MOLD
Mold grows wherever it is damp and warm, and that includes your clothes dryer. Often the mold is not in the dryer itself, but in the lint trap or vent hose, so it’s important to inspect every part of your dryer to isolate the source. Mold not only smells unpleasant, but also it can exacerbate allergies and contribute to asthma attacks; if you smell mold in or near your dryer, it’s best to remedy the problem immediately.
How To Remove It From Your Dryer Vent?
- Inspect the area around your dryer. Unplug the dryer and pull it out from the wall so that you can look behind and underneath it. If you see any dark, moldy patches on the walls, treat them with a few squirts of spray bleach and then wipe them down with a shop cloth or paper towel.
- Smell your dryer’s vent hose to make sure that no lint has become trapped in it and gotten moldy. Vacuum out the vent hose – making sure it is unplugged, first — or replace it if it doesn’t smell clean.
- Clean out your dryer’s lint trap. Remove the mesh screen, if there is one, and wash it thoroughly in hot water and either bleach or vinegar. Let it air dry. Clean the area around the vent trap in the dryer as well.
- Mix one cup of bleach or white vinegar with one gallon of water. Put on rubber gloves and scrub out the inside of the dryer with a sponge soaked in the solution. Pay special attention to any rubber gaskets or small crevices where a trapped piece of cloth or lint could hide. Do not wipe down the surface of the dryer when you’re done cleaning it; let it air-dry with the door open. Try undiluted bleach or vinegar if the diluted solution doesn’t remove the odor.
- Soak a plain white towel or two in cold water and a generous amount of baking soda and run them through your dryer on its lowest setting. This should remove the mold smell, the bleach or vinegar smell and any dried bleach on the dryer’s surface.
Tip
Call a professional to assess whether any large spots of black mold near your dryer are toxic.
Warning
Never mix bleach with ammonia, because the combination of the two will release a toxic gas.