AnswerLine • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Remember to Vent

May 17, 2022 Marlene Geiger 15 Comments

A critical step to achieving proper pressure inside a pressure canner is allowing it to VENT. What does this mean?

Venting is also “exhausting” the canner, a process of letting steam (and air) come out of the canner through the vent pipe for a period of time before beginning the pressure processing time. Air trapped in a canner lowers the processing temperature and results in under processing of low-acid foods. To be safe, the USDA recommends that all types of pressure canners be vented 10 minutes before they are pressurized.

WHY VENT?

It is STEAM, not water, that does the processing in a pressure canner. Low-acid foods (foods with a pH of 4.6 or higher such as all vegetables excluding tomatoes, meats, seafood, soups and sauces) are not acidic enough to destroy bacteria, their spores, and the toxins they produce or prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria in a vacuum. The heat-resistant spores produced by C. botulinum can only be destroyed with the correct combination of temperature, pressure, and tested time. Temperatures in the range of 240°F to 250°F (115°C to 121°C) are needed to kill spores (USDA 2015). Water can get no hotter than the boiling point (212ºF, 100ºC), but steam can. Steam trapped in the canner increases the atmospheric pressure inside the canner causing the boiling point of water to increase to 240ºF-250ºF, the temperature needed to destroy bacteria and C. botulinum, that would otherwise be free to grow in a vacuum sealed jar.

In order to reach the optimum temperature to destroy botulinum bacteria, air inside the canner must be exhausted to allow space for a pure steam environment to build. There is a vast amount of air in a canner due to the space between the water level and the lid as well as the air that escapes from inside the jars and from the water. The most “jar air” comes from those with raw-packed foods.

Pressure canner releasing steam through vent port — Venting canner. Photo: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning

HOW TO VENT

The vent or petcock is a short hollow pipe that sticks up above the canner lid. When open, it allows air and steam to escape from the canner. When closed, it holds steam inside. To vent a canner, leave the vent port uncovered or manually open the petcock (some older models). After placing jars inside the warm canner and securing the canner lid, set the burner on high. Watch for steam to escape from the vent pipe. When a strong, visible, funnel-shaped steam cone emerges, set a timer for 10 minutes and let the canner continuously steam. After the 10 minutes, add the weight or counterweight to the vent or close the petcock to pressurize the canner.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING VENTING?

As the water boils inside the canner, the empty spaces become a mixture of steam and air. As steam increases, it pushes the air out creating a pure steam environment. USDA processing times are based upon a pure steam environment which makes venting so very important.

In addition to venting, remember to adjust for altitude. Most recipes list processing time based on altitudes near sea level. To ensure the health of those who enjoy your foods, always use a tested recipe and follow instructions. Remember to VENT for 10 minutes to ensure that any and all microorganisms are destroyed.

Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation and USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (2015)

Marlene Geiger

I am a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BS in Home Economics Education and Extension and from Colorado State University with a MS in Textiles and Clothing. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, quilting, cooking, sewing, and sharing knowledge and experience with others.

April 2, 2024

Equipment, Food Preservation, Food Safety Canner venting

15 Comments

Are Two-Piece Lids Really Necessary?

March 15, 2022 Marlene Geiger 2 Comments

The USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) recommend and support the two-piece lid system even though one-piece and reusable lids are available. Why use two-piece lids for canning?

Lid assembly for canning jars — Lid assembly layers – jar rim, metal lid, metal screw band. Flat lid with sealing compound around the edge. Photo: University of Wisconsin – Madison Extension

The two-piece lid system (flats and screw bands) is the best option for home canners. They are easy to use, seal reliably, and easy to tell if the jars sealed. When researched guidelines are followed, the two-piece lid system safely replaces the vacuum system used for commercially canned foods.

The vacuum system is created by a self-sealing system consisting of a flat metal lid held in place by a metal screw band. A trough around the outer edge of the flat lid holds a rubber-like, plastisol sealing compound which acts like a gasket; heat causes the compound to flow slightly over the rim of the jar. During processing, the gasket allows air to escape from the jar and then forms an airtight seal as the jar cools.

