Hi everyone. Thanks for watching and commenting. I’m glad this video is both entertaining and creating so much conversation. I will have to do a follow-up video soon to explain a few things that people have asked or commented on that I didn’t mention in this video.
@@44thala49 this video convinced me to do mine and barely anything came out and I cant remember the last time I did it(years). But I have about a 3 foot run compared to this guys 15. boards youve hewn? Bricks you made? Not up to building codes but cardboard wall cladding and 15 ft dryer runs somehow are??? TF.. Oh and I got these people in my house that think I run a washateria and all their clothes are 5XL.
Yes miss you are 100% correct and people are lazy also when I was a young man with very little money and I bought my first home which was a rundown home I did all the work on that home myself and I do to this day as a senior still do my own maintenance and repairs on my house there is a feeling of gratification and not relying on someone else to do it for you thank you Miss have a peaceful evening
Based on the time he wasted with his "free" method, I think the $20 tool would have been a good investment. I'm all for doing things yourself and ingenuity, but this is something he should be doing yearly, so the investment in the right tool would pay for itself.
Necessity is the mother of invention as they say. I appreciate that you did not edit/clean up the video; that you showed your real time, actual "live and learn" experience. Good job.
This was really neat to watch. We used to just burn wood that my husband had cut when we lived in the country. My husband used to tie a very coarse screen shaped in a square shape the size of the chimney to clean it. He would be on up on the roof and my son down in the basement. My son pulled it in the basement and my husband had a lung pole to help push it down. They would do this a few times and the chimney got scraped clean. Then he would scoop out the soot at the bottom of the chimney. It did a great job. Money was tight then. Years Later after my son left home my husband bought a proper chimney cleaning brush. It was a great father-son thing. Your doing this reminded me of that great memory. I really enjoyed watching this and enjoyed your doing it your way.
Considering I accidentally sucked a Swifter fluffy end into my in-house vacuum system and it clogged up all four levels of my house, I knew you were in trouble with four rags! It all worked out in the end for you. What I really got from this video is seeing how much lint can clog up a dryer’s vent pipe. Yikes! Thanks for posting.
Good for you John! My son in law is a firefighter and he said the #1 cause of home fires are dryer vent fires. Even before kitchen grease fires. I love your detective/scientist enthusiasm!! Keep up the great work and great ideas! 💡
Wow! Thank you for making this video. I would put a reminder in my cell phone to alarm at a future date to periodically perform this cleaning! You did a Job well done and you are correct about "not being able to find the tool bought to clean the pipe". The next time you do this, let mama or a teenage family member watch you do the cleaning process. Many young adults don't have any idea about how dangerous dryer lint can be. We have got to educate the family. Carry On Sir!
Thanks for sharing your idea! You have inspired me. - I have to say that I don't understand why some people have left unnecessary comments? It's not like you started off the video asking, "what do you think about this?" You were just kind enough to share some great thinking.
Mission accomplished! Never mind the critics! You showed us we really do need to clean out that pipe! However we do it doesn’t really matter. Some fire departments lend out chimney brushes. Those may work also.
84 yr old woman here...took pipe apart ...took to driveway and used leaf blower to clean it out.. worked like a charm. reconnected pipe...took 1/2 hr or less
This video demonstrates like no other just how much better it is to go to Home Depot and get their ten foot long dryer vent cleaner made of flexible fiberglass rods screwed end to end and terminated with a rotary brush. I bought one and have used it and it works brilliantly with a simple cordless drill for power. When done, simply unscrew the rods and the brush and store it in its original package until needed again. You can't improve on perfection, especially when it is that inexpensive. You GO Home Depot!!
I used a tape measure one time when we put new thermostat in for furnace to run wires down thru wall, easy peasy, worked awesome. Nyou never know when an idea that sounds to easy, will work and be easy! When that happens it's a beautiful day!
First of all, this vent pipe was installed backwards. The crimped end, (male), should be installed closest to the outdoors. With the crimped end is on the drier side, all those corrugated ripples will catch lint faster. Never connect the vent pipe with screws, it's another place for lint to collect. Use foil tape.
Very informative and well explained. I found using a electric leaf blower works great also. Blow from the dryer to the outside and you’d be amazed how much lint comes out. Thanks again for the video.
Job 1: Reconfigure that vent so that it's a straight shot with no uphill climb and no 45 degree bend. And while that project in in progress, connect the pipes so that the small, crimped end is on the exhaust side, so lint (not dust) doesn't build up when it gets caught on those sharp crimps. And while you're at it, you could put a 4x4x4 "Y" at the beginning of the rigid run and cap it off. Then when you want to clean the duct, pull off the cap and blow it out with a leaf blower. That vent cleaning would make a quick, and very satisfying, RUclips Short. 🙂
So put the “y” like a highway on-ramp on the straight part before any bends.. so you could easily access it with your blower? This sounds like it will really work perfectly. I had to cut mine and use a blower last year.. I never considered adding a y to it. I didn’t even know it existed. I’m heading to hardware store this morning for sure.
Thank you for sharing. Sorry some people were so rude with their comments. Remember: It’s not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. Or where you could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…If he fails at least he fails while trying. Teddy Roosevelt
Cindy Coven I agree with you. Some people are very rude and critical. That has to be miserable to be in a constant state of criticizing others and tearing them down. I love these self help videos. They have helped me a lot since my husband passed away.
