How To Use Your Dryer Vent To Help Heat & Moisturize Your House During Winter

Today’s newer efficient homes come with a price. The air inside our homes can become almost toxic and with the cold weather comes dry air.

Germs love dry air as they can float through the air more easily. Nasal passages become dried out not working as effectively at keeping the germs from entering our bodies.

Throats become dried out causing scratchy, sore throats. Allergies flare due to an overabundance of dust and pet dander.

I always recommend opening windows for at least 10-15 minutes every day to help “change” the air in your house.

Another way you can add moisture to the air during the winter is to use your dryer vent to pump the heat and the moisture from wet clothes back into your home.

There are benefits to this procedure and cautions, so please be sure to consider your own situation and needs and read the instructions below.

Benefits:

Adds moisture and heat to the air. Helps to warm the home by using the heat from the dryer. Adds moisture to the home from the drying of wet clothes and from the water in the bucket.

How to assemble:

See below picture.

Any large container will do. I like using Shaklee’s large team pack container of Performance Sports Drink. It has just the right size opening to fit the dryer tube.

I used a hole saw to drill out some vent holes in it. If you don’t have a hole saw you can use a sharp knife (with caution) to make some holes. They don’t have to be pretty, just functional. Cut out holes approximately this large.

Next, add a couple of inches of water. This is to trap the lint. Change the water at least once a week to avoid mold from developing and to empty out the lint. Use an old strainer to catch the lint as you pour the old water down the drain.

Loosen the clamp around your dryer vent and remove hose from pipe that exits your house. 

You can buy a vent cover at the hardware store or you can use a plastic lid with tape or at the very least stuff a rag in the vent exit tube. This will prevent cold air and any little critters from coming into the house.

Depending on the size of your container you are using you may want to get one of these inserts.

See pictures below:

(Please ignore the paint on my dryer – my husband decided to use my dryer as a paint mixing table. Wonderful.)

You may also just be able to clamp your dryer hose right onto your container without an insert. I love these easy dryer tube clamps – you can loosen and tighten them without the need of a screwdriver.

If you are uncertain how to make your tube fit the opening of your container, take your container with you to the hardware store and try different tubes and inserts. 

If you go to a smaller, specialty hardware store you will get more expert help than you usually get from the big box stores.

If you can’t make it work, try a different container. Look around and use your imagination.

Tip: 

Empty out and vacuum out your dryer tube of excess lint or just replace it. The buildup of lint inside the dryer tube can cause a fire. Lift up your dryer tube. It should feel very light. If it feels heavy, clean out or replace the tube.

Attach your tube to your container and sit it on a stable surface like the floor or a table.

Now for some of the cautions.

If you use a toxic fabric softener like a store brand – do not vent your dryer inside your home! Many of these fabric softeners and perfumy laundry detergents are very toxic and are the cause of many allergies and asthma problems. Please consider switching to a safe product. I use Shaklee’s laundry products – Get Clean Healthy Home - Laundry

I love how the light scent fills my home. If you don’t want any scent you can use the unscented laundry liquid and their unscented dryer sheets.

Make sure your furnace is running regularly. You don’t want too much moisture building up in your home. Check your laundry area regularly. If you see any moisture building up or if the air seems particularly heavy with moisture. Discontinue use. You do not want too much moisture in the home to cause mold.

Once the cold weather is over and your furnace is not running much, be sure and vent your dryer back outside. Again, you do not want too much moisture to buildup in your home and cause mold. This procedure is only for when the air is very dry due to heating and you are looking to add a little moisture to the air. 

If your laundry room is in the basement, make sure your door to the upstairs is open while your dryer is running. Don’t worry about the cooler air from the basement coming in – the air exchange is good as long as there is no mold in your basement. 

If there is mold, do not do this and make it a priority to get any mold eradicated from your home. The expense of doing so is far less than the medical expenses you will have if you don’t. Mold is a serious problem and is the cause of many health problems.

Make sure there is always a little water in your container and change it at least once a week. 

Check to make sure your connection to your container is fitted tightly and that your container is on a stable surface where it won’t fall over. 

Make sure your dryer tube does not have a kink or sharp bend in it. This will cause lint to build up inside the tube.

If you are doing a lot of loads, check to make sure your container isn’t getting too hot. Give it time to cool down between loads if necessary.

Never leave your home while the dryer is running, regardless of whether you are venting it inside or outside. Dryers often catch fire for many reasons. I personally saw a neighbor lose their house due to their dryer catching fire as they ran a quick 15 minute errand. So sad.

Now that you’ve read the precautions, I think you may really like using this method. We love how it adds a nice scent and moisture to the home and it helps to warm our basement up, too.

Now for the legal stuff: I am not responsible for injury, damage or loss to humans, pets or property. Any modifications you make to your home or appliances is totally up to you. Though this procedure is simple, an improper design or modification can be a safety issue. Use common sense or ask someone who has it for advice. When in doubt, consult a professional.

For more information on the laundry products we use that are safe, non-toxic and much cheaper to use as they are very concentrated, visit www.ToBeHealthy.MyShaklee.com or contact us by clicking the “Contact Us” tab up top and filling out the contact form.

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