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Dryer Vent Cleaning in Seattle, WA
Clothes taking two cycles to dry, a hot laundry room, or a flap that never opens: we clear the whole vent run, not just the lint trap. Free quote.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
Request a Free Dryer Vent Cleaning Quote
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Dryer vent cleaning is a separate service from anything to do with the chimney, but it solves the same kind of problem: a duct meant to carry heat and exhaust out of the house has filled up with something flammable. In a dryer vent that something is lint. It packs into the duct from the back of the dryer to the hood on the outside wall or roof, slows the airflow, makes the dryer run hot and long, and sits inches from a heating element. Clearing it is quick, and we can often do it on the same visit as a chimney service.
This page is for homeowners who have noticed the dryer taking longer, the laundry room getting warm, lint around the dryer or the outside hood, or who have no idea when the vent was last cleaned. Vents that run a long way, turn corners, or exit through the roof clog fastest.
We clean dryer vents across Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and King, Pierce and Snohomish counties from our Renton office. The quote is free, and we price match any written quote plus 10-25% off.
Symptoms
Signs you need dryer vent cleaning
- Clothes need a second cycle to dry, or come out hot but still damp
- The dryer and the laundry room feel hot while it runs
- Lint collecting behind the dryer or around the outside hood
- The flap or louvers at the outside hood do not open while the dryer runs
- A burning or hot-lint smell during a cycle
- The dryer shuts off mid-cycle or shows a vent or airflow warning
Common causes
- Normal use: every load sheds lint that passes the lint screen and settles in the duct
- Long vent runs with several elbows, where airflow drops and lint settles at each turn
- Flexible foil or plastic duct that sags, kinks and traps lint in its ridges
- A crushed duct from pushing the dryer back against the wall
- A bird or rodent nest in the outside hood, or a hood with a missing or stuck flap
How It Works
Our dryer vent cleaning process
We start at both ends. Inside, we pull the dryer, check the transition duct and connection, and measure airflow at the outlet. Outside, we check the hood, its flap or screen, and whether anything is nesting in it. Then we trace the run through the wall, crawlspace, attic or roof to learn its length and turns. That tells us whether the duct can be fully cleared or a section needs replacing, and the quote is written before we start.
Free quote and airflow check
We inspect both ends of the vent, measure airflow, and tell you what we expect to find and what it will cost.
Protect the laundry room
The dryer is pulled out on a mat, the floor covered, and a vacuum set up at the dryer end to catch what comes back.
Clean the full run
Rotating brushes sized to the duct are run the entire length from one end while the vacuum pulls from the other, clearing every elbow and joint.
Clear and check the hood
Nesting and packed lint are removed from the outside hood, the flap or louvers freed, and a damaged hood replaced.
Reconnect and test
The transition duct is reconnected with a proper clamp, the dryer pushed back without crushing it, and airflow measured again.
Options
Repair and service options
Most visits are a straightforward cleaning, but the inspection sometimes turns up a vent that needs more than a brush:
- Full-length cleaning: brushing and vacuuming the entire run from the dryer to the outside hood, elbows and hood included. This is the standard job.
- Hood repair or replacement: a hood with a stuck or missing flap lets cold air, rain and animals in and lint out onto the siding. We free it or replace it with one that seals.
- Transition duct replacement: plastic or foil duct behind the dryer is replaced with rigid or semi-rigid metal that does not trap lint or crush.
- Duct section replacement: a crushed, disconnected or rusted section inside the wall, crawlspace or attic is replaced so the vent reaches outside.
- Bird guard: a guard on the hood sized to keep birds out without catching lint.
- Same visit as chimney work: if we are already there for a sweep or inspection, adding the dryer vent is quick and priced accordingly.
Every option is on the free written quote, and we price match any written quote plus 10-25% off.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Length of the vent run and how many elbows it has
- Where the vent exits: wall, crawlspace, or roof
- How packed the lint is and whether there is nesting at the hood
- Whether the transition duct or a section of the run must be replaced
- Whether the cleaning is bundled with a chimney service on the same visit
- Distance from Renton for outlying Pierce and Snohomish addresses
Every chimney is different, so you get a written quote after we look at the system. Ask about our price match and free second-opinion quote.
Safety & Seattle Conditions
Safety considerations
Lint is a fire hazard for the same reason creosote is: fine, dry, flammable material packed into a duct that carries heat. If you smell hot lint or burning during a cycle, stop the dryer, leave it off, and have the vent cleared before using it again. Please do not go on the roof to clear a roof-exit hood yourself; we handle roof-exit vents, and the quote is free.
If your dryer is gas and you ever smell gas near it, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. Do not touch the gas valve or the gas line.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
Seattle's wet season is dryer season. Sea-Tac's NOAA 1991-2020 normals put October through March at about 29.65 inches of precipitation, roughly 73% of the 40.34-inch annual total, and Seattle averages roughly 150-156 days a year with measurable precipitation. Through those months clotheslines are not an option and dryers run daily, so lint builds fastest exactly when the vent is working hardest.
Rain also gets in from the outside end. A roof hood or a wall hood with a stuck flap lets water in, and wet lint packs into a dense plug a dryer cannot blow clear. Clearing the run and restoring a working hood solves both.
Our Work
Dryer Vent Cleaning in action
Get a free dryer vent cleaning quote
Full-length cleaning, hood and duct repairs, same visit as your chimney service if you like. Price match plus 10-25% off. Call 206-453-2045.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Dryer Vent Cleaning FAQ
How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
For a household that runs the dryer most days through the wet season, once a year is a sensible interval, and sooner if you notice the symptoms on this page. Long runs, roof exits and vents with several elbows clog faster than a short straight run through a wall. The airflow measurement at each visit tells you whether yours needs it more or less often.
Is cleaning the lint screen enough?
No. The lint screen catches the largest share, but a portion of every load passes through and settles in the duct behind the dryer and along the run outside. Over time that builds into a blockage. Cleaning the screen every load is still important; it just does not reach the duct, which is what this service is for.
Why do my clothes take so long to dry?
If the dryer heats but the clothes stay damp, the hot, moist air is not leaving the house fast enough, and a lint-restricted vent is the usual reason. A crushed transition duct, a stuck outside flap, or a nest in the hood does the same thing. We measure airflow before and after cleaning so you can see the difference.
Can you clean a dryer vent that exits through the roof?
Yes. Roof-exit vents need it most, because lint has to travel upward and the hood is exposed to rain. We clear them from inside and from the roof, clean or replace the roof hood, and add a guard if birds have been getting in. Please do not try to reach a roof hood yourself; that is part of the service.
Can you clean the dryer vent while you are here for the chimney?
Yes, and it is the most efficient way to do it. If we are already at the house for a chimney sweep, chimney cleaning or inspection, adding the dryer vent is quick and priced as an add-on. Mention it when you book so we bring the right brushes.
What does dryer vent cleaning cost in Seattle?
It depends on the length of the run, how many turns it makes, where it exits and whether any duct or the hood needs replacing, so we quote after looking at both ends. The quote is free, we match any written quote and take a further 10-25% off, and if you are not happy with the result we come back at no charge.
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