I stick the end of my leaf blower in the metallic tube and use a rag to keep the air from blowing back on me and escaping. Then, just turn on the blower and the lint will fly out the other end. Easy peasy.
I’ll be cleaning my dryer vent with this method but I’ll use a couple of net bath scrubbies in the middle of the rope and run it both ways as others suggested.
Hi John. I thought your way of doing this was great. But you're right maybe not so many rags. I need to clean my dryer vent out now that I've seen what all you got out of yours. And I think I'm going to try your way. Thank you for showing all the steps you took so we saw the good and not so good ideas you used on this. All together though like I said I thought it was great. Thank you. See you later
Thank you for posting this! I get to learn from your experience. I will probably use a rope that is twice as long as the ductwork to be able to pull the towels back and forth. Thank you!! P.S. I’m looking forward to cleaning the ducts as we’ve lived here for 16 yrs and I’ve never cleaned it out. Shame on me! ☺️
If you use the kit with the extension rods, tape the connections together especially at the brush end. I failed to do that once and my twisting of the entire thing going in made it all come apart…inside the vent. I was able to retrieve everything, but it was more work. Also while you are cleaning it out, turn on the dryer on air and it will blow out the lint as you move the brush back and forth. I have a very long vent that’s hard to get to. I do it once a year and it seems like that’s fine based on how much comes out and we only have 2 people using the dryer. Good luck!
Scary to see how much li t was in there. No wonder it could cause a plug and fire. Now I want to go clean mine, except it's dark out right now lol. Thanks
As a professional appliance repair technician. I frequently clean dryer vents. Please use the 4" brush with drill and extension rods. My kit goes to 30ft. Run the dryer and clean from the outside back to the dryer. The dryer blows out all the lint. You dont have to take anything apart. The 4" brush scrubs the duct completely
Yea..... $10 is a steal for that kit. Making a clog you have to disassemble the vent tube to clean...... If it's in an enclosed space, say a finished basement, you've just made a hellofa mess. Agreed, use the brush, turn on the "air dry" setting on the dryer, out comes the floof. Just.... Don't do this. You'll end up calling someone anyway who gives you the side eye for being dumb.
I use a leaf blower and clean mine twice a year. It works well. Takes 5 minutes. Unloosen duct at dryer stick blower in and run at full speed. Reconnect duct.
I like the idea and it does get the rope started. I would also start with less rags because I didn't make the pipes and I don't want to take apart anything. But koduos for the measuring tape idea, clearly it does the job and it saves money.
Soooo....the tool that wouldn't fit all the way through even though you had to take your pipe apart half way, was the wrong choice? I wonder how many people ruined their vent trying this method. Just spend $20 on the right tool. This video could have been 6 minutes long and your vent would be clean.
I actually do this for a living. #1, the kit costs about $25 at Home Depot. You would need two of them. To have me come out it would be about $100. How much is YOUR time worth? #2. ONLY DO HIS IF YOUR PIPE IS FULLY EXPOSED, IF YOUR PIPE COMES APART INSIDE OF YOUR WALL YOU WILL PAY ME UPWARDS OF $250 TO FIX IT. #3. This seem to be an issue of not having your tools in order to be able to find it in two years and also being too cheap to spend the money every two years. When your done just pass the tool onto your neighbor, friend or relative.
Great idea with the tape measure and string. I am definitely going to try it. I was rooting for you because I knew you would have problems because of the rag mass being to large.
My dryer stopped working so I took the back off and found 15 toothpicks, 12 Bobby pins, 7 plastic collar tabs, a 1" nail, a key, a silver crucifix, a 6" nail file and $12 in small change, so I went to Home Depot and bought a duct cleaning kit.
Okay idea nut you should never allow lint to build up to that degree. Clean the pipe more often. As for the rag getting stuck the easy solution is to leave a 20' length of string as a tail trailing the rag. Then if it gets stuck just go down in the cellar and pull it back out.
The reason your pipe is a problem is the male ends should be towards the outside so the air and lint flows into the next section not catching on the matal.
I have to tell you I did exactly like you said and it worked like a champ!! I had it all laying around too. Tape measure, rope and rags. So simple yet so genius. Thank you.
Amazon sells longer kits that have flexibility rods that come in sections that go up to 40 feet and attach to a drill. Our vent has two 90 degree bends all enclosed inside a wall including an upward section. They are around $30 and last years. Because of the design we have to clean ours at least every six months and it is easy to do and pays for itself. and you can turn on your dryer and blow out all the lint
Wow. Two ninety degree bends! What a poor design that is. Almost as bad as my teeny tiny closet where there’s no way to get behind the washer and dryer. 😕
It was determined that the $20.00 Home Depot pipe cleaner item would not have worked due to its insufficient length. He evaluated his actions and determined that he would do things differently the next time. He was pleased with the end results and that is all that matters.
They sell the dryer vent brush kits longer then 10 feet. I bought one and use it every 6 months with no hassle. The brush is spinning and really cleans the vent. This method in the video could easily go wrong with a pipe clogged by a rag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was lucky the pipe was accessible to access the clog he caused.
