazard.
According to the US Fire Administration (USFA) there are 370,000 home structure fires each year. Appliances are 12th on the list of causes at 3%. And dryers specifically account for only 2,900 of those home fires. The leading cause of dryer fires is simple maintenance, cleaning the dryer itself*.
You can prevent a dryer fire with some basic maintenance and installation**.
- Make sure the correct electrical plug and outlet are being used and that the dryer is connected properly.
- Clean the lint filter before and after each load of laundry. Don’t forget to clean the back of the dryer where lint can build up. In addition, clean the lint filter with a nylon brush at least every six months or more often if it becomes clogged.
- Clean lint out of the vent pipe every three months.
- Make sure the outdoor vent covering opens when the dryer is on and is not damaged or restricted by debris or potential animal nests.
- Replace flexible or plastic venting with a solid metal duct. This will allow the lint to flow freely to the exterior.
*https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/#causesR
**https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/clothes_dryers.html