Practicing putting it back together before things are completely taken apart is a brilliant idea that could have saved me time and sanity on almost any project I've ever done. Better late than never. Thanks!
Years ago, I decided to fix my dishwasher and when I took pieces out I placed them in the exact order they were removed. It helped a lot until my husband showed up and started moving things around while he watched.
An additional tip and one that is really easy, is to actually wash the filter screen with a little dish soap and soft brush. If you use fabric soften or dryer sheets, an invisible film will form on the screen that will reduce the air flow and increase drying time. Next time after you remove the lint from the filter, run it under water and you will see that the water has trouble passing through it. After a very light soap scrubbing, you will see the the water now flows freely through the filter. How often depends on frequency of use.
I've stopped using dryer sheets for this very reason. I use softener in my wash; that's enough. I use wool dryer balls, and my laundry is soft, and my dryer filter is easy to clean.
@rayseto2724 I haven't tried that yet. Took me days to figure out how to open the bl**dy lint trap. (No instruction manual, even though brand new machine.) On my Samsung model, the lint trap is like a narrow bucket. Not sure how easy it'll be to vacuum, given its strange configuration, even opened up. Also not sure how well it would deal with dryer sheets buildup. But worth a try. Somehow the idea of a soft brush and water sounds more hygienic? No idea why I think that!
@@rayseto2724, I usually remove lint from screen after every use by just pulling/rubbing it off the screen. The vacuuming would be for the filter cavity which I don’t do after every use. I suppose I could get out the vacuum and clean the filter screen with it after each use but it’s just easier for me to do it by hand and occasionally rinse the filter. As an experiment, I will vacuum the screen before the next rinse to see if that removes the invisible softener film 🤔.
I saw something like this on Dateline years ago. They were showing just how many fires are caused in dryer lint traps each year. I lived in apt above the laundry room. One day I was walking up to garbage area and the outside vent for dryer was there with chunks of lint was coming out of the vent. I put my hand in and started pulling out first fulls of lint. It was really impacted. I thought if it is this bad here what's going on in the dryer. I always cleaned out the lint filter before and after drying but others didn't. I mentioned this to the management company for the apt that is a fire hazard waiting to happen, but they did nothing or the job done was not very good. Thank you for reminding people and showing how to do the cleaning.
I live in a (4-story) apartment building too. Only once did an outside lint-cleaning "specialist" vendor cleaned out my dryer in my apartment - but only the hose leading to the dryer - not the vent trap. The maintenance supervisor at the time said it was a law that this needed to be cleaned periodically. I live in California - I never heard of this law. But I think it should be a law - a full clean of the dryer hose and the lint trap - with a follow-up inspection to certify it's been done. The do yearly service & checks on our fire extinguishers and sprinklers. This should be added as another yearly service and inspection by making it an official law. I've lived in my apartment for 16 years now - and only the one time, it's been checked and not fully cleaned. Thank you, Dan, for the detailed video, I will be trying to do this myself. 🙏😊
2 of my friends died in a dryer fire when we were 20, their dogs too. Just saw them a few hours earlier and was told she had to go home to do laundry because she wanted the go see her mom the next day for mother’s day. 30 years later i still think of them everytime i do laundry, never run it when i am away or asleep (they went to bed) and i keep fire extinguishers in every room. If kids ever sleep over, i make sure we have a fire escape plan. Yes, I have been totally paranoid ever since.
@@freydaym4514 Oh wow, Frey, I'm so sorry to hear this. Such a huge loss in such a meaningless way. Thanks for sharing this painful slice of your story!
Found your video because my daughter was having issues with her dryer filter not snapping down into place. Her clothes were catching on it and being ruined. We thought there might be something under it. Sure enough, her dryer (which is identical to your video) was packed with a huge amount of lint - probably twice as much as shown in your video. Thank you so much for your very informative and helpful video!!
I like your idea of double-checking how to put it back before you go any further. That's how I like to do things, too. Great job editing the video, too. Thank you.
Checking immediately how to put back in...YES...100% when genius and common sense intersect, and I wish I had applied more brain power to this many times in the past, haha.
That was my favorite part of the video as well. You’re helping by using muscle memory to reinforce your memory to put it back together perfectly. I also like your methodical way of explaining all of it.
