Clothes Dryer Fires

Dryer Safety

Proper maintenance of your clothes dryer is important to the safety of your home. Along with cleaning the lint filter before every cycle, never put materials that have been used with solvents, oils or wax in dryers; never machine dry foam or rubber goods; check for blockages in vent pipes if drying cycles seem to be taking too long; your clothes are very hot at the end of a cycle or your laundry room is unusually warm when running the dryer.  Replace ripped filters or cracked exhaust pipes, and make sure dryer vent flaps are not frozen shut in winter.

Never run the dryer when you are asleep, or not at home.

Install metal ducts rather than plastic ones that can bend, trapping lint. Having your dryer professionally cleaned every year is recommended.

Watch the CBC Television video below for a story on what can happen if your dryer is not maintained properly.