The leading cause of dryer fires is "failure to clean," according to a new report from the
Consumer Product Safety Commission. To find out more about why people sometimes ignore the important tasks of removing lint from their filters and cleaning dryer ducts, the commission asked consumers about their laundry habits.
The good news is that 96 percent of respondents said they regularly clean their lint filters, with the majority reporting that they clean the filter after each load. About 71 percent of respondents indicated that they also checked exhaust exits, 62 percent cleaned the area under the lint filter, 38 percent cleaned the dryer ducts, and 20 percent cleaned inside the dryer cabinet. Only 20 percent of all respondents reported having performed every one of the maintenance activities at some time
Still, each year dryer fires cause about 15,600 structure fires, 400 injuries and 15 deaths, according to 2007 data from the U.S. Fire Administration.
We recently tested a new technology that claims to alert users when dryer vents are blocked. We evaluated the alert functions by manually blocking dryer vents but found that the new indicators were inconsistent.
Don't wait until you have a problem to clean your filters and ducts. Manufacturers generally recommend that homeowners hire a professional to clean the dryer cabinet and exhaust annually or once every two years, depending on the amount of laundry you do.
The CPSC has some good tips on
how to prevent dryer fires. And if you're looking for a new dryer, check out our
Buying Advice and
Ratings (for subscribers).
—Maggie Shader
