Dryer problems

Anyone know how to get crayon out of a dryer? Got about 8 colors in there.

Also how do I clean out the vent?

Thanks.

Use a Degreaser to clean the crayons Katie.

For the Vent:

Unplug the dryer. If it is a gas dryer, turn the gas off. Move the dryer away from the wall only as far as the dryer vent will allow. This is typically about two feet.

Loosen the vent clamp on the back of the dryer with a screwdriver. Remove the vent from the back of the dryer.

Remove lint from the vent and also from the hole in the back of the dryer. The majority of lint will be found toward the end of the vent hose. If there seems to be more built up in the middle you can straighten a wire coat hanger and push it from the middle to either end.

Replace the vent clamp and slide the dryer back to its original spot

Go to the outside of the house and remove the vent cover. You may have to scrape away some caulk from around the cover. The foot-long vent tube should slide right out. Remove lint from inside the hole. You may have to use the clothes hanger again if there is debris that you can't reach. Slide the vent tube back in and replace the cover.

Plug the dryer back in and, if it is a gas appliance, turn the gas back on. Run the dryer for a few minutes to make sure air is unobstructed while flowing through the vent.

There's one extra step that can save your life. IF you use the dryer several times a day, or have a big family, you may have extreme lint build up. If this is true, take the cover off the back, only a few screws, vacuum all the lint and heavy dirt, sand, stc you find in the housing.

Then look for where the ignitor tube is. Heavy or extreme users will also have lint built up in this area. This is where most dryer fires start - in the ignitor area. You can vacuum or brush loose all the lint in that area, and clean it all out witha good vacuum extension.

Caution, the ceramic ignitor element must not be touched by your fingers, or it could cause it to fail. You can brush the lint away from iw with a toothbrush, and then vacuum. If you ever replace the ceramic ignitor, do not touch directly with your fingers.

For heavy users, the dryer should be opened and cleaned once a year.

Good advice about taking the back off the dryer. I did this a few weeks ago when my wife complained that the clothes weren't drying. I was amazed at how much was INSIDE the dryer. We have 4 children so we use it alot. Excellent advice and easy to do. Mike

Thanks for the tips - Completed the task yesterday, finally removed the crayon mess. As for the vent, lots of stuff came out. Performance is much better now.