By Stacey L Nash | Updated Jun 22, 2023 5:00 PM
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Dryer vent cleaning kits contain brushes, necks, or vacuum attachments that snake their way into the tight spaces of the dryer vent to remove lint. All it takes is too much heat or a single spark to turn trapped, dry lint into a tinderbox. The U.S. Fire Administration reports 2,900 clothes dryer fires each year. A well-maintained dryer vent is one way to prevent these kinds of accidents. Dryer cleaning kits contain tools that can reach into the vent and suck, pull, or lift out collected lint.
The best dryer cleaning kits have tools with the flexibility and strength to repeatedly enter the vent and remove debris. You’ll need to decide on a form, whether brushes, vacuum attachments, or some other method that will work best for your dryer setup. A quality kit will also have the strength and durability to last through several cleanings, if not several years. The best dryer vent cleaning kit will reach deep, flex, and bend so no lint is left behind.
Dryers come in different sizes and designs, which makes finding a vent cleaning kit tricky. We looked for kits with tools and attachments that could work for at least both top and door dryer vents.
The kit’s overall length factored in when we considered cleaning out the foil vent. Flexibility also came into play to get around challenging corners and turns that ventilation hoses can take. Kits with vacuum and dryer adapters had to offer some features that would help the adapters fit a wide range of vacuum models.
Overall quality was considered as well. A handle or brush that breaks could make your vent situation worse, so we looked for kits with a mix of durability and flexibility.
The brands and kits in our lineup stand out for their quality and cleaning ability. We included kits of different lengths, sizes, and a wide variety of attachments to meet the needs of different dryers and home designs.
The Gardus LintEater dryer vent cleaning system comes with a little of everything, including four flexible extension rods. The rods are each 3 feet long, extending the maximum reach to 12 feet. Two brushes, an auger brush and a 2.5-inch lint brush, do heavy-duty lint removal. The auger brush self-feeds through the dryer vent as it’s twisted to pull its way through thick lint and debris. One caveat: The rods in this kit have been known to get stuck once they’ve been flexed within a tube.
An included vacuum adapter allows users to clean with the brushes while suctioning with a vacuum or shop vac. The adapter allows you to suction or blow out the tube while using the brushes to loosen lint. This kit also includes a dryer adapter. With this adapter, you can use the dryer’s blowing power to blow out lint while using the rotary brush. Finally, there’s a blockage removal tool (not intended for the dryer) with two serrated-edged prongs to break up thick, heavy clogs in gutters.
Get the Gardus dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, The Home Depot, or Tractor Supply Co.
This basic Holikme kit has two auger brushes, each with a 4.75-inch wood handle and a 29-inch wire brush, and bristles that take up 13 inches of that wire. The wire has a good mix of flexibility with the strength to really attack lint. Each wire ends with a plastic cap to protect the finish of the dryer.
The brushes are narrow, helping them to fit in the narrow door and top vents. You can use them to clean the dryer’s back vent, but you’ll need to dig around to pull everything out. The downside with this kit is that it doesn’t work as well for duct cleaning.
Get the Holikme dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon.
The Bluesea 40-foot dryer vent cleaning kit comes with cleaning 7 pieces, along with 29 extension rods to take the final length to 40 feet. While most dryer vents aren’t 40 feet long, having that much length available can come in handy for other cleaning chores. The rods attach to a drill to help loosen packed lint.
This kit also contains an auger and lint brush for basic lint removal. However, vacuum and dryer adapters let users blow lint out while loosening debris with the brushes. The kit includes a clog tool potentially useful for cleaning jobs beyond the dryer. With the 40-foot length, this kit can clean gutters and other tight spaces where extra reach is needed.
Be careful if using the rods with a drill; the connectors can easily get stripped without a good fit. Also, when at maximum length, the rods can get stuck.
Get the Bluesea dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon.
This Vanitek brush is all bristle except for its 5-inch handle. All that bristle power grabs lint and debris from the top and door lint traps very well. The entire brush can bend and flex to better fit the odd angles found in the average dryer. While this brush can be used on its own, the thin brush head is actually meant to loosen lint, which can then be vacuumed out.
Keep in mind that this kit doesn’t include a vacuum hose or adapter, so users must make do with whatever vacuum attachments are present. While the plastic handle is comfortable, it has been known to break under too much force.