I'd do this if I was broke and couldn't afford a cleaning kit because that lint has to go. The shorter the duct run to outside the better. The longer the the duct is the more lint can get stuck on things on its way out. Always use hard duct not the expandable accordion junk. If you keep the ducting clean your dryer will be more efficient. If it seems like your clothes aren't drying as fast your duct is probably packed with lint. I live in a 5 unit townhouse row and do my neighbors ducts for free so the building doesn't burn down. Lint is sooo flammable! After drying clothes I take the lint from the dryer lint trap and stuff it in empty toilet paper rolls and save them to start fires when camping. One match, flick of a lighter or strike stick will get the fire going!🏕
John, I think you did great. It was a good idea. And I appreciate you didn't set there and clean up the video and show the process as simple. Once you figured it out, it was simple. Bet next time it won't take no time. I, too, use the an old toilet brush as well as combo of a leaf blower, my vent is about 20' long, but I think I will try your idea. Had my mom's dryer vent cleaned and it was $119. Her vent pipe was only about 10' long.
I mean 20 bucks for a household tool you can use again every 1yr to 3yrs isn't bad. I also would've started with 1 rag then moved into the 3 or 4 rags to pull out the vent
I’m all for being frugal but when it comes to life and safety it’s worth spending the money. I thought the tool was expensive until I bought it and then used it. I had to buy the extensions. My run is 10’+ across & then 8’ down. It was super fast since you hook it up to the drill. Clearly you need the tool and use it preferably semi-annually but at least annually like you’re supposed to with all that dust.
@ 9:50 'buying a tool that I won't use for a long time and will get buried with my other tools.' I can relate to that. If you decided to go with the store-bought tool, you could hang it on the wall next to the duct work. You've got the space for it. Another solution would be to do an annual inventory. Fall is a good time, because you're putting away summer tools and bringing out winter tools like snow blowers. But I like your solution. It looks ideal for my situation because I have a short run of duck work leading to the outside. No angles, no roof venting. The main thing is to do something about the accumulation of lint, and do it now before it gets too cold. It's incredible how this stuff builds up--a fire hazard as well as a reduction in dryer performance.
20$ isn’t too bad actually Yours is easy, you see your pipes. Mine is inside the walls and I have no clue what shape it has so I won’t take any chances
Might I suggest taping the duct sections with metal foil tape rather than duct tape? Dryer vents move hot, moist air, which can cause regular duct tape to fail over time.
First off the pipe crimps should be facing down stream so as not to catch lint. 2nd if you had used 30 feet of rope and put the rags in the middle then when the rags got stuck you could of pulled them back in the direction that you started w/o taking the pipe apart. But as I first stated, the vent pipe crimps should always face away from the dryer.
I have a device that was made for this job. Flexibility rods screwed together with a cleaning end. Attached it to a powered drill and it climbes through the pipes all the way to the end then vacuum up the mess. Can be purchased at Home Depot and Lowes. I had a dryer fire many years ago never going to happen again. Also never run the dryer while nobody is home.
We have 22 feet from the dryer to the outside so our city requires a dryer assist fan. We had it professionally cleaned once. Now we know what we need and how to do it, we will save some money.
😄 That was so funny yet so sweet. Moral of the story....buy the extensions? I did learn to keep the angles in mind before. ☝️. Oh and the tape measure...good idea, thanks
Be careful. If those rags aren't tied very, very tight, they might come loose inside the pipe. Then you'll really have a problem. I also use my weed blower. I also have the pipe brush. Like you said, it's not long enough. But at least it cleaned the first ten feet pretty good. So that got half of my exhaust pipe. It's not hard, but it's still a pain to clean out the pipe every year. I've had a hard time finding the outside vent cover, the right diameter. Thanks for your video.
Thankfully that when it got stuck there was access to where it was stuck in the piping. Most dryer exhaust piping I have had in homes, you do not have that access so need to be very careful to not get item stuck in pipe or you will be cutting hole in your ceiling to get access to the pipework
Oh, crud, Glad I read your comment. Whoever owned this house, before us, decided to build an office behind the laundry room. That took away the dryer's duct perfect 2 ft.? access , to the backyard. They had to turn the vent route and add an extra 12 feet of duct work. That stuff is 'hidden' behind a weird sheetrock cover that looks like cabinet doors! It isn't doors, just camo looking office stuff, it is solid. Kinda cute. What a job, if something got stuck inside, from me fumbling at this!!
I use a 10 foot flexible drain brush. Turn the dryer on air only. Feed in the drain brush, twisting as you go. The dryer blower will push out the lint you've loosened up. If you have a longer run you can tie a brush or small rag to a drain snake. Do this 2 to 4 times a year. No disassembly required.
Amazon sells longer kits that have flexibility rods that come in sections that go up to 40 feet and attach to a drill. Our vent has two 90 degree bends all enclosed inside a wall including an upward section. They are around $30 and last years. Because of the design we have to clean ours at least every six months and it is easy to do and pays for itself. We always clean out inside the dryer as well but get huge wads of lint since the distance and moisture content tend to weight it down before it gets outside.
Super resourceful idea for vent cleaning👏 I ended up just buying a 30ft vent kit for $20 on Amazon since I have spring tubing. But great idea nonetheless!
Good idea. Just make sure the string is strong and knot well tied, you don't want the rag to get stuck inside. Also a good idea to use a shop vac simultaneously.
Maybe do 3 rags a first pull through then do it a second time with 3 or 4 rags? May be getting hung up because of all the lint at the 45 being pushed through rather than the rags being tight?? Great video. I learned something! Thanks.