To ensure safe home canned foods, follow these important tips for two-piece lids:

Use new lids (flats) each time; after the first use the lid will no longer seal effectively. With careful handling, canning jars and screw bands may be reused many times.
Purchase your lids (flats) from reputable suppliers.
Buy only the quantity of lids (flats) that will be used in a year’s time—please don’t hoard.
Follow the manufacturer’s directions for preparing lids (flats) to make sure to get a good seal. Heating of most flats is no longer needed or recommended by manufacturers. In fact, heating may actually cause lid failure.
Carefully observe headspace requirements for the product.
Removed air bubbles inside the jar with a plastic or silicone spatula.
Make sure the rim of the jar is clean before placing the flat lid on the jar.
Tighten the screw band as specified by the manufacturer. Usually this is fingertip tight, which means the first full resistance is felt using just your fingertips.
Check all metal lids carefully. Don’t use old (more than 5 years old), dented, deformed, or defective lids.
Do not re-use lids from previously canned foods.

One-piece, reusable, and previous used lids are not approved for home canning by the USDA as they may allow air to be trapped within the sealed jar permitting bacteria to thrive and spoilage to occur which can lead to illness and even death. While one-piece lids are available for home canning, they were made for use in industry where very strict time and temperature controls are in place. Because they do not allow air to escape properly in home canning, consumers have reported jar breakage and lids buckling.

Reusable canning lids have been around for decades [¹]. Research conducted through the National Center for Home Food Preservation on the reusable lids revealed that the three types of reusable lids they tested had an acceptable seal and removed the necessary amount of air. However, despite these finding, it was still recommended that the traditional two-piece metal lid system be used to “ensure the highest confidence in sealing.” [¹] While there is no data to indicate that these lids will not perform satisfactorily if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed explicitly, the USDA and NCHFP cannot recommend their use due to a lack of researched-based information about their performance.

Lastly, recommendations and recipes from the USDA and NCHFP are currently based on the two-piece metal lid system. The recommendation does not come lightly; it is backed by a body of research documenting how well they work consistently for safe home canning.

Why take a chance? USE TWO-PIECE LIDS for best results and safe food processing!

Sources:
¹G. Sivanandam. Evaluation and Comparison of the Sealing Performance of Three Major Types of Jar Lids Available for Home Canning. Thesis Project – University of Georgia.
Recommended Jars and Lids. National Center for Home Food Preservations (NCHFP)
Put a Lid on It, Best Practices for Using Closures for Home-based Canning, North Central Food Safety Extension Network.
Steps for Successful Home Canning, GH1452. University of Missouri Extension.
Put a lid on It, Best Practices for Using Closures for Home-Based Canning. University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.

Marlene Geiger

April 2, 2024

Equipment, Food Preservation, Food Safety Canning lids

2 Comments

Potential Deadly Canning Mistakes

August 17, 2021 Marlene Geiger 14 Comments

Home canning is an excellent way to preserve garden produce and share it with family and friends, but it can be risky—or even deadly—if not done correctly and safely. The potential culprit is botulism.

Although it’s a rare occurrence, botulism is a serious illness caused by a bacterium toxin, Clostridium botulinum, that attacks the body’s nerves. It can cause difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death. Clostridium botulinum is commonly found in soil, on raw fruits and vegetables, on meat and fish, and many other foods and surfaces. Improperly home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods can provide the right conditions for the bacteria to make the toxin. One cannot see, smell or taste the toxin, yet if ingested, even a small amount can be deadly.

To avoid concerns about botulism, steer clear of these canning mistakes.¹

Making Up Your Own Recipe
Use only up-to-date, scientifically tested recipes approved by the USDA and follow directions exactly. Good sources are The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, So Easy to Preserve, and land-grant university publications. Without scientific testing, there is no way to know how long the product needs to be processed to be safe.

Adding Extra Starch, Flour or Other Thickeners
Starches slow the rate of heat penetration into the product and can result in under processing. Clear Jel® is recommended as a thickener for canned pie fillings. If a product is not as thick as desired going into the jar, it can be thickened at the time of use.