Get the Vanitek dryer vent cleaning brush at Amazon.
The 36-foot dryer vent cleaning brush from Azdele comes with two drill connectors that give the rods extra security when they’re spinning away. It comes with a lint brush and two auger brushes, one of which is tapered. In total, the kit reaches 36 feet, but the flexible extension rods come in 2-foot lengths for versatile length options. This kit includes electrical tape, which secures the rods at the connection points—the dedicated drill connectors and added tape result in stronger brush/rod connections. However, the rods sometimes arrive with missing threads, so it’s a good idea to check them upon arrival.
Get the Azdele dryer vent cleaning brush at Amazon.
The dryer vent vacuum attachment from Mountain Trades comes with a three-piece adapter set. The attachments have both millimeter and inch measurements to help determine the vacuum models they fit.
Once the adapter is in place, users can attach the kit’s extension crevice tool to reach into the vent or duct. The kit also includes a stand-alone brush to loosen lint and get at the tight spaces in the top and door lint traps.
While this kit offers extensive vacuum compatibility options, the manufacturer expressly states that it doesn’t fit Dyson vacuums, and a few other makes and models are also noncompatible. There was also no brush or tube length available.
Get the Mountain Trades dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon.
This Sealegend dryer vent cleaner kit comes with an attachment for a vacuum cleaner that extends up to approximately 33 inches. Though fairly standard in design, an additional metal wand that attaches to the end of the vacuum hose makes this a kit worth considering. The wand screws onto the end of the hose and is held in one hand, while the vacuum hose is held in the other, directed via the plastic handle. This combination provides flexibility and control with good suction. While this model also offers two suction control levels, the hose has a small opening, which can easily get clogged.
Get the Sealegend dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon.
The Morinoli 50-foot dryer vent cleaning kit boasts a lot of functionality in a single kit, providing users with plenty of cleaning options. It comes with three brushes, a clog removal tool, dryer and vacuum adapters, an extension wand for the vacuum, and extension rods that take the full length to 50 feet.
Use the vacuum adapter and extension wand to reach into a door vent, or use the rods to reach into a foil duct. The clog tool can work for a dryer vent, gutter, or other hard-to-reach places that get clogged. However, make sure to securely tape the rods together so they won’t come apart while in the vent.
Get the Morinoli dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon.
The Vacext Store cleaning kit only comes with one lint brush, but the kit as a whole works well for dryer vents and condenser coils. Top and door dryer vents get cleaned out using the 29-inch lint brush. The extension tube or brush can reach condenser coils, while a flexible tube attaches to a vacuum for use with dryer vents.
The kit comes with multiple vacuum adapters, including one made specifically for Dyson vacuum models and a universal adapter with a 32-millimeter inner diameter. However, this kit isn’t designed to fit every vacuum. Measure your vacuum’s hose, and check the Dyson model to ensure compatibility.
Get the Vacext dryer vent cleaning kit at Amazon.
Also Consider10 Mr. Clean Appliance Vent Brush Photo: amazon.com SEE IT The Mr. Clean appliance vent brush is 28 inches long and has a two-bristle design on a single brush. The upper bristles create an auger brush to push through compacted lint with the bottom half of the brush covered in lint bristles to catch the remaining lint. It’s a simple design that works on top and door vents as well as the dryer’s back vent. The lint bristles are soft enough to be used for dusting ceiling fans and other hard-to-reach places, too. A comfortable handle provides control and maneuverability. However, the brush wire can be too flexible at times, giving way when a slightly stiffer wire would better push through heavy clogs. Product SpecsMaximum length: 28 inchesNumber of pieces: 1Brush type(s): Lint and auger bristles on a single brush ProsVery affordable price compared to similar options2 bristle types on a single brush can catch more lint and fuzzComfortable handle is less tiring to use for longer periods ConsExtremely flexible wire is less effective on tough clogs Get the Mr. Clean dryer vent cleaning brush at Amazon.
The Mr. Clean appliance vent brush is 28 inches long and has a two-bristle design on a single brush. The upper bristles create an auger brush to push through compacted lint with the bottom half of the brush covered in lint bristles to catch the remaining lint. It’s a simple design that works on top and door vents as well as the dryer’s back vent.