This is not going to work on a longer system that has several elbows and serious clogging. As you discovered as you pulled the towels through to the 45 degree angle where the clog was intense and you had to take the system apart to clean out the clog. Next your system is open and available to work on but if the pipes are hidden inside of walls, or ceilings you are in for a hell of a time. Plus your system is hard pipe this would never work with a foil or plastic dryer vent or even the semi rigid aluminum. That kind of pulling force you required to get your towel system through the pipe would destroy other less strong system. It may work for you in this situation but it could cause some serious complications for someone who imitates this cleaning method and who has hoses or semi rigid hose. Don't do it. Use a system that is proven like the brush and attachments just don't put the drill in reverse and you will be good.
Michelle, DO NOT DO THIS!! It's crazy. If you don't want to use the brushes with drill to clean the vent, then pay someone to do it. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
The pipe (ductwork) is installed "backwards": meaning the crimped end of individual sections should be pointing out (the opposite of what is shown). Put another way, the crimps should point in the same direction as airflow (i.e., outside). And yes, I would not have bot a special kit either, although in any event, cleanout should be one of those ANNUAL activities - not the once in 3-5 years that most people do (if ever).
I usually use just a couple of wire coat hangars twisted together to clean the dryer vent, or one of those special brushes available for under $10 at a lot of online retailers.
Love the tape measure idea. I probably would have doubled the length of rope so I could do it twice. Also maybe tie on two rags in a couple of places and then follow with three rags. With the additional rope you could do a second pass if you felt it was necessary.
We used to have a woodstove and had to clean the chimney regularly we use the rain gutter with a brush attached to the bottom this reminds me of that only when I would’ve use instead of a bunch of rags something lightweight and airy and more malleable and I would’ve gone with those nylon scrubby things that you wash up with in the shower. If you have any females in your family they know what I’m talking about otherwise go to your bathroom section or your make up section in a store and you’ll find scrunched up balls of nylon fabric but will do the trick for you!
“fat wad of rags”. Now that’s something you’d never think you would ever read, especially if someone is shoving four rags up a pipe with blue twine in a ITube video. Wonders never cease to amaze. 😂😂😂
The job is only half done. You need to remove the cover off the back of the dryer and vacuum out all the dryer lint that’s clogging up the blower housing and lint screen shoot. I even found the drum wall vent partially plugged up!
@@briangrant9026 the leaf blower works great for me, I clean my vent pretty often, never tried it on a clogged vent, you might get blow back if it’s that bad.
Hi everyone. Thanks for watching and commenting. I’m glad this video is both entertaining and creating so much conversation. I will have to do a follow-up video soon to explain a few things that people have asked or commented on that I didn’t mention in this video.
You might have saved your house. I’ve personally known of two that burned down because of clogged dryer vents.
@@44thala49 this video convinced me to do mine and barely anything came out and I cant remember the last time I did it(years). But I have about a 3 foot run compared to this guys 15. boards youve hewn? Bricks you made? Not up to building codes but cardboard wall cladding and 15 ft dryer runs somehow are??? TF.. Oh and I got these people in my house that think I run a washateria and all their clothes are 5XL.
Vacuum and
HOW DARE YOU!!!
Good idea-!!
People don’t seem to get the joy and satisfaction that comes with figuring out how to solve problems without spending money.
Yes miss you are 100% correct and people are lazy also when I was a young man with very little money and I bought my first home which was a rundown home I did all the work on that home myself and I do to this day as a senior still do my own maintenance and repairs on my house there is a feeling of gratification and not relying on someone else to do it for you thank you Miss have a peaceful evening
Yes we do.
@@brianhall8097 did you do your homework in school too?
Based on the time he wasted with his "free" method, I think the $20 tool would have been a good investment. I'm all for doing things yourself and ingenuity, but this is something he should be doing yearly, so the investment in the right tool would pay for itself.
Necessity is the mother of invention as they say. I appreciate that you did not edit/clean up the video; that you showed your real time, actual "live and learn" experience. Good job.
This was really neat to watch. We used to just burn wood that my husband had cut when we lived in the country. My husband used to tie a very coarse screen shaped in a square shape the size of the chimney to clean it. He would be on up on the roof and my son down in the basement. My son pulled it in the basement and my husband had a lung pole to help push it down. They would do this a few times and the chimney got scraped clean. Then he would scoop out the soot at the bottom of the chimney. It did a great job. Money was tight then. Years Later after my son left home my husband bought a proper chimney cleaning brush. It was a great father-son thing. Your doing this reminded me of that great memory. I really enjoyed watching this and enjoyed your doing it your way.
Considering I accidentally sucked a Swifter fluffy end into my in-house vacuum system and it clogged up all four levels of my house, I knew you were in trouble with four rags! It all worked out in the end for you. What I really got from this video is seeing how much lint can clog up a dryer’s vent pipe. Yikes! Thanks for posting.
Good for you John! My son in law is a firefighter and he said the #1 cause of home fires are dryer vent fires. Even before kitchen grease fires. I love your detective/scientist enthusiasm!! Keep up the great work and great ideas! 💡
Caused by smokers cleaning their dryer vents.
I taped a toilet brush with half the handle cut off to my ryobi 18v drain snake. Worked a charm and did 20' of pipe no problem.
Ok Red
That’s a good idea 👍
Love that idea!
Or a big Loof. Like for the shower. I bought a big around and long I think that would work too thanks for sharing your video
Wow! Thank you for making this video. I would put a reminder in my cell phone to alarm at a future date to periodically perform this cleaning! You did a Job well done and you are correct about "not being able to find the tool bought to clean the pipe". The next time you do this, let mama or a teenage family member watch you do the cleaning process. Many young adults don't have any idea about how dangerous dryer lint can be. We have got to educate the family. Carry On Sir!
