Surprising Facts About Clothes Dryers

Clothes dryers are a necessity for laundry day, but did you know they can also be a serious fire hazard? Don't believe it? Just take a look at some of these stats from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Clothes dryers are responsible for more than 15,000 fires every year – that's over 40 per day!
• One out of every 22 house fires is caused by a drying machine.
• Clothes dryers cause more residential fires every year than chimneys.
• By far, the leading cause of dryer fires was identified as "failure to clean". 

So, how can you protect yourself from becoming a victim of clothes dryer fires? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Clean the lint screen before every load of laundry.
• Make sure your exhaust tube vents directly to the outside – never to an attic or a crawl space.
• Don't run your dryer when the house is empty, and never ever run it while everyone is asleep.
• Have your exhaust vent professionally cleaned every year.

The exhaust vent is the aluminum tube that attaches to the back of your dryer. It is responsible for venting excess heat to the outside. Lint can accumulate in this vent, and when too much collects, it can catch on fire. In addition to creating a safety hazard, lint buildup also hurts your appliance's energy efficiency and shortens its lifespan.

GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration offers professional dryer vent cleaning services to homes and business across Long Island. If you live in Nassau County or Suffolk County, contact us today for a free quote at (631) 940-8100.