Could Your Dryer Vent System Be Making You Sick?

I decided to write this short article because I just got home from one of my dryer vent cleaning jobs where a family was having trouble drying their clothes, their clothes were taking too long to dry, which is a typical sign that a dryer is clogged. ventilation, something I see every day, but this time there was a curious twist, something that they themselves have noticed for quite some time in their laundry room… MOLD!

We are all aware of the harmful effects of mold, it can cause respiratory problems, long-term illness and even death in the worst case. Why mold in the laundry room you ask? Well, it’s simple really, mold basically needs three things to thrive…heat, a food source (dirt, lint), and MOISTURE! In this particular case, the dryer vent was clogged, causing back pressure of air to leak into the laundry room from a loose fitting on the dryer. This allowed an excessive amount of moisture to enter the room, raising humidity levels to the point of creating a perfect environment for mold to thrive.

There were dark mold stains all over the walls and ceiling and the owner recalled noticing that the windows in the laundry room fogged up every time the clothes were washed. This was not the first time I had witnessed such a problem, it happens more often than one might think. Ironically, the homeowner didn’t realize there was an exhaust fan on the ceiling of the laundry room; if they had turned it on when they were doing the laundry, the problem probably could have been avoided, but of course the real answer lies in preventive measures. to prevent this from happening in the first place. It’s still unclear to what extent the damage is to that particular room, the mold could possibly be remedied with a simple mix of bleach diluted in water, but if the mold has already settled inside the walls the only safe course would be to rip the drywall and start over.

Keeping your dryer vent line clear is extremely important because its job is to carry warm, moist air outside, where it can then be dispersed. If your line is restricted enough, you could produce the above scenario, or worse, you could start a fire! If you have a gas dryer, you should be doubly concerned about cleaning and inspecting your dryer vent at least once every two years. Moist air building up in your laundry room is bad enough, but CARBON MONOXIDE… now it’s a whole different ball game!