Today’s Tip: Clean the Dryer Lint Screen and Housing

The lint screen catches fibers during every drying cycle, but lint can also collect around the screen’s frame and inside the accessible housing. Today’s focused task is to clean these user-serviceable areas according to the dryer manufacturer’s directions.

Your step-by-step lint-screen reset

1. Turn the dryer off, make sure the drum is empty, and let the appliance cool completely. Unplug it if the owner’s manual directs you to do so before cleaning the lint-screen housing.
2. Remove the lint screen using its handle. Peel the lint away with your fingers and place it in the trash rather than rinsing loose lint into a drain.
3. Inspect both sides of the screen in good light. If the manufacturer permits washing, use the recommended method, rinse it thoroughly, and let it dry completely before reinstalling it.
4. Look into the accessible lint-screen housing with a flashlight. Remove lint near the opening with a soft brush, a vacuum crevice tool, or the manufacturer’s approved cleaning tool.
5. Wipe the screen frame and surrounding dryer surface with a dry or lightly damp cloth if the care instructions allow it. Keep moisture away from controls, wiring, and the inside of the machine.
6. Reinstall the clean, completely dry lint screen in the correct direction. Make sure it sits flat and secure before the dryer is used again.

Keep lint from building up

Clear the lint screen on the schedule in the owner’s manual—commonly before or after each load—and check the housing regularly. Keep the area around the dryer free of loose lint, paper, and stored items, and have the exhaust duct inspected or serviced as recommended by the manufacturer or a qualified professional.

Safety note

Never operate the dryer without its lint screen in place. Do not reach deeply into the housing, use sharp objects, remove panels, move a gas dryer, or disconnect a gas line. Stop using the appliance and contact the manufacturer or a qualified technician if you notice a burning smell, scorch marks, damaged wiring, a cracked screen, unusually hot surfaces, or drying times that suddenly become much longer.