Dog hair can quickly accumulate inside your dryer after cleaning your dog’s blankets, bedding, and jackets.
It can also accumulate as it comes off of family members’ clothing.
A clogged dryer vent stops working well and is a fire hazard, so it’s best to clean the dog hair from the dryer vent and inside the dryer drum before it builds up to the point where it doesn’t allow the dryer to vent.
In this short guide, we’ll show you how to clean your dryer of dog hair in just a handful of steps!
How To Clean Your Dryer of Dog Hair Step-by-Step
- The first step is to empty your lint trap and give it a good cleaning. Remove the screen and wash it with warm soap and water, then rinse it thoroughly and let it air dry.
- Use a vacuum attachment or long brush to reach as far down inside the exhaust vent as you can go and pull the lint from the vent tube. If the vent is covered with a plastic screen you’ll need to use a screwdriver to remove the screen before vacuuming.
- Clean the drum of the dryer. Use a vacuum cleaner or a small brush to remove any pet hair that’s collected around the drum or in the vent. Remove dog hair that’s caught in the door seal or the seams around the vent.
- Wipe down the inside of the machine, with a wet cloth, paying special attention to the lint trap and the vent, and reinstall the lint trap and screen.
- If you can access the dryer vent outlet on the outside of your home or building, remove the protective screen and use the vacuum hose attachment to clean lint buildup in the tube as far as you can reach.
Dog hair in the dryer is a problem, but everyone has lint buildup regardless of pets that must be cleaned from the dryer and ventilation tubing on a regular basis to keep the dryer functioning efficiently.
Can I Prevent Dog Hair Buildup in the Dryer?
You can’t totally prevent dog hair from building up in the dryer, but you can dramatically cut down on how much gets in there and how fast it builds up with these simple tips.
- Before washing your dog’s bed, vacuum it thoroughly to remove as much hair as possible.
- Shake your dog’s blankets outside before laundering.
- Remove as much dog hair from flooring, carpet, and furniture as you can, as often as possible.
- Use lint rollers frequently to remove dog hair from clothing, and roll clothing before removing it and dropping it in the hamper.
- Brush your dog regularly, and daily during shedding seasons, to help reduce shedding.
- If your dog is shedding due to irritated or dry skin, use a deshedding shampoo to condition the skin and coat and help reduce shedding.
These tips will help reduce the amount of dog hair that gets into your dryer when you cycle bedding and clothing through the laundry.
Read our related article, How to Get Dog Hair Out of Clothes for more cleaning tips and tricks!
Final Thoughts
Whether you have dogs, cats, or both, the pet hair buildup in cleaning appliances can be a pain to clean and makes washers and dryers get clogged.
Cleaning pet hair from around the house will dramatically reduce the amount that gets stuck in your appliances, which is also good for extending your appliance lifespan.
