How to clean your tumble dryer

It's important to keep your tumble dryer clean and lint-free to prolong its life and keep it working safely and efficiently. This article will provide a step by step guide with tips and advice on how to clean your tumble dryer as well as keep it as energy efficient as possible.

Before you carry out any cleaning or maintenance, ensure that your appliance is fully cooled down, turned off and disconnected at the mains. This is especially important when working on the internal parts of your dryer. 

Let's get started with our step by step guide on how to clean and maintain your tumble dryer. Simply follow the how-to video or the step by step guide below:

First, we're going to show you how to clean your tumble dryer lint filter. After every tumble drying cycle, it's important to clean the lint filter as a clogged filter will reduce airflow into the machine. This will compromise the efficiency, cost more in energy bills and even pose a safety risk if it gets too hot. 

Step 1: Remove the filter and scrape off any lint or debris with your fingers.

Step 2: If you find there is still excess lint, you can run it under the tap. Just be sure that it is completely dry before you put it back in the machine.

Step 3: Remove lint from the filter area by using your vacuum crevice tool to ensure all lint is removed. 

If you have a condenser tumble dryer, make sure that you check the water container after every cycle and empty it if necessary. This will allow you to run a full cycle without having to stop halfway through to empty the container.

The tumble dryer heat exchanger turns steam from the dryer drum back into water. However, this steam can contain small fibres and dirt that can clog up the heat exchanger. If this happens, your machine will be much less efficient.

Step 1: Locate your heat exchanger on your condenser dryer. This can be found below the drum either behind a door or a panel. 

Step 2: Remove the panel, loosen the latches and take the heat exchanger out. 

Step 3: Remove any lint or fluff by hand and rinse it under the tap. Repeat this around once a month. 

If you have a vented tumble dryer, be sure to check the vent hose regularly for any kinks or damage and remove any built-up lint or fluff. The vent hose allows warm, damp air to flow out of your tumble dryer. If this gets damaged, it will affect the airflow meaning your drying will take longer and your machine will be less efficient. 

If your tumble dryer vent hose is looking damaged and worn, it's best to replace it. You can find replacement hoses on our website by clicking here.

Make sure you give the rear of your tumble dryer a good clean too as dirt can build up here and affect the performance of your appliance.

Make sure your tumble dryer is unplugged and the vent hose is disconnected before you do this. Then, unscrew the back panel and vacuum around the blower and the vent pipe connection. When you've finished, reconnect the vent pipe and reattach the back panel.

You need to make sure that the inside of your tumble dryer drum stays clean too. Grime and fluff can build up inside the drum which can ruin lighter coloured clothing or cause drying to take longer and waste energy. 

To clean this, all you need to do is wipe it down with a cloth and stainless steel cleaner or white vinegar.

Because your tumble dryer is warm and damp, bacteria and microbes can breed here and lead to unpleasant smells. Clean your tumble dryer door seals by wiping them down with a damp cloth as part of your cleaning routine.

Use tumble dryer balls

A great way to save energy when using your dryer is by using tumble dryer balls. This will help to separate clothing during a cycle and reduce drying time.

For information on the benefits of tumble dryer balls and how to use them, take a look at our video:

Another great tip to ensure your dryer remains as energy efficient as possible is to ensure you don't overload it. As well as wasting energy, this can cause tumble dryers to overheat and damage your machine. Even out loads with items of a similar size, do not overfill with large items such as duvets and only fill your drum halfway. 

We hope these tips have helped with how to clean your tumble dryer and keep it as energy efficient as possible. 

Regularly cleaning and maintaining your tumble dryer will prevent it from developing faults, help you to save money on energy bills and keep your appliance lasting for longer. There are certain tasks that should be carried out after every tumble dryer cycle. These include clearing the lint filter and checking the water container. Others, such as cleaning the inside of your machine, should be done around once a month.

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For more tumbler dryer repairs and maintenance which you can do yourself, don’t forget to check out our other advice articles. Here at eSpares, we have a wide range of tumbler dryer spares. You can view our full range of replacement tumbler dryer parts here.