Most people do what they can to maintain their appliances, like scheduling regular furnace cleaning and replacing filters. Unfortunately, few think to properly maintain their clothes dryer.

Generally, when it comes to keeping a dryer clean, most people think the extent of the job relates to removing lint from the lint trap and possibly, once in a while, vacuum out the chute that holds the lint trap. But there is much more to do than that. That lint trap, while doing its job, can't do it all. Some lint is going to get past it and into other areas of your clothes dryer that you may not be able to clean on your own.

This is the time to call in a professional. The work it takes to disassemble these parts of your dryer is difficult, and doing it incorrectly could cause more damage. A professional will inspect and clean all areas to be sure there is proper air flow.

Inside the Dryer: A lot of the lint that gets past the lint trap can get caught up in a number of places throughout the dryer. You may be amazed to see how much lint has slipped past the trap and is now trapped in various portions of your dryer frame. This is not only messy but its a fire hazard as any spark inside the machine could set the lint aflame.

The Chute: The chute that takes the hot air and lint out of your dryer and to the outside of your house is another area of the dryer that lint will get stuck in. Some of the lint that made it past the trap and into the ducts out of the dryer and towards the outside wont complete the trip. Instead, it will get stuck on the textured walls inside the chute. Too much of this piling up can be a fire hazard with any sparks as well as a costly problem since the more there is clogging up the chutes, the harder the dryer has to work to blow air through the system.

The Dryer Vent: The final destination for the heat, moisture and lint is the vent on the outside of your house. This needs to be checked often to be sure it is opening properly to allow hot air to escape, then closing properly to keep bugs and rodents out.

To keep your clothes dryer working, efficiently and safely, have a professional inspection and cleaning at least once a year. If you have a large family and use your dryer almost daily, you may want to double that service schedule. Proper dryer vent cleaning will save money on utility bills while preventing a clothes dryer fire.