Great video! For those who do not have a dryer with a lint trap like this, you shouldn't criticize others for finding it difficult to do this. The screws are hard to access because you are basically having to do it by feel since you can't actually get to that side of the lint trap to see what you are doing. And you have to remove this assembly in order to clean it like he does in the video. It's a VERY poor design! I will be doing this for sure though. Dryer is just taking too long to dry, and I know the lint trap needs cleaning like this. Cleaning the screen alone isn't enough. Thank you, Dan! 🤩
Thanks for the comments! And yes be sure to clean out the hose in the back, and the exhaust vent on the outside of the house. This is often where lint will fully block the air which dramatically increases the dry time. I have a video on this as well in the description.
Thank you. People just don’t understand how important it is to do this because it can easily start a fire. Bless you for showing us how to do this. Truly you will save lives 🌺🌸🌺
I purchased the tool to clean out the long tube that goes from the dryer to outside the house. I learned mine was very clean after 15 years. I’m good about cleaning my lint trap after every load. I was a volunteer fireman in my teens so I learned the main cause of house fires is dryer lint.
I have had two dryers catch alight due to lint build up. I never leave the house with the dryer going and I clean it after every use. I also bought a Miele as the firemen said that they rarely see this problem with Miele dryers. (I’m in Australia)
They sell skinny brushes to do this. I have a couple of them. And there are skinny attachments you can hook up to your regular vacuum to do it without taking it apart.
@@ellenhofer3343 But why do we have to go to this much trouble with brushes and vacuums and what not. Design the thing properly. I just had to replace the gosh darned heating element because I wasn't able to do any of this.
@@denisepaulsenful that's my feeling, too. Where I live its at least $350-$400 to clean the vent and I don't know that it includes cleaning inside the dryer. The fires start inside the dryers from over heating from what I was advised.
@@denisepaulsenful Part A : It's not a design problem. In 60 years of consumer use of electric/gas clothes dryers, brand competition, and government regulation, ... if a better way existed, it would have been marketed long ago. It's just a reality of normal maintenance of a home. A machine you bought, where like a car owner's checking their car's brake fluids, tire pressure etc, ... the price of failure to maintain can be dangerous. Part B : If the "I wasn't able to do any of this " is a financial problem, senior citizen, or a disability issue there may be an agency in your region that has volunteers ... my small city has an agency that has vetted people ... mainly retired guys from building trades who volunteer through the agency to help with household issues. Maybe your local Fire Department has suggestions ...referrals ..? They don't like dryer fires either. If it's a lack of confidence, maybe your local school board, or college has evening adult classes in basic building tech? Lot's of women are in trades now. Offer to trade something you do with a neighbor ... art ... cooking, music, for an hour of help to learn how to do it this time, so you can do it next time.
There was a fire in my apartment building’s communal dryer a few weeks ago. The Mainteance supervisor for the property owner blamed the tenants, saying that they don’t clean the lint trap. In the 10 years I have lived in this building, only once did I find the lint trap un-emptied when I used the dryer. This video confirms that regular deep cleaning is necessary to keep these machines safe to use. Especially in a multi-family apartment building. I have also since learned that the lint can smolder for hours before flames and/or smoke are detected.
Funny story. I had a client that I consult for risk management and they owned about 45 apartment complexes. I made a recommendation to insure their maintenance people check and clean the lint trap and exhaust hoses every 6 month minimum. He didnt want to do it because it would be too time consuming. He didnt think lint could catch on fire. Its fuel and highly combustible. Heating elements and lint are a bad mix. Yes, he had already had a dryer fire at one of his properties. Some people just do not care and prefer the mighty dollar.
I'm living in an eight-plex in which every unit has one of these dryers; and although the building is only two years old, my dryer is caked with unreachable lint. After watching this video, I feel confident to disassemble and clean it out; but I am very concerned that others in the building will not clean theirs and a fire will result. I was glad to hear that the dryer in the video had not been cleaned out for 6 - 7 years, so the threat of fire in my building probably is not imminent.
