Short answer: if clothes take more than one cycle to dry, the dryer gets very hot, or you smell something burning, the vent is probably clogged with lint. Lint is highly flammable, so a blocked vent is a fire hazard. Most homes should have the full vent run cleaned at least once a year.
Warning signs of a clogged dryer vent
- Clothes still damp after a full cycle
- The dryer or the laundry room gets unusually hot
- A burning smell when the dryer runs
- Lint collecting around the door seal or behind the dryer
- The outside vent flap barely opens when the dryer is on
- Birds or nests near the outside vent
Why the lint trap is not enough
The lint screen catches most lint, but some always gets past it and builds up inside the duct, especially at bends and in long runs. Over time that buildup restricts airflow, the dryer runs hotter and longer, and the risk of fire goes up.
How often to clean it
Read the full guide: how often should you clean your dryer vent.
At least once a year for most homes. More often for large families, frequent laundry, pets, or long or twisting vent runs.
Condos and townhouses
Many condos in Toronto, North York and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre have long dryer vent runs to the exterior wall. Long runs clog faster and are harder to reach. If drying times have crept up in your suite, the vent is the first thing to check.
What you can do yourself
- Clean the lint screen after every load.
- Wash the screen with soap and water every few months to remove fabric softener film.
- Check the outside vent flap opens freely.
- Do not run the dryer when you leave the house.
- Replace flimsy foil or plastic connectors with rigid or semi-rigid metal duct.
What a professional cleaning involves
The dryer is pulled out, the connector is checked, and the full run from the dryer to the outside hood is brushed and vacuumed. Bird nests and blockages at the exterior hood are removed, and airflow is checked at the end.
Check the outside hood in two minutes
The quickest test is outside. Run the dryer on a heat setting, go to the exterior vent hood and hold your hand in front of it. You should feel a strong, warm flow of air, and the flaps should open fully. Weak airflow, flaps that barely move, lint caught around the hood or a nest behind a screen all point to a blockage. Look at the hood when the dryer is off too: flaps that stay stuck open let in cold air, insects and birds, and a screen over the outlet catches lint and should not be there.
Where lint usually collects
- Behind the dryer: the transition hose gets crushed when the dryer is pushed back against the wall.
- Elbows and turns: every bend slows the air and lets lint settle.
- Long horizontal runs: common in basements and condos, where lint builds along the bottom of the duct.
- The exterior hood: lint mixes with moisture and hardens around the flaps, especially in winter.
- Inside the dryer cabinet: lint slips past the screen and gathers around the blower housing.
Why the problem gets worse in winter
In cold weather, warm, damp air from the dryer meets a freezing duct wall near the outside of the house. Moisture condenses inside the vent and turns loose lint into a sticky layer that traps more lint on every load. Ice can also form around the hood and keep the flaps from opening. That is why many households in Ontario notice longer drying times between December and March, and why fall is a good time to have the vent cleaned.
Book a dryer vent cleaning
UltiClean cleans the full run from the dryer to the exterior hood with rotary brushes and strong suction, checks the transition hose and confirms airflow at the hood. Call (647) 676-0576 or see dryer vent cleaning.
Clogged Dryer Vent FAQs
Can a clogged vent damage my dryer?
Yes. Overheating wears out heating elements, thermostats and belts sooner.
Can you clean the dryer vent with the air ducts?
Yes. Many people book both together.
UltiClean offers dryer vent cleaning on its own or with air duct cleaning, across Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Aurora and Newmarket. Call (647) 676-0576.
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Carpets, air ducts and tile and grout across Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Vaughan and Toronto.
Written by
Carpet, air duct and tile cleaning specialist at UltiClean
Seyedamir (Amir) Vafamand has 12 years of hands-on experience cleaning carpets, upholstery, air ducts, dryer vents and tile and grout in homes across Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Aurora and Newmarket. This guide is based on that work.
- 12 years of experience
- 1,100+ jobs completed on Jiffy
- 98% approval rating
- $2M liability insurance
UltiClean Air Duct & Carpet Cleaning Services
54 Limeridge St
Aurora, ON L4G 7X9
(647) 676-0576, open 24 hours, 7 days a week