Thanks for sharing your idea! You have inspired me. - I have to say that I don't understand why some people have left unnecessary comments? It's not like you started off the video asking, "what do you think about this?" You were just kind enough to share some great thinking.
Mission accomplished! Never mind the critics! You showed us we really do need to clean out that pipe! However we do it doesn’t really matter. Some fire departments lend out chimney brushes. Those may work also.
It was a fun video to make! I don't mind the critics. LOL
84 yr old woman here...took pipe apart ...took to driveway and used leaf blower to clean it out.. worked like a charm. reconnected pipe...took 1/2 hr or less
Ingenious. It's good to see what worked, what didn't, and figure out what needs to be changed. Sometimes stuff on RUclips is just too perfect.
This video demonstrates like no other just how much better it is to go to Home Depot and get their ten foot long dryer vent cleaner made of flexible fiberglass rods screwed end to end and terminated with a rotary brush. I bought one and have used it and it works brilliantly with a simple cordless drill for power. When done, simply unscrew the rods and the brush and store it in its original package until needed again. You can't improve on perfection, especially when it is that inexpensive. You GO Home Depot!!
You can actually. Return package to store.
I used a tape measure one time when we put new thermostat in for furnace to run wires down thru wall, easy peasy, worked awesome. Nyou never know when an idea that sounds to easy, will work and be easy! When that happens it's a beautiful day!
Yes I agree!
One of the most useful tips I've seen in ages. Thank you!
First of all, this vent pipe was installed backwards. The crimped end, (male), should be installed closest to the outdoors. With the crimped end is on the drier side, all those corrugated ripples will catch lint faster. Never connect the vent pipe with screws, it's another place for lint to collect. Use foil tape.
Get foil tape at the fencing store.
Very informative and well explained. I found using a electric leaf blower works great also. Blow from the dryer to the outside and you’d be amazed how much lint comes out. Thanks again for the video.
Job 1: Reconfigure that vent so that it's a straight shot with no uphill climb and no 45 degree bend. And while that project in in progress, connect the pipes so that the small, crimped end is on the exhaust side, so lint (not dust) doesn't build up when it gets caught on those sharp crimps. And while you're at it, you could put a 4x4x4 "Y" at the beginning of the rigid run and cap it off. Then when you want to clean the duct, pull off the cap and blow it out with a leaf blower. That vent cleaning would make a quick, and very satisfying, RUclips Short. 🙂
So put the “y” like a highway on-ramp on the straight part before any bends.. so you could easily access it with your blower? This sounds like it will really work perfectly. I had to cut mine and use a blower last year.. I never considered adding a y to it. I didn’t even know it existed. I’m heading to hardware store this morning for sure.
Thank you for sharing. Sorry some people were so rude with their comments. Remember: It’s not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. Or where you could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…If he fails at least he fails while trying. Teddy Roosevelt
Very nicely said, Cindy!
What a great idea! A little trial and error
So smart!
Cindy Coven I agree with you. Some people are very rude and critical. That has to be miserable to be in a constant state of criticizing others and tearing them down. I love these self help videos. They have helped me a lot since my husband passed away.
These rude critics have one strong quality. It must take tons of perseverance to struggle through life being the person they are.
I stick the end of my leaf blower in the metallic tube and use a rag to keep the air from blowing back on me and escaping. Then, just turn on the blower and the lint will fly out the other end. Easy peasy.
Good idea Mark. The tube does need a "wipe down" to remove residue that will quickly encourage new build up.
I use my leaf blower from the inside of the house. Works so fast and easy.
That’s so brilliant I thank you so much and yet so simple
I’ll be cleaning my dryer vent with this method but I’ll use a couple of net bath scrubbies in the middle of the rope and run it both ways as others suggested.
Hi John. I thought your way of doing this was great. But you're right maybe not so many rags. I need to clean my dryer vent out now that I've seen what all you got out of yours. And I think I'm going to try your way. Thank you for showing all the steps you took so we saw the good and not so good ideas you used on this. All together though like I said I thought it was great. Thank you. See you later
Thank you for posting this! I get to learn from your experience. I will probably use a rope that is twice as long as the ductwork to be able to pull the towels back and forth. Thank you!!
P.S. I’m looking forward to cleaning the ducts as we’ve lived here for 16 yrs and I’ve never cleaned it out. Shame on me! ☺️
If you use the kit with the extension rods, tape the connections together especially at the brush end. I failed to do that once and my twisting of the entire thing going in made it all come apart…inside the vent. I was able to retrieve everything, but it was more work. Also while you are cleaning it out, turn on the dryer on air and it will blow out the lint as you move the brush back and forth. I have a very long vent that’s hard to get to. I do it once a year and it seems like that’s fine based on how much comes out and we only have 2 people using the dryer. Good luck!
I bought a vent cleaning brush system from lowes. Also drill powered. It comes with 4 3' rods but you can buy extension sets. It works great.
Thank you so much for sharing this genius method of cleaning the dryer vent. I will have to try it. Thanks again and God bless.
Scary to see how much li t was in there. No wonder it could cause a plug and fire. Now I want to go clean mine, except it's dark out right now lol. Thanks
Yes that is the main thing: keep the vent clean of too much lint build up.