@@sw.1984 An apartment manager told me that the lint never dries out in the machine, and so is not a fire hazard. I wrapped some duct tape around the end of a rubber tube, and fished out lint to show him that it was bone dry. It still didn’t convince him because none of his colleagues had ever heard of it being a problem.
I was in the middle of this exact job, got hung up one screw, was wondering if there were any screws that had to be accessed from under the dryer, searched YT, and found the answer quick with this vid. Thanks for making my life little easier and showing the steps. Glad I didn’t start looking under the dryer for more screws!
Thank You!!! We need awesome people like you to show us how to clean inside the dryer since manufacturers choose to keep manufacturing dryers with old designs and old technology for the lint trap. I can’t wait to share it!!
I hate that type of lint trap, but that is what is in my current dryer. Instead of pulling everything apart, use a good vacuum to get rid of the lint. Another option is to use the bristle brushes made to clean refrigerator coild. They are fairly long, and pick up most of the lint not caught in the trap.
@@sleevedaftersixty4255 me too and I would have laid a towel down inside the dryer so the screws and screwdriver wouldn’t scratch the inside of the drum...but that’s ‘me’. Otherwise, this guy did a great job. His wife is lucky.
@@moniqueperreault2720 Sorry Monique, but not for everyone. Those of us who struggle with what appears to be a simple task are people with physical disabilities. Like myself. So now I have to pay to have my dryer serviced for I cannot possibly remove 4 screws. I guess I'm screwed. lol
Should also take the panel off and do inside under the drum. I did ours and there was an inch thick layer of lint covering everything and it was actually starting to burn where the heat element was. Glad I caught it before a fire happened.
The repairman cleaned mine out really good. It was really bad under the drum the dryer is 10 years old and was never opened. I have always cleaned the vent duct out the vent is in an exterior wall so haven't had clogging issues. I use a dryer brush to push all the lint out the exhaust during the next cycle. I couldn't believe all the lint that buildup in the bottome over the 10 years of operation. Good thing it was caught it too was starting to burn it was really thick reason for having repairman the drum belt broke when the repairman came to fix it he discovered a blanket of lint in the dryer about to catch fire. I had no idea the dryer was about to go up in flames I would have kept using the dryer if it had not broken down.
YOU are a lifesaver. I moved into my place and I cleaned out all of the appliances. I notice so much lint below the lint trap. I could NOT have done it without you. THANKS!
I did our dryer today. Plenty of dense lint and some grit on the bottom below the lint trap. I had to duct tape a narrow hose to the vacuum to get down there. While I was at it, I also took the exhaust pipes apart to discover a uniform lint layer approximately 1/3 of an inch thick the whole length of the pipe, which I also vacuumed out. There was way more than I expected. Thanks for the motivation and demonstration.
Hey Dave, great work! Yah a lot can build up over time. Just not something we normally think about. Glad the video was helpful. I like your duct-tape idea too!
It was nice to see someone show how simple these jobs can be for nearly anyone. I would like to recommend, where ever possible to either wear a nuisance-dust mask or place a fan to blow the fine dust away from you as that stuff is nasty to inhale. What about the fan and the exhaust end? There are special brush sets available to help clean these awkward-to-reach areas; they are easy to clean for most dryers and will be amazed at the very fine dust you get rid of. The extremely fine dust that accumulates is also very combustable. I cleaned my whole dryer in about 30 minutes including the vent pipe and do it annually to be on the safe side. No lint build-up also means a more efficient dryer using less time and power to dry a load of wash. Cheers.
It would have been good to see how clean it looked inside the little compartment. We saw dirt in the vacuum but it just would’ve been cool to see what it look like inside of the area you just cleaned.
I've taken mine apart twice for maintenance. I've replaced sensors the first time and the entire burner unit the second time. You would be totally amazed how much stuff is inside the burner unit. Luckily for me, mine is electric. If it was gas, that dryer dust can be a bigger hazard. If your clothes aren't getting dry with one drying cycle, clean out all the ducts and open the burner access panel on the back of most dryers and inspect it for flammable material. Save your money, increase your machine life and maybe save your own lives. Great video Dan, Keep up the good teaching. JC
Access to the innards of different dryer models varies greatly. On some it is necessary to pop the skins off, something that may take a couple of hours of effort, but would allow thorough cleaning of the cabinet with a vacuum cleaner, especially near the heating element of electric dryers or the burner of gas dryers.
