Can You Use a Leaf Blower to Clean a Dryer Vent: Good and the Bad

Last Updated on October 2, 2023 by Kyle Whitley

can you clean a dryer vent with a leaf blower

 

If you have a dirty dryer vent, you might be wondering can you use a leaf blower to clean dryer vent.  Yes, you can use a leaf blower to clean a dryer vent.

So you might be wondering why should I clean the lint from my dryer vent anyway.

Lint removal is the process by which dust and debris (lint) is pulled or blown out of your dryer vent line so that it doesn’t clog up the entire vent system. Lint is extremely flammable, and when combined with a blocked dryer vent and a continuous stream of heated air blasting out of your dryer, it becomes an incredibly dangerous situation. Cleaning the vent pipe regularly, and thoroughly, is critical for safe living at home.

There are however some very specific considerations you need to think about before you get the leaf blower out and blow all that lint out into your yard.

When Can You Clean Dryer Vents With A Leaf Blower

If you have ever used a leaf blower then you know that leaf blowers are good a blowing out a strong and constant force of air.  That makes them great for blowing leaves, grass clippings, snow, and even drying your car.  It might not make it perfect for cleaning out dryer vents.

Things to consider before using a leaf blower to clean out a dryer vent

  • Are there metal screens on exterior walls which might prevent the lint from being blown out of the vent.
  • Vent line needs to be a short distance, leaf blowers lose power relatively quickly over large distances
  • No curved or vent lines with many bends.  The leaf blower might cause more of a problem by lodging lint into a vent or corner with the powerful airflow
  • The vent duct needs to be smooth.  The accordion-style vent tubes will collect lint in the ridges of the tube, which a leaf blower wouldn’t be able to dislodge.

If your dryer vent doesn’t meet these specific considerations then you might want to skip using a leaf blower to clean out your vent.

Which type of leaf blower can I use to clean a dryer vent?

Well there are really only two types of leaf blowers that you would want to use in this situation.

You’re going to want to stay away from anything gas powered due to safety reasons.  Running a combustible engine inside a home is dangerous due to the carbon dioxide that is released when running the engine.

Basically any electric style blower will get the job done in this case.

How To Clean Dryer Vents With A Leaf Blower

If you meet all the qualifications mentioned earlier then your dryer vent is a good candidate for being cleaned out with a leaf blower. Here are a few steps you can take to clean out your dryer vent with an electric leaf blower.

Unplug and Move the Dryer Back From the Wall

Make sure to power down and unplug your dryer from the wall power outlet.  You will also need to move the dryer a few feet away from the wall so you can get easy access to the back of the dryer.

Disconnect the Dryer Hose

After the dryer is moved away from the wall, disconnect the dryer hose from the vent in the back of the dryer.  Sometimes these are clipped on with zip ties and sometimes the vent is screwed on.

Also, disconnect the dry vent hose away from the wall as well.  This will give you direct access to the dryer vent line.

Remove and Clean the Exterior Air Vent

Now go outside and locate your exterior dryer air vent.  Once you have located your dryer air vent, remove the air vent cover so that you have direct access to the vent exit.

You should clean the vent cover as well since it has been removed.

Connect and Seal the Leaf Blower Inside the House

Go back inside.

Now get your leaf blower and connect it to the interior dryer vent wall duct.  You will need to seal off the area where the leaf blower nozzle enters the duct.

The seal will make sure no lint is blown back into the laundry room , and make sure the lint gets blown outside.

Power on the Leaf Blower

Power up the leaf blower and make sure it is blowing correctly.  Verify that the seal you created around the leaf blower is keeping air inside the dryer vent.

Run the leaf blower for about a minute.  This should be plenty of time to clean out the dryer vent duct, and blow all the lent outside your home.

If you are looking for some great leaf blowers, the manufactures below make some great ones.

 

Clean Up

Now you need to go back outside and clean up any lint that was blown out of your exterior dryer air vent.  Dispose of any lint in the garbage and prepare to put everything back together.

Putting it all back together

After cleaning outside, you will need to reattach the outside vent cover, and clean around the vent exit.

Once that is complete head back inside and reattach the vent hose to the laundry room wall where the dryer vent exits the home.

Then reattach the vent hose to the back of the dryer.

Push the dryer back in place making sure you don’t kink the dryer vent hose.

Test the dryer to make sure the vent hose stays attached to the dryer and wall.  Go outside to verify the air is blowing outside your home.

Summing it up: Cleaning a dryer lint with a leaf blower

So to answer the question, can you use a leaf blower to clean a dryer vent, the answer is yes.  It is true that can clean a dryer vent with a leaf blower.  Leaf blowers can actually do a pretty good job at cleaning lint from dryer vents.

You should only do so if your dryer vent meets some very specific qualifications, and do so carefully.

If you feel that your vent doesn’t meet these qualifications then you might need to get a professional duct cleaner to clean the vent.