The lint bristles are soft enough to be used for dusting ceiling fans and other hard-to-reach places, too. A comfortable handle provides control and maneuverability. However, the brush wire can be too flexible at times, giving way when a slightly stiffer wire would better push through heavy clogs.
Get the Mr. Clean dryer vent cleaning brush at Amazon.
Dryer vent cleaners come in a wide range of designs, from different brush heads to lengths and adapters. The dryer design and how you’d prefer to clean the vent will help you narrow down the features that will work best for your dryer and setup.
Kits with more attachments provide extra options for dryer duct cleaning and potentially can be used for cleaning jobs that go beyond the dryer. For those who really only want a single tool to do a quick clean of the vent, a kit with a single flexible brush will work.
However, for those who want to reach deeper into the dryer or have a vent with areas of different widths that need cleaning, a kit with several brushes and lengthening attachments will work better. Traditional attachments include:
Kits may include one or two of these attachments in several different sizes. Others will only have one type of attachment. If you want a kit that will clean more than a dryer vent, a kit with several attachments increases versatility.
Dryer vents take unpredictable twists and turns. A flexible brush, wand, or extension piece can bend around corners and into nooks and unseen crannies. The brush or wand needs to be able to flex while maintaining enough resistance to remove the lint.
Wires and flexible plastic work well. Some brushes have a wood handle with a flexible wire that does the serious bending. Also, watch out for wire thickness: Thin wire may bend and break, while thicker wire or two-strand wire will maintain strength and shape.
Brush length varies by design. These designs come with several extension pieces that reach anywhere from 18 inches to more than 40 feet. Some brushes have longer heads that can be covered with bristles for 8 to 30 inches of their total length.
Vacuum attachments and hoses may be anywhere from 18 inches to about 3 feet long. They’re not as long as some of the models that come with extension rods because suction power decreases the longer the hose gets. Drill attachment tools tend to be about the same length as vacuum attachments. At this length, they stay easy to handle and won’t overtax the drill’s motor. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, with the drill attachments reaching well over 3 feet. Caution: The chances of the rod breaking while inside the dryer vent increase the longer the rod gets.
Lint remover brushes have a round head with several rows of uniform-length bristles. These brushes work well for loosening and pushing lint out of a vent. Some have bristles designed to attract lint for easier removal, too. Lint brushes are also used on attachments that connect to a drill because they work well to attract and break up lint deep inside a vent.
Auger brushes have bristles arranged in a spiral so that as the brush twists, the bristles bore into the lint. They tend to be longer with shorter bristles than lint brushes. These bristles are usually found on brushes shorter than about 30 inches. They’re useful for top and door dryer vents that don’t need the extra length.
Compatibility can be a big issue when trying to fit an attachment to a vacuum or drill. Some kits have attachments that are only compatible with one kind of drill bit or vacuum tube size. Others come with adapters that fit several tube sizes, or they may come with several adapters to accommodate a wider range of vacuum makes and models.
If you want a vacuum attachment, measure the diameter of your vacuum tube. Manufacturers list the size of the vacuum tube to which the attachment will fit. Use the same care when looking for a kit that will fit your drill; make sure you already have the drill bit needed to connect the brush. If not, be prepared to invest in a new bit to fit the brush kit if the kit doesn’t include a bit.
Using a dryer vent cleaning kit has a fairly shallow learning curve, but those with a few questions on how these tools work may find the answers they need below.
Yes, the tools that come with a vent cleaning kit make for a fairly simple DIY job. Brushes and extension pieces are lightweight and easy to handle. Be prepared with garbage bags for all the lint that gets removed.
A family of two to four people should clean the dryer vent every 6 months. However, if you do more laundry than average or you have a larger family, you may need to clean the vent every 3 to 4 months.
Yes, you can use a leaf blower to clean the dryer vent. However, you’ll have to remove the dryer from the house and remove the vent hose. You can then blow out the dryer and use the blower to blow debris out of the wall vent.
Many modern dryers have sensors that let you know when airflow is compromised. Another indicator is if the dryer doesn’t get warm enough to dry your clothes. Additionally, any burning smell from your dry may indicate a blocked vent.
No, a quality dryer vent cleaning kit, vacuum, or drill is usually enough to allow you to get the job done yourself.
You clean a dryer vent with bends with flexible tools, like flexible brushes and extension pieces. Some brushes can bend a full 90 degrees to take on the most extreme bends.
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