@@jimnaden5594 - I agree, but I'm an amateur when it comes to my first attempt at all things. It's the "learning curve". Once I know the tricks of where to stick the putty knife to release the hidden spring steel catches that hold the panels in place, it goes much faster.
Don't forget to clean the exhaust side of the dryer! Check out my video on cleaning it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oaCXtmdLJkU.html If you have a top-vent type, check out this video by @Mommymilestones: geni.us/TopVent_Dryer_Cleaning
If you have a top-vent type, check out this video by @Mommymilestones: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OBNDbyRm68M.html&ab_channel=Mommymilestones
OMGman!!! You're my new best friend. My dryer has been driving me bonkers with the lint trap popping out on its own and snagging my clothes. Life changer! Thank you
Used this approach today on my mother-in-law's Maytag 3000 series dryer that is over 10 years old and suddenly had a burning smell which I figured for a belt or motor. Nope. 2 cubic feet of lint later, and it is working like a champ. Thanks!
I have a transparent 1/2 inch pipe connected to a shop vac using PVC reducers. It does a good job of sucking everything out. Also remember to vacuum the 4 inch hose that goes to the outside. This is very important.
Wow this is amazing, thanks for the video! Very well explained and shown. I'm a relatively new home owner and I can't believe how much I'm learning about things that need maintenance that I'd never ever thought of before. Adding this one to the list...
@@DansWay Well I sure surprised myself the other week by finding a removable filter at the bottom of the dishwasher, and wow when I pulled it out it was so gross!! I wonder if there are other things about dishwashers I don't know (imagine there are!) I'm on a rural property and don't have civic water or sewer so other things I'm learning about are septic systems and we have a rain water collection and treatment system that I'm learning about how to keep clean. Those things I don't imagine most people need to worry about! But all the rest of the household appliances! Hot water tanks and washing machines etc
@@kymrich9918 Yah that dishwasher filter can be one gross place if it doesn't get cleaned regularly... All the 'clean' water goes right past all that gunk so...
I've been wanting to do this to our dryer for about 4 years now and today is the day I'll do it. Thank you for the simple instructions. Shark vacs are the best! Even after buying a new different brand, I still found the Shark to be way better so I put the other one up for a backup. Off to get my screwdriver now. Good day
Thank you SO much! I have bad spine problems so you can imagine the struggle of my getting in there with the screwdriver (particularly the one on my right side). My late grandpa was an assistant fire chief and after looking inside of mine, I thought he’s definitely guiding me here. .. I was honestly wondering why it was so ill fitting and couldn’t believe a 5-6 y/o dryer was this bad under the filter
Thank you! We just moved into a house that came with a washer and dryer. The previous owners did no maintenance what so ever. We have a very similar dryer as yours so this perfect! Other videos I watched didn’t give as much detail, didn’t show unscrewing everything, didn’t show hardly anything lol. Best video for this task by far!
@@DansWay We did!! Cleaned out everything. The filter wasn’t sitting flush either and cleaning everything out helped make it fit the way it’s supposed to. People really should properly clean when selling their home lol
Thank you for the video. I have had my dryer for more than 20 yrs. and I thought it was time to go a bit beyond the filter... I am so glad I did! You wouldn't believe how much debris came out! The only thing extra I did was to unplug the dryer before I began taking it apart...
I use a long brush made for jobs like this. Which I haven't used in a while. So thanks for the reminder. My dryer is 22 years old. Still going strong. Knock on wood.
My last dryer was 30 yrs old. I would wrap a paint stirring stick with masking tape sticky side out. You'd be surprised at how much you can get just that way.
I took apart the front of our dryer the other day because the door hinge design is so dumb it needed to be reinforced from inside the front panel. In the process, because it was exposed already, I took out the entire lint compartment and cleaned EVERYTHING. I even vacuumed out the assembly from the vent opening in the back before reconnecting the vent. Needless to say, it's already warming up faster AND I fixed a major design flaw with the door hinge. The best part is pocketing the savings most would have paid a "professional" to do it instead. Good old fashioned DIY😁
I did my best to utilize this video. Unfortunately, my dryer is slightly different, so I never got the whole unit pulled completely out/apart. Nonetheless, you provided enough instruction to get me through a pretty thorough cleaning with no lost pieces/parts. Thank you!!
