Drying your clothes is such a routine chore, it can be easy to forget your dryer costs hundreds of dollars. Protect the investment you made in your dryer by learning how to take proper care of it.

It is common knowledge you should wipe the lint from the lint trap after each load you dry. However, just removing the lint is not enough to keep the lint trap clean.

To keep the lint trap clean, remove the lint trap from the dryer and clean the trap with some dish soap and a brush. This will remove buildup. Allow the lint trap to air dry before putting it back inside of your dryer.

While the rent trap is out of the dryer, clean the lint trap compartment. Lint and other debris can get around the trap and build up in the lint trap compartment.

Use the crevice attachment for your vacuum cleaner to get down in the lint trap compartment and thoroughly clean it.

Pull your dryer out from against the wall. Disconnect the hose from the back of the dryer. Use your vacuum cleaner to clean the hose. Or, you can switch out your dryer vent hose with a new one. This cleaning is a smart move to make, as your dryer hose presents a fire risk when lint builds up inside.

Next, go outside and remove the vent cover from the outside vent. Use a lint brush to clean the inside of the vent. If you don't have a lint brush, a clean toilet bowl brush you can pick up from the dollar store will effectively clean the outside vent. This task will remove any lint trapped in the exhaust vent, which can pose a fire hazard.

Next, you need to clean the interior drum of your dryer. Before you start cleaning the drum, though, unplug your dryer.

Then, take a cloth and get it wet with some warm water and lather up some soap on the cloth. Take the cloth and wipe down the inside of your washer. Then, take a dry cloth and dry off the inside of the drum. You can also leave the door to the dryer open to facilitate the drying process.

Lint and dust can accumulate on the inside of the drum, so you should clean it off at least once a month.

Occasionally, sticky things, such as gum or candy, may get stuck on the side of the drum. To get rid of sticky substances, spray a little cooking spray on the substance. Let the spray sit for a minute, then wipe it away.

For scuff marks, a magic eraser is an effective way to get rid of them. Just get the magic eraser a little wet, and scrub away at the mark to remove it. You can also spray some Windex on a cloth and use it to remove the scuff mark.

While the dryer is unplugged, clean the outside of the unit as well. Use a cloth and some basic dish soap or general all-purpose cleaner. Clean the top and sides of the dryer and get out your broom or vacuum to clean up around the floor as well.

Keeping the outside of your dryer clean will help keep up the overall condition of the dryer. Dust and lint tend to gather on the outside of your dryer, so you do need to clean it.

If your dryer is underperforming, give us a call at Appliance Repair Solutions, and we can send a technician out to fix your dryer and get it working properly again.