Adding Extra Onions, Chilies, Peppers, or Other Vegetables to Salsas or Sauces
Tested recipes specify the quantity of vegetables allowed to keep the salsa or sauce within the safe pH range. Most vegetables are low-acid and adding extra vegetables will dilute the acidity and result in an unsafe product. While it is dangerous to add more vegetables to salsa and sauce recipes, fewer may be used for a milder flavor. Extra ingredients can be added at the time of use.

Canning by Electric Pressure Cooker, Oven, Open Kettle, Microwave, or Dishwasher
Boiling water bath or pressure are the only approved canning methods. Any other method should be avoided as foods will be under processed and unsafe. Heat is conducted by air in an oven which is less efficient than water or steam. As a result product temperature never exceeds the boiling point; jar breakage is also a possibility. Open-kettle canning, placing hot food in jars and sealing with no further heat treatment, has been considered an unsafe home canning practice since the 1980’s due to insufficient heat to destroy bacteria². Microwaved food reaches 212°F but heating is not uniform; in additon, there is a danger of jar explosion within the microwave oven or as food is being removed³. The water temperature of the dishwasher’s cleaning and rinsing cyles is far below that required to kill harmful microorganisms. While electric pressure cookers use pressure for cooking, they do not meet the appliance standards for home pressure canning, even if marketed as safe for pressure canning. Washington State Extension explains all the reasons why electric pressure cookers should not be used for home canning in Canning in Electric Pressure Cookers.

Not Making Elevation Adjustments
The temperature at which water boils is affected by barometric pressure which is reduced with elevation or altitude. When water doesn’t reach the normal boiling temperature, undesired pathogens may survive the canning process. These pathogens could multiply in the canned food and cause sickness. Processing times and temperatures for recipes in most canning resources are based on canning at an elevation of 1,000 feet above sea level or lower. When canning at a higher elevation, one must add more pounds of pressure for pressure canning and more processing time for water bath canning. See charts prepared by South Dakota State University Extension for altitude adjustments.

Not Venting the Pressure Canner
Trapped air inside a pressure canner lowers the temperature obtained for a given pressure and results in under processing. To be safe, the USDA recommends that all pressure canners be vented 10 minutes before they are pressurized.

To vent a canner, leave the vent pipe (steam vent) uncovered (or manually open the petcock on some older models) after you fill the canner and lock the canner lid in place. Heat the canner on high until the water boils and generates steam that can be seen escaping through the open vent pipe or petcock. When a visible funnel-shape of steam is continuously escaping the canner, set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of continuous steam, you can close the petcock or place the counterweight or weighted gauge over the vent pipe to begin pressurizing the canner.

Failure to Acidify Canned Tomatoes
Because the pH of tomatoes is an unknown, the USDA recommends that bottled lemon juice be used to lower the pH of the product to be unquestionably safe.

Rushing the Pressure Canner Cool-Down Time
The natural cool-down of the canner is part of the tested processing time. Hurrying this process will result in under-processed food and siphoning of liquid from the jars. It may also cause jar breakage.

Allowing “Hot Pack” Foods to Cool in Jars before Processing
Processing times are based on the food being hot at the beginning of the processing. Foods not starting hot could be under processed. Further, the rule, “hot foods hot and cold foods cold” applies; when foods are held between 40 and 140°F, bacteria can grow rapidly.

Processing Low-Acid Foods in a Water Bath
Canning low-acid foods requires special care. This includes red meats, fish, poultry and all vegetables (except for acidified tomatoes). Low-acid foods can support the production of the deadly botulism toxin if these foods are not processed properly in a pressure canner. A pressure canner heats food to high temperatures (240-250 degrees F or higher) and destroys the spores that produce the botulism toxin. A boiling water bath canner, which can be used for canning pickles or fruit, heats food to boiling temperature (212 F), which is not high enough to ensure safety for canning vegetables and other low-acid foods⁴.

