Two weeks ago, I wrote about my new dryer with the inverted temperature controls. Low equalled high; high equalled low. I sent a complaint email to the manufacturer who insisted a contact a certified, Whirlpool repair technician. Of course, I had to wait four days for an appointment. With the aid of his temperature gauge, he found I was incorrect. “How long has it been since your dryer vent was cleaned?”

An absurd question! How would I know? I’d lived here almost thirty years and never knew it needed cleaned.

He walked outside, climbed up a ladder, pulled out a bit of lint, “There’s nothing wrong with your dryer; the vent is plugged. That’s why it doesn’t heat properly. The majority of dryer vents are a straight shot, just like a freeway. Yours is L-shaped. In the bend is the plug.”

“So what do I do?”

“Call a company that cleans dryer vents. You’re very lucky there wasn’t a fire or worse a gas explosion.”

Holy Mother of God! I could have burned down my casa! So last week I dried laundry on the patio again. Friday The Top Hatter came and in 15 minutes blew out the blockage–a twelve-inch bird nest and thirty years of lint! Now while this may be a boring blog, as I’ve told this story to my friends, they’ve all reported they had never cleaned out their vents. I found solace in their admission. However, this old dog has learned a new trick. Even though I won’t live another thirty years, I will have the vent blown out every three or four years until….