THANK YOU! Excellent teaching video. Got everything cleaned out. Unfortunately it took me forever to line up the screws with the holes. Never-the-less, I will be doing this on a regular basis from now on. And thank you Marcia for the reminder to unplug!!
I think I can do this! Thank you for showing how to put it back together before vacuuming it out. I would have gone one step further and wash/dry the parts before putting it back together
I take my dryer (long lint trap pulls up from the top) to the garage for a good blow and brush out out twice a year. Once a year I ream and blow out the exhaust line which vents through the basement to the back patio. A poor design, I agree. The first time it was full of lint, but once a year now prevents any serious lint build up. The dryer is more bulky than heavy, but at 70 an assist from my son or a neighbor is appreciated. I doubt any of my neighbors have ever done this. :-)
I'm glad there is no laundry room in our apartment building. People don't seem to understand that all this needs cleaning. I have portables and have always cleaned them out after every use.
One more tip: An easy way to clear lint out of the vent pipe between your dryer and the outside wall is to do the following: 1) Disconnect the dryer vent hose from where it connects at the wall. Usually it’s a hose clamp that can be loosened with a screwdriver. 2) Insert a leaf blower into the wall opening. 3) Use a towel to seal the gap around the leaf blower nozzle so that all of the blower air will be directed into the pipe. 4) Run the leaf blower for 30-60 seconds (use hearing protection if you’re running a gas-powered blower). You’ll see how much built-up lint was in your dryer exhaust pipe when looking at the outside dryer vent.
Thank you! I’ve noticed the same thing in my dryer, but just didn’t know how to access the lower part. Looks easy enough that I can do this myself. I’ve already cleaned out any and all lint from the back vent, etc., so next I’ll tackle this hidden area.
Thanks for this useful video. I didn’t buy a new dryer because I hate the tiny new filters, so I live with the one that came with home although it’s timings aren’t adjusted correctly.
This video was so helpful for multiple reasons one I actually was able to clean the lint trap so well and then when I thought I broke my dryer by taking out those pieces I rewatched the video to remember that certain part goes in front of the metal base not behind and everything went back together perfectly
If I've learned one thing from you, ( The most important thing) was to pay attention to where things were before I detached them. I almost always had problems putting things back together. Thank You.
Hey Tessa, glad you learned something new besides the lint trap project. Cell phone pictures are gold to me when I’m working on things. I’ve had to watch my own video footage just to complete a project before…
Did some disassembly and cleaning of my LG dryer filter area today. I was shocked at how much "crap" was in there. Even some brown evergreen needles. Now I know that I also need to disassemble the vent/duct sometime soon. Thanks.
@@DansWay Did your video help prevent a disaster? Yes, in my opinion. The duct work from my dryer contained at least four big handfuls of dark lint stuff. My shop vac sucked up more. All of the duct work had a thick coating of the dark stuff. The fact that the highest temperature I used was “Medium” may have prevented a fire. Turns out the duct work is screwy, in my opinion. The dryer vents vertically into a big semi-flexible metal tube which loops up, around, and down, and was connected, using metal tape, to the “permanent” duct work at floor level. I intend to fix the duct work, so that the dryer vents straight down, soon. The last step will be to clean the duct work that goes through the crawl space, to the outside vent. Thanks!
Sounds like you are on the right track! That up/down path could slow down the airflow allowing the lint to drop out of the airstream. Cutting it so it just drops to the floor vent directly sounds like a great plan.
Never even thought to look inside the trap, just went and checked mine and it's got a lot of lint in there .. and a dime! lol. Going to clean that out today, thanks for the instructions. (Shared, Liked, and Subscribed)
TYSM. I couldn't figure out how to clean the lint frim the bottom at all after trying to use a few items to scrap them up. Glad i RU-vid and found you r video. Especially demonstrating. I will try it later.
Very interesting video but I would be hesitant to try removing the filter myself because if I lose any of the screws or can't get them screwed back in properly, then I wouldn't be able to use my dryer. Something that has been working for me is using a long spatula with double sided tape wrapped around it and then stick it into the filter opening and the lint comes out on the spatula.