Home canning is perfectly safe but needs to be done correctly. If you are new to canning (or need a refresher), check out Safe Home Canning Basics, by University of Missouri Extension to learn about preventing botulism and other key issues to be aware of when preserving food by home canning.

Sources:

¹Avoiding Canning Mistakes. Utah State University Extension.
²Say NO to Oven Canning. PennState Extension.
³Safe Home Canning Basics. Extension University of Missouri.
⁴Botulism: take care when canning low-acid foods. University of Minnesota Extension.

Updated 2-2024, mg.

Marlene Geiger

April 2, 2024

Equipment, Food Preservation, Food Safety Canning mistakes

14 Comments

Cleaning Your Iron

February 23, 2021 Marlene Geiger 4 Comments

Sole plate of an iron with residue to remove – Photo: mrgeiger

When was the last time you cleaned your iron? Cleaning an iron can be one of those tasks that is easily forgotten or put off. That is, until the iron seems to be sticking to fabric, spraying dirty water, or leaving black spots on your clothing. It is not uncommon for dirt, dust, lint, detergent, and spray starch to build up on the soleplate of the iron or for water inside the water reservoir used for steam to cause dirty spots. For those who sew or do fabric crafts, there is often the sticky residue from fusible interfacings or other fusible/iron-on products.

The frequency with which an iron needs to be cleaned depends on frequency of use and/or how it is used. At any rate, a cleaning or maintenance schedule that meshes with the frequency or use is important to keeping the iron functioning properly. If maintaining a schedule is too much, then a good rule of thumb is to clean as soon as a problem is detected—iron doesn’t glide as it should or steam doesn’t come out or sprays or spurts out rusty or black droplets onto the cloth. All are signs that gunk has accumulated on the soleplate, the steam outlets are clogged, or tap water mineral deposits have accumulated in the water reservoir.

Fortunately, cleaning an iron isn’t that difficult. If you’ve ever Googled “how to clean an iron”, you will find many shared methods. And if you have a method that works for you, by all means continue on as the bottom line is to achieve a properly functioning iron. If you are new to iron cleaning or unsure of how to proceed with your iron, the best route is to consult the owner’s manual as there may be specific guidelines for the kind of soleplate (stainless steel, ceramic, titanium, or non-stick), water reservoir, or self-cleaning feature unique to your iron. (If a manual is lost, often times they can be found online.)

Cleaning the Soleplate

Various options exist for cleaning the soleplate. Below are the three most common recommendations by iron manufacturers. In all cases, never use anything that could scratch the soleplate.

Hot Iron Cleaners. Cleaning pastes are found almost anywhere fabric or laundry products are sold and usually restore the iron’s soleplate to perfect condition. They are nontoxic, nonflammable, and nonabrasive. When the pastes are applied to a very hot iron soleplate, they quickly and easily remove starch, detergent, and fusing residue. These cleaners dissolve the residue either by ironing over the cleaner on an old towel or by squeezing the cleaner onto the soleplate and wiping off residue with an old towel or cloth. (Rowenta offers a product specific to Rowenta irons for consumers who choose to use it.) One must be careful to remove the paste from the steam vents as well. (Cotton swabs work great for vent cleaning.)

Iron Cleaning Cloths. Cleaning cloths (usually in packs of 10) are designed to be disposable and as an alternative to hot iron cleaning pastes for quick clean ups. They dissolve and remove any residue by simply running the cloth over a hot soleplate. They usually work best for less soiled soleplates or for very regular clean up. Because there is no paste involved, they do not clog the steam vents.

Baking Soda and Water or Vinegar. Both baking soda and vinegar are common household cleaners. They also work wonders as a natural scouring agent to remove grime from an iron’s soleplate. One begins by mixing baking soda with distilled water or vinegar to make a paste (approximate 2:1 proportions of soda to liquid). Apply the paste with an old tooth brush to a cool, unplugged iron. Scrub gently with the brush to loosen the residue; wipe residue away with a microfiber cloth until the soleplate is cleaned. Like the commercial pastes, the steam vents must be cleaned, too.

Hot vinegar applied to a microfiber cloth works like an iron cleaning cloth if the residue is light.

