Did you know you may have a hidden danger, an unexpected fire hazard, lurking in your home? It’s a pesky little thing you don’t think about much. Can you guess what it is?

IT’S LINT.

It’s true, lint is a huge fire hazard. Lint can travel anywhere and builds up very easily. Companies that clean dryer vents professionally sometimes find laundry baskets full of lint in both the vent and in the base of the dryer.

It’s important to clean out your dryer vents and dryer on an annual basis. Be sure your dryer is unplugged when doing so. Keep the lint collector screens clean by removing the lint every time you do laundry. Dryer vents sometimes stretch across crawl spaces, so the lint can travel a good distance from your laundry room. Check the crawl space and pull out the dryer to collect lint from every corner. Don’t overlook this fire hazard in your home. Whether you hire a professional or do it yourself, make sure you take care of this little problem before it turns into a big house fire.