Hit 450 dryer vent cleanings this year and found a weird pattern

I hit 450 dryer vent cleanings so far in 2024 and something weird showed up. About 75% of the real clog issues we're all used to seeing came from houses that use those super thick dryer sheets. Not the cheap ones, but the name brand ones that say they trap more lint in the sheet. The lint traps looked clean but the vents had this nasty sticky film building up inside the pipe. I started asking customers what brand they use and it's almost always those. Had one job last month where the guy used nothing but dryer sheets for 8 years and the vent was almost completely blocked with that gunk. Anyone else seeing this or am I just hitting a weird sample of houses?

3 comments

3 Comments

kaih3626d ago

Funny you mention that, because my cousin swears by those sheets and he had a similar issue with his bathroom fan exhaust. Not exactly the same thing but close enough. The guy at the hardware store told him it was from the wax coating melting off and building up inside the pipe. Made me wonder how many people are unknowingly gumming up their entire ventilation system with something they think is helping.

black.jake25d ago

Hey @the_lee, good question but have you actually cut open one of those vents to check for that sticky buildup inside?

the_lee26d ago

Every single one of those name brand sheets I've used for years and my vents are spotless. Maybe you're just seeing confirmation bias from the people who actually call you out? Think about it - someone with cheap sheets who never cleans their vents probably isn't calling a pro until the dryer is literally on fire, so you wouldn't see them in your sample. Plus I've got a buddy who runs a property management company with 40 units all using those same thick sheets and he's never had a clog complaint in a decade. The "sticky film" sounds more like what happens when people use liquid fabric softener and let it sit for years, not dryer sheets. Maybe start asking about liquid softener too and see if that's the real problem.