After cleaning, fill the reservoir with water, heat, and run the iron over an old towel or cloth, pressing the spray button several times to insure the soleplate and vents are clean before ironing clothing.

Cleaning the Water Reservoir

When cleaning the water reservoir, discretion is needed. Steam iron reservoirs need to be cleaned out often to ensure that the appliance doesn’t leave rusty or black water marks on clothing or fabric, performs properly, minimizes build up that may damage clothing, and, thereby, extends the life of the appliance. Whenever possible, follow manufacturer’s directions.

Distilled water is commonly and safely used for cleaning the reservoir and vents. While there are many distilled water and vinegar recipes suggested for reservoir cleaning, most manufacturers caution against the use of vinegar. In a previous blog, AnswerLine suggested a method of filling the reservoir with distilled water and allowing the iron to self-steam out the minerals, lint, and other accumulations in the reservoir and vents.

A commercial iron cleaner is another option to decalcify and remove lime and mineral build-up from steam irons and vents. However, some iron manufacturers will void the warranty if you use them as they can be harsh and cause additional damage.

Keep the Iron Working at Its Best

Here’s some tips to protect and keep an iron working at its best.

Whenever possible, use distilled water. Tap water, even when filtered, contains minerals that can clog, corrode, or damage the iron resulting in rusty or black steam or spray.
Fill the iron with water before plugging in and while cool.
Empty the reservoir before storing the iron—especially if it isn’t used frequently.
Store in an upright position. This will prevent water from leaking if water is left in the reservoir and avoid scratching the soleplate.
Avoid pressing or ironing over zippers, snaps, decals, pins, or any screen printing without using a pressing cloth to avoid scratching the soleplate or adhering paint or plastics to the soleplate.

Marlene Geiger

April 2, 2024

Cleaning, Equipment, Textiles cleaning, Iron

4 Comments

A Look at Electric Casseroles

November 3, 2020 Marlene Geiger

What are electric casseroles? How should they be used?

Electric casseroles are 9×13-in, rectangular crockery slow cookers. Known as casserole cookers or slow cooker casseroles, they work like a slow cooker but are ideal for preparing favorite casserole dishes, lasagna, desserts and more that one would ordinarily bake in the oven because they do not present well when made in a traditional slow cooker. Like a slow cooker, they are ideal for make-ahead meals to simplify mealtime for busy families.

Crock-Pot® appears to be the major manufacturer of these units. These appliances have a 3.5 quart, stoneware, oven-safe, crock insert that is removable for easy cleaning or for actually baking in the oven. All of the models come with a locking lid system for easy transport without spills making them safe and ideal for carry-in or potluck meals. Like a slow cooker, they reduce heat in the kitchen and free up oven space when the kitchen is on overload. The Crock-Pot® unit offers both a manual setting (high, low, warm) unit as well as a programmable unit. The stoneware crocks are dishwasher-safe making cleanup a breeze.

Should one need to put the removable insert into the oven for baking, reheating, melting toppings or browning, Crock Pot® asserts that the crockery insert can be used safely in the microwave or the oven up to 400ºF without the lid. Other manufacturers may have different specifications so be sure to check the manual.

Any recipe that one would make in a traditional slow cooker will work in the casserole cookers. Also any casserole recipe designed for the oven will work as long as additional time is allowed for cooking. For the most part, the cooking time required of a traditional slow cooker is the same for the casserole cooker. However, timing may vary some depending upon manufacturers and different appliances.

Here’s some ideas to get one thinking about how to use a slow cooker casserole: corn casserole, baked beans, scalloped potatoes and ham, funeral potatoes, spaghetti and meat balls, beef and noodles, enchiladas, tater tot casserole, bbq chicken, apple or fruit crisps, lasagna, French toast casserole, egg bake, vegetable gratins, and green bean casserole. Cookies can even be baked in the crocks. There are any number of slow cooker recipe books available—a cookbook for everyone, every cuisine, and every occasion—as well as numerous websites with ideas and recipes.