As a professional appliance repair technician. I frequently clean dryer vents. Please use the 4" brush with drill and extension rods. My kit goes to 30ft. Run the dryer and clean from the outside back to the dryer. The dryer blows out all the lint. You dont have to take anything apart. The 4" brush scrubs the duct completely
Yea..... $10 is a steal for that kit. Making a clog you have to disassemble the vent tube to clean...... If it's in an enclosed space, say a finished basement, you've just made a hellofa mess. Agreed, use the brush, turn on the "air dry" setting on the dryer, out comes the floof. Just.... Don't do this. You'll end up calling someone anyway who gives you the side eye for being dumb.
I use a leaf blower and clean mine twice a year.
It works well.
Takes 5 minutes.
Unloosen duct at dryer stick blower in and run at full speed.
Reconnect duct.
Yes, great idea
I like the idea and it does get the rope started. I would also start with less rags because I didn't make the pipes and I don't want to take apart anything.
But koduos for the measuring tape idea, clearly it does the job and it saves money.
I use a rope with wire on it , my husband and I get in each end and pull back and forth then blow out with battery leaf blower! Works perfect!
Soooo....the tool that wouldn't fit all the way through even though you had to take your pipe apart half way, was the wrong choice? I wonder how many people ruined their vent trying this method. Just spend $20 on the right tool. This video could have been 6 minutes long and your vent would be clean.
I enjoyed making the video. It is the most popular video on my channel. Many find it entertaining!
I actually do this for a living. #1, the kit costs about $25 at Home Depot. You would need two of them. To have me come out it would be about $100. How much is YOUR time worth? #2. ONLY DO HIS IF YOUR PIPE IS FULLY EXPOSED, IF YOUR PIPE COMES APART INSIDE OF YOUR WALL YOU WILL PAY ME UPWARDS OF $250 TO FIX IT. #3. This seem to be an issue of not having your tools in order to be able to find it in two years and also being too cheap to spend the money every two years. When your done just pass the tool onto your neighbor, friend or relative.
Are you the a$$hole that keeps phoning trying to sell me a duct cleaning service?
I've used the drill attachment kit and found it did a wonderful job of cleaning out the duct.
Great idea with the tape measure and string. I am definitely going to try it. I was rooting for you because I knew you would have problems because of the rag mass being to large.
I did something similar, but I had the pipes connected and put the dryer on 'air fresh' (no heat). That way the air flow helped the dust come out.
Spring is a great time for this. I spread the lint around on bushes so the birds can use to build nests.
This guy's got what it takes to be an electrician apprentice!
😵💫 not coming near my house. 😬
@@LifenaDay525 Doesn't do trailers.
Thank you for sharing your video. My dryer stopped working because it needs cleaning. I'm definitely going to try that. Thanks again.
My dryer stopped working so I took the back off and found 15 toothpicks, 12 Bobby pins, 7 plastic collar tabs, a 1" nail, a key, a silver crucifix, a 6" nail file and $12 in small change, so I went to Home Depot and bought a duct cleaning kit.
Okay idea nut you should never allow lint to build up to that degree. Clean the pipe more often. As for the rag getting stuck the easy solution is to leave a 20' length of string as a tail trailing the rag. Then if it gets stuck just go down in the cellar and pull it back out.
Yes yes yes. Good idea.
They're screws, not fish hooks.
Makes me glad that my dryer is next to the outer wall. Lol
Mine is, too. Only about a 6-inch journey from the dryer to the back yard. I think I can handle it with just my household vac.
The reason your pipe is a problem is the male ends should be towards the outside so the air and lint flows into the next section not catching on the matal.
Thanks, John. This showed up in my feed and reminded me I still need to clean mine.
Should have bought the tool, would have worked out much easier and with no effort and you would be able to do it once a year to prevent problems.
I am going to go to my dryer vent right now! Thank you so much I don’t have to pay my daughters neighbor to do it for me
I don’t know much, but I knew those rags would get stuck in pipe! Lol
I have to tell you I did exactly like you said and it worked like a champ!! I had it all laying around too. Tape measure, rope and rags. So simple yet so genius. Thank you.
BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT!!!!! OH, never mind.
Great idea. Just spent $90. For someone to clean mine. Never again! Thanks
Amazon sells longer kits that have flexibility rods that come in sections that go up to 40 feet and attach to a drill. Our vent has two 90 degree bends all enclosed inside a wall including an upward section. They are around $30 and last years. Because of the design we have to clean ours at least every six months and it is easy to do and pays for itself. and you can turn on your dryer and blow out all the lint
Wow. Two ninety degree bends! What a poor design that is. Almost as bad as my teeny tiny closet where there’s no way to get behind the washer and dryer. 😕
It was determined that the $20.00 Home Depot pipe cleaner item would not have worked due to its insufficient length. He evaluated his actions and determined that he would do things differently the next time. He was pleased with the end results and that is all that matters.
They sell the dryer vent brush kits longer then 10 feet. I bought one and use it every 6 months with no hassle. The brush is spinning and really cleans the vent. This method in the video could easily go wrong with a pipe clogged by a rag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was lucky the pipe was accessible to access the clog he caused.
I used a shop vac on blower side and a dryer vent brush. Worked very well.
I'd do this if I was broke and couldn't afford a cleaning kit because that lint has to go. The shorter the duct run to outside the better. The longer the the duct is the more lint can get stuck on things on its way out. Always use hard duct not the expandable accordion junk. If you keep the ducting clean your dryer will be more efficient. If it seems like your clothes aren't drying as fast your duct is probably packed with lint.
