cleaning Archives - mapsgirl.ca

Last week as we were trying to get ready to go camping, the dryer started to smell like it was burning. It was very noticeable every time I opened the door.

After seeing several stories in the news about house fires caused by the dryer, I didn’t want to risk it.

I finished the last few loads of laundry at