While the casserole cooker option likely won’t replace the traditional slow cooker, it is a great option for slow cooking recipes that are more casserole-like.

Reference to any commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporate name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind. Persons using such products assume responsibility for their use and should make their own assessment of the information and whether it is suitable for their intended use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.

Marlene Geiger

April 2, 2024

Equipment, Food Preparation Slow cookers

Exploring Portable Burners for Canning

August 4, 2020 Marlene Geiger 974 Comments

Portable electric burner with canner atop

AnswerLine gets questions each year about using a portable burner (hot plate) for canning. Usually the question comes when a switch has been made to an electric cooktop from a gas range or when an electric-coil range is replaced with a smooth (glass) cooktop, either radiant heat or induction, and the way of canning needs to change to prevent cracking the cooktop, fusing the canner to the cooktop, or under processing of the canned product posing a food safety risk.

Industry has answered the call for canners appropriate for induction cooktops with several options available. That aside, consumers still have valid concerns about the weight of canners and the intense heat on the surface along with scratching if the canner is slid or drug across the cooktop. When the options are beyond using the new cooktop or installing a second electric coil or gas burner range top, perhaps it makes sense to purchase a portable electric or gas burner.

Earlier this year, I, too, was exploring acceptable heat options for canning. While I have yet to purchase a new range, my 30-plus year old electric-coil range struggled last summer with the canner challenge; the struggle was sufficiently challenging to make me consider new options before getting into canning this year. In addition, I know that when I make that purchase, it will likely be a smooth electric cooktop and my pressure and water bath canners will no longer work.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) offers these guidelines for selecting a portable burner for canning purposes:

– The burner must be level, sturdy, and secure. Look for enough height to allow air to flow under the burner, but not such that it will become unsteady with a full, heavy canner resting on it.

– Look for a burner diameter that is no more than 4 inches smaller than the diameter of your canner. In other words, the canner should not extend more than 2 inches from the burner on any side. For heating a typical 12-inch diameter canner, the coil must be at least eight inches in diameter.

– For electric burners, you want the wattage to be about equal to that of a typical household range large burner which is 1750W or higher. The best portable heaters found run 1500W which are deemed to be acceptable.

– You want the burner to have housing that will hold up to the high heat under the canner for long heating periods, and not damage counter tops with reflected heat.

An outdoor heat source such as a gas grill is not recommended by The National Center for Home Food Preservation for various reasons; however, a portable burner can be used outside as long as it is in a location away from wind, yet well ventilated.

In addition to advice from NCHFP, I found a lot of researched based information along with references at the Healthy Canning website.

Having read all the recommendations, I began to explore my options looking at commercial burners used in restaurants. While inexpensive, most home units are too light weight and have insufficient wattage to be considered for canning. The commercial units seemed to meet the NCFHP recommendations and received the highest recommendations from canning and restaurant users. My search narrowed to two models made/sold by the same company. One had a cast-iron burner and the other a coil burner. In the end I chose the one with a cast-iron burner knowing that it would take longer to heat and cool, but seemed to offer the most stability.

Recently my portable burner made its canning debut as a heat source to water bath a batch of raspberry jam. It worked very well for this application. The temperature was easy to control. Because the jam recipe only made four half-pints of jam, I did not use the big water bath canner so that test is still to be made as I move into canning season along with the pressure canner. Besides using the portable burner for my primary intended use of canning, it has come in handy to heat water for defrosting my downstairs freezer, keeping food warm for outdoor meals, and being that ‘extra burner’ when needed.

While not an option for me, an electric water bath canner sold by Ball^® may be a good investment for water bath only canners says Karen Blakeslee, Kansas State University Food Safety Specialist. This is a stand-alone canner with its own heater/burner system much like an electric pressure cooker. It can also be used to make soups or stews. However, an electric pressure cooker is not recommended by the USDA or NCHFP for canning of any sort despite information one may find on various websites.

UPDATES: The portable burner that I purchased got a work out during the summer canning season and worked perfectly for all my pressure and water bath canning. Temperature control was easy and very consistent. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I also think it reduced the amount of kitchen heat that comes with canning.

