Dryer Vent Cleaning is a great, green idea. What is “going green”? Going green is a phrase referring to the individual action that a person can consciously take to curb harmful effects on the environment and save on energy consumption. Taking steps to conserve energy in the laundry room will save you money and prolong the life of your appliances.
The Green Clothes Dryer
The greenest of clothes dryers, of course, is the clothesline! Automatic dryers have been hailed as a miracle of modern housekeeping, but it came with a price; about 6% of the total energy used by Americans. Mother Nature provides the sun and breeze; this is free for us to use and it provides the fresh smell that people pay for in artificial products they purchase.
There are many positive benefits to using a clothesline; however, for most people, it just isn’t an option that will be considered over the convenience of the automatic clothes dryer. There are steps you can take to reduce the negative impact that clothes dryers have on the environment and your energy bills.
Lint is not GREEN!
The number one tip to operating a clothes dryer ‘in the green’ is to keep the lint filter clean. A clogged lint filter restricts air flow required to dry laundry, therefore, taking longer to dry each load and using up to 30% more energy!
Overloading
Drying only a few items at a time is inefficient and a waste of energy as the clothes dryer is made to dry a full load at a time. This does not mean overloading will be even more efficient though; overloading will reduce the amount of air needed to circulate and dry the laundry.
Proper Loading
Separate heavier weight items from lighter weight items before drying. This will avoid wasting energy over-drying the lighter weight items, while the dryer continues to run to finish drying the heavier items.
Automatic Cycles
Dryers are made more efficiently today, with automatic drying and cool down cycles. The auto-dry cycle stops the dryer when clothes are dry. The cool down cycle completes drying time with the remaining heat in the dryer to save energy. Both cycles prevent over-drying and clothes last longer.
Consecutive Loads
Time it so that you are doing one load after another; this will allow you to take advantage of the heat left in the dryer when you remove a load. Otherwise, the dryer is allowed to cool down completely between loads, making it work that much harder to heat up again.
Ventilation
When possible, open a window in the laundry room while the dryer is operating, to allow heat and humidity to escape. A closed up laundry area can become very humid, decreasing the efficiency of your clothes dryer.
Maintenance
Proper maintenance extends the life of your appliances and makes them operate more efficiently to save energy. Dryer vent and duct cleaning are important to maintain proper air flow and prevent the clothes dryer from overworking. Most importantly, dryer vent cleaning helps to prevent clothes dryer fires, which currently happen at a rate of about 15,000 per year.
A clothes dryer is a modern convenience that many of us refuse to be without. The price of energy consumed by clothes dryers is high, but there are steps one can take to reduce the cost. By taking the necessary steps to conserve energy in the laundry room, you will be rewarded with lower energy bills, your dryer will last longer, and so will your clothing. You will also be preventing the disaster of a clothes dryer fire where you could lose everything. A professional who specializes in clothes dryer vent systems will make sure your system is up to code and free from lint buildup.
Emilie Benvegna, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard, provides dryer vent cleaning, dryer vent repair, dryer vent installation and dryer exhaust services for homes and businesses in Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, Davidson, Concord, Huntersville, Pineville, Cornelius, Salisbury, and neighboring cities and communities.
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