Good video thanks. One advice to prevent stripping the screw holes. Turn screw counterclockwise first until you hear a click, and then screw clockwise to tighten it. from a retired Xerox tech.
Looks so much better, but I’d also wipe down all the inside and side walls and then wash the removable parts before putting them back. Thanks for the tutorial, our dryer is very similar!
I found a way to advert this from ever happening, as well a dust-free method of cleaning the filter. I keep a cheap bagged vacuum cleaner next to my dryer. Attached to the hose is a crevasse tool like Dan used here. I start the vacuum then hold the tool near the filter as I'm pulling it out, then vacuum the filter, then vac the filter housing. I follow up with a quick vac on the floor in front and under the dryer. The vacuum bags last a long-time collecting lint. Crevasse tools can be found in very long lengths for rear filter dryers.
Your wife is one lucky lady. I have to watch videos like yours so I can figure out how to do things. My husband doesn't have a clue as to how to do anything nor is he willing to learn.
Or suggest that a $200 service call as the other option... Hitting a guy in the wallet is equivalent like hitting below the belt, it often moves us guys to action...
I have this same model dryer. I do this cleaning every 6 months. I use a lint lizard attachment on the vacuum and a bottle cleaner to knock the lint loose. Any component I pull out of the dryer gets washed.
This was very helpful! Thank you! My lint filter wouldn't fit snugly into the holder, and I wondered if it was the filter. But, of course, is was the build-up of lint (!), and this video gave me the essential instructions for removing it.
Thank you! I kept getting an error code to check the lint filter, but I'm consistent about cleaning it after every load. I already replaced the tubing from the dryer to the vent, but the error persisted. I'm sure this will solve the problem and help prevent a lint fire in the making. :)
have an LG dryer, i have no visible lint in the intake. perhaps because of a very strong blower and a fine lint screen. ALSO, i installed a supplemental lint screen in the dryer ducting (bought it from amazon), it needs cleaning after 10+ dryer cycles. there IS lint build up in the output duct within the walls which would degrade performance. i have helped family clean out their accessible ducting which were 80% blocked. there are some youtubes of cleaning the ducts out with a leaf blower.
Wow, surprised it already have buildup needing this cleaning. Be absolutely sure you clean out the exhaust hose and the output port on the outside of the home. That is where an actual clog can form which greatly lengthens dry-time and becomes a fire hazard.
Excellent video and great instructions and tip about putting it back together so your brain remembers that instead of just the taking apart process. Thank you! I must say though, designers? wth??? "here consumers, have a nice fire hazard, even though you think you're right on top of cleaning the lint out, diligently, after every load. "
What I do after every load is clean the filter, use my Dyson edge attachment, and suck out what I can. Then get a swiffer duster and clean what's left out. This process takes about 2 minutes, but it's worth it. It's part of my laundry routine.
Stunning !!! great video, helpful for all makes of this kind of dryer. Henceforth I will be doing things Dan's way and recommend others do so as well 👏👍
That's the funniest comment yet! Definitely worth being pinned to the top of the comments list. Tessa, thanks for the comment, and God bless that little one. Christmas baby coming right up!
New subscriber! My husband and I are always coming to you tube for instructions on dyi projects. Yours is very clearly done with no superfluous nonsense. Thank you so much for your help with this. One question: how often would you recommend doing this clean out? Once a year? Once every 1000 loads dried? Just a rough estimate would help. Lol
@@mamere7601 for me i waited way too long.. We are talking years! I would suggest you just take a peak down there every 6 months or so and see what's happening. It is also important that you look at the exhaust side as well, and in particular the vent tube and however it goes outside. Often there will be a screen or door that can get clogged which will very quickly fill the tube with lint and reduce the efficiency of the dryer drastically. There is a link in the description for that video as well. Thanks again for being here!
I purchased a brush that is meant for cleaning down in there from Amazon. Long bendable brush. Loosened up the debri and then vacuumed out. Works great.
This was very helpful. My model of LG was very similar but the entire gray unit minus the moisture meter came up after removing the four inside screw and the two outside ones