I live in a 5 unit townhouse row and do my neighbors ducts for free so the building doesn't burn down.
Lint is sooo flammable! After drying clothes I take the lint from the dryer lint trap and stuff it in empty toilet paper rolls and save them to start fires when camping. One match, flick of a lighter or strike stick will get the fire going!🏕
John, I think you did great. It was a good idea. And I appreciate you didn't set there and clean up the video and show the process as simple. Once you figured it out, it was simple. Bet next time it won't take no time. I, too, use the an old toilet brush as well as combo of a leaf blower, my vent is about 20' long, but I think I will try your idea. Had my mom's dryer vent cleaned and it was $119. Her vent pipe was only about 10' long.
I mean 20 bucks for a household tool you can use again every 1yr to 3yrs isn't bad. I also would've started with 1 rag then moved into the 3 or 4 rags to pull out the vent
I’m all for being frugal but when it comes to life and safety it’s worth spending the money. I thought the tool was expensive until I bought it and then used it. I had to buy the extensions.
My run is 10’+ across & then 8’ down. It was super fast since you hook it up to the drill.
Clearly you need the tool and use it preferably semi-annually but at least annually like you’re supposed to with all that dust.
Clearly, he was successful without "the" silly tool.
@ 9:50 'buying a tool that I won't use for a long time and will get buried with my other tools.' I can relate to that. If you decided to go with the store-bought tool, you could hang it on the wall next to the duct work. You've got the space for it. Another solution would be to do an annual inventory. Fall is a good time, because you're putting away summer tools and bringing out winter tools like snow blowers. But I like your solution. It looks ideal for my situation because I have a short run of duck work leading to the outside. No angles, no roof venting. The main thing is to do something about the accumulation of lint, and do it now before it gets too cold. It's incredible how this stuff builds up--a fire hazard as well as a reduction in dryer performance.
20$ isn’t too bad actually
Yours is easy, you see your pipes. Mine is inside the walls and I have no clue what shape it has so I won’t take any chances
Very cool - just like a bore snake to clean a rifle barrel only you did it with stuff around the house! Genuis!!
That was very satisfying seeing all that lint come out!!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Might I suggest taping the duct sections with metal foil tape rather than duct tape? Dryer vents move hot, moist air, which can cause regular duct tape to fail over time.
It really worked well! How awesome that you thought of doing it that way!
First off the pipe crimps should be facing down stream so as not to catch lint. 2nd if you had used 30 feet of rope and put the rags in the middle then when the rags got stuck you could of pulled them back in the direction that you started w/o taking the pipe apart. But as I first stated, the vent pipe crimps should always face away from the dryer.
Worked like a champ! Thanks buddy. Great video.
it works thats what counts..thanks for sharing
I have a device that was made for this job. Flexibility rods screwed together with a cleaning end. Attached it to a powered drill and it climbes through the pipes all the way to the end then vacuum up the mess. Can be purchased at Home Depot and Lowes. I had a dryer fire many years ago never going to happen again. Also never run the dryer while nobody is home.
I think its a great idea. I will get my husband to do this. I know ours must be full of this stuff too.
Poor husband.
@@rajivsrivastava5431 ?
In jest only, for the work ahead.
We have 22 feet from the dryer to the outside so our city requires a dryer assist fan. We had it professionally cleaned once. Now we know what we need and how to do it, we will save some money.
😄 That was so funny yet so sweet. Moral of the story....buy the extensions? I did learn to keep the angles in mind before. ☝️. Oh and the tape measure...good idea, thanks
Be careful. If those rags aren't tied very, very tight, they might come loose inside the pipe. Then you'll really have a problem. I also use my weed blower. I also have the pipe brush. Like you said, it's not long enough. But at least it cleaned the first ten feet pretty good. So that got half of my exhaust pipe. It's not hard, but it's still a pain to clean out the pipe every year. I've had a hard time finding the outside vent cover, the right diameter. Thanks for your video.
Thankfully that when it got stuck there was access to where it was stuck in the piping. Most dryer exhaust piping I have had in homes, you do not have that access so need to be very careful to not get item stuck in pipe or you will be cutting hole in your ceiling to get access to the pipework
Oh, crud, Glad I read your comment. Whoever owned this house, before us, decided to build an office behind the laundry room. That took away the dryer's duct perfect 2 ft.? access , to the backyard. They had to turn the vent route and add an extra 12 feet of duct work. That stuff is 'hidden' behind a weird sheetrock cover that looks like cabinet doors! It isn't doors, just camo looking office stuff, it is solid. Kinda cute. What a job, if something got stuck inside, from me fumbling at this!!
30 years cleaning vents don't do this
I use a 10 foot flexible drain brush. Turn the dryer on air only. Feed in the drain brush, twisting as you go. The dryer blower will push out the lint you've loosened up. If you have a longer run you can tie a brush or small rag to a drain snake. Do this 2 to 4 times a year. No disassembly required.
Amazon sells longer kits that have flexibility rods that come in sections that go up to 40 feet and attach to a drill. Our vent has two 90 degree bends all enclosed inside a wall including an upward section. They are around $30 and last years. Because of the design we have to clean ours at least every six months and it is easy to do and pays for itself. We always clean out inside the dryer as well but get huge wads of lint since the distance and moisture content tend to weight it down before it gets outside.
Super resourceful idea for vent cleaning👏 I ended up just buying a 30ft vent kit for $20 on Amazon since I have spring tubing. But great idea nonetheless!
