Every year I remove the vent pipe from behind my dryer and vacuum as much lint as I can. I also vacuum inside the dryer, sometimes removing the lint assembly or front of the dryer to fully clean it. I last did this on May 6.

Recently the dryer started to take longer and longer to dry clothes. Heavy items like bedding never seemed to fully dry.

My dryer has a flow sense meter that indicated the ducts may be partially blocked. Online troubleshooting guides advised that I may need to clean the dryer vent. Or change a few parts. Or buy a new dryer.

I decided to start with a thorough cleaning of the ducts. Since I had just cleaned the pipe from the dryer to the ceiling in the laundry room and the HOA had recently cleaned the exterior of the vent above the roof, I concentrated on the exposed vent pipe in the attic.

I removed a 4 foot middle section (it was just taped together) and cleaned the exposed pipe and the removed pipe using a special brush and a vacuum. (see photos)

I was shocked at how blocked the vents were. The section just below the roof was about 50% clogged.

This was a easy to moderate DYI project but it took some time. If you do not feel comfortable walking around your attic or if you vent is not as accessibly as mine, I would hire a professional (see hvac cleaning for one recommendation).