Marlene Geiger

April 2, 2024

Consumer Management, Equipment, Food Preservation

974 Comments

Keeping Your Clothes Dryer Safe

April 22, 2019 Marlene Geiger 3 Comments

Most people don’t think about their clothes dryer as being a potentially dangerous appliance in their home. Unfortunately, dryers are the source of thousands of house fires each year as well as some household mold issues. With just a little regular cleaning and maintenance, you can protect your family and home from these dangers.

It doesn’t matter if you have an electric or gas clothes dryer. The problem is lint. Lint builds up in the lint trap, inside the vent hose and duct work, and inside the vent. Whenever this happens, there is a reduction in air flow resulting in reduced drying efficiency. Lint is also responsible for causing humidity levels to increase around vents and duct work which in turn can cause mildew and mold to develop in walls and insulation. And most importantly, lint is combustible and causes fires. Failure to clean the dryer is the leading cause of home dryer fires.

Here’s some tips for keeping your dryer, duct work, and vent as lint free as possible.

Clean the lint trap after every load or at the very least, at the end of a laundry cycle. If you use fabric softener sheets, check the screen for clogging as some sheets will emit enough residue that the screen becomes clouded and tacky. Should the screen be clogged, submerge the lint screen in hot water, soapy water and clean the screen with a bristle brush to get rid of the residue.
Invest in a dryer lint brush. These long-handled flexible brushes are available at most hardware stores and allow one to clean areas that cannot be reached by hand down inside of the dryer, hoses, and ducts. You may be surprised by the chunks of lint that the brush pulls out. After removing the lint filter and cleaning with the brush, run the dryer on “air only” after using the dryer brush. This will bring up any lint that might have been dislodged but didn’t cling to the brush.
Unplug and pull the dryer out at least once a year and vacuum any dust and lint that might have accumulated around the dryer, back of the dryer, floor, cabinets, etc. While the dryer is out, remove the duct hose or duct. You may need a screwdriver or pliers to remove the connecting clip or steel clamp. Use the dryer brush inside the dryer opening to remove the lint accumulation. Do the same with the hose or duct. If you have a long duct to the outside as I do, you will have to rig a longer handle onto the brush.
Replace the duct hose if you have a white or silver vinyl duct hose. All building codes now require metal or aluminum ducting for clothes dryers. The ducting may be rigid or flexible. If flexible aluminum ducting is used, it should be cleaned more often as it tends to collect more lint along the ridges.
Lastly, clean the exterior vent. This is usually done from the outside of the home by lifting the flaps. Using your hands or a brush, removed as much lint as possible. Most of the flaps on the exterior vent can be removed to make cleaning easier. Replace the flaps if they have been removed and make sure that they open properly.

A little dryer cleaning in a timely manner will greatly reduce the risk of fire. Further, avoid starting the dryer before going to bed and running it while no one is at home.

For more information see the safety alert from the Consumer Products Commission, https://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/118931/5022.pdf

Additional flyers like the one at the beginning of the blog are public domain publications and available for download from FEMA at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/clothes_dryers.html

UPDATE: Since the blog was written, a dryer vent cleaning kit has become available at many hardware stores. Made by various manufacturers, the kit includes a brush head attacheed to flexible plastic rods that fit into a power drill head. A basic kit costs about $20; if you have a long vent, additional plastic rods can be purchased to extend the tool to the desired length. I purchased the kit and some extra rods to clean my vents and found the product to be amazing. Jeff Rosen of the Rosen Reports showed how the cleaning tool works.

Marlene Geiger

August 1, 2021

Consumer Management, Equipment, Safety around the home

3 Comments

Category: Equipment

Remember to Vent

Marlene Geiger

Are Two-Piece Lids Really Necessary?

Marlene Geiger

Potential Deadly Canning Mistakes

Marlene Geiger

Cleaning Your Iron

Marlene Geiger

A Look at Electric Casseroles

Marlene Geiger

Exploring Portable Burners for Canning

Marlene Geiger

Keeping Your Clothes Dryer Safe

Marlene Geiger

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