Most homeowners are unaware of the threat that an ill-maintained laundry room poses to their family’s health and safety. Despite using their laundry room multiple times a week, many homeowners never perform crucial maintenance tasks.

One of the biggest risks of a neglected laundry room is the possibility of a fire. Over time your dryer vent can get clogged full of lint and dust. If the vent gets too clogged, the heat from your dryer can ignite the debris. This can cause a devastating and potentially deadly house fire. To prevent this type of fire from occurring, you should disconnect and thoroughly clean your dryer vent at least once every year. Alternatively, you could have a dryer vent cleaning service perform this maintenance for you. Whether you do it yourself or hire a service, it needs to be done in order to ensure your family’s safety.

Additionally, a clogged dryer vent can cause carbon monoxide to be released into your family’s home. Many homeowners do not know that carbon monoxide is vented through your dryer’s vent. The fumes that a gas dryer emits are dangerous. If these fumes are not able to escape through the vent, carbon monoxide will enter your house. Carbon monoxide poisoning is deadly. To make sure that your family is safe from this threat, you should have carbon monoxide detectors installed and you should also have your dryer’s vent checked regularly. If your dryer is powered by gas, you should also have a professional periodically check your gas line to make sure that it is in good condition and that there are no worn or broken areas through which gas can escape.

Homeowners should educate themselves about the type of water lines their washing machine has. Over time rubber lines can become brittle and cause a flood. Manufactures recommend that you replace your rubber water lines once every five years. Steel braided lines can last much longer.

A poorly maintained washer can cause a flood, and a poorly maintained dryer vent can cause a fire. Both disasters can cause costly damage to your property. Additionally, a fire could put you and your loved ones in serious danger. Make sure that your family’s laundry room is safe by having regular maintenance completed.