Good idea. Just make sure the string is strong and knot well tied, you don't want the rag to get stuck inside. Also a good idea to use a shop vac simultaneously.
Pretty sure he specified "rope"?
Maybe do 3 rags a first pull through then do it a second time with 3 or 4 rags? May be getting hung up because of all the lint at the 45 being pushed through rather than the rags being tight??
Great video. I learned something! Thanks.
Great idea. Good to know. Anytime we spend reusing what is around the house the more money we $ave!
That was so satisfying to watch.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
This is not going to work on a longer system that has several elbows and serious clogging. As you discovered as you pulled the towels through to the 45 degree angle where the clog was intense and you had to take the system apart to clean out the clog. Next your system is open and available to work on but if the pipes are hidden inside of walls, or ceilings you are in for a hell of a time. Plus your system is hard pipe this would never work with a foil or plastic dryer vent or even the semi rigid aluminum. That kind of pulling force you required to get your towel system through the pipe would destroy other less strong system. It may work for you in this situation but it could cause some serious complications for someone who imitates this cleaning method and who has hoses or semi rigid hose. Don't do it. Use a system that is proven like the brush and attachments just don't put the drill in reverse and you will be good.
I use my leaf blower. I detach the duct from the wall and let it blow out the roof. While that’s running, I go on the roof a pull out stubborn pieces.
Same
I could have told you 3 would have been plenty…..but I am just a woman. 🤷♀️
😂😂😂yes girl
I’ll give you at least double but I won’t call you in the morning
Not just a woman....a smart woman! 👩
Being a woman doesn't mean you're inferior to men! Put yourself on the same level, and you'll be OK.
3 what?
As a woman with her own home, this was so helpful thank you so much
Don't do this unless you have exposed pipes. He literally showed that the rag can get caught in there.
If your pipe is hidden attach another rope to trail behind it so you can use that rope to pull it out backwards if it gets stuck.
Michelle, DO NOT DO THIS!! It's crazy. If you don't want to use the brushes with drill to clean the vent, then pay someone to do it. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
AGREED - DON’T DO THIS! You could end up getting rags stuck and having to pay big $$$ to get it out. This guy clearly does not know what he is doing.
Michelle, Please don’t do this! I would spend the little money it costs at Home Depot to buy the Correct tools. 😊
Just run your flexible shop vac hose in there. Turn it on, turn the dryer on.
Ding , ding , ding all done
The pipe (ductwork) is installed "backwards": meaning the crimped end of individual sections should be pointing out (the opposite of what is shown). Put another way, the crimps should point in the same direction as airflow (i.e., outside). And yes, I would not have bot a special kit either, although in any event, cleanout should be one of those ANNUAL activities - not the once in 3-5 years that most people do (if ever).
I cannot tell you how many times I see bot for the word bought in comments… help!
I usually use just a couple of wire coat hangars twisted together to clean the dryer vent, or one of those special brushes available for under $10 at a lot of online retailers.
This was my first experiment cleaning the dryer vent.
You can't buy anything for $10 anymore.
Love the tape measure idea. I probably would have doubled the length of rope so I could do it twice. Also maybe tie on two rags in a couple of places and then follow with three rags. With the additional rope you could do a second pass if you felt it was necessary.
i am doing this tomorrow morning!! thanks for the idea.
I enjoyed watching him figure things out.
He's right there! He can hear you!
Next time try a leaf blower it works amazingly well.
that would be a little more than 20 bucks I think
@@cadoo5591 UNLESS you already have one...
We used to have a woodstove and had to clean the chimney regularly we use the rain gutter with a brush attached to the bottom this reminds me of that only when I would’ve use instead of a bunch of rags something lightweight and airy and more malleable and I would’ve gone with those nylon scrubby things that you wash up with in the shower. If you have any females in your family they know what I’m talking about otherwise go to your bathroom section or your make up section in a store and you’ll find scrunched up balls of nylon fabric but will do the trick for you!
Leave a tail of rope beind the rags so that if the rags get stuck you can pull on the tail.
You were making me really nervous with that fat wad of rags. Glad you got it cleared out and thanks for the hack! Subscribed
“fat wad of rags”. Now that’s something you’d never think you would ever read, especially if someone is shoving four rags up a pipe with blue twine in a ITube video. Wonders never cease to amaze. 😂😂😂
Hope the towel does not come off inside the vent. Better tie it really good hope the rope does not break.
Hey. Use your leaf blower inside. Grab residue outside. Repeat intil clean.
Common sense and a greAt attitude
What a mix!!!
I thought he was kinda opinionated.
The job is only half done. You need to remove the cover off the back of the dryer and vacuum out all the dryer lint that’s clogging up the blower housing and lint screen shoot. I even found the drum wall vent partially plugged up!
maybe have cord trailing the rag long enough so that if rag gets jammed you can pull to reverse the rag back to adjust it as needed
Cleaning a dryer vent with a tape measure, a rope, a spoon, three olives and a nickelback cd. I use my leaf blower.
How did that work??
@@briangrant9026 the leaf blower works great for me, I clean my vent pretty often, never tried it on a clogged vent, you might get blow back if it’s that bad.
@@kryptoekid Thanks, I'll try it.
Were they pickled olives?
If you use a Nickleback cassette you could forego the tape measure.
How much is your time worth? You could've been done in 5 minutes with the brush.
It was too much fun making the video and now all the comments and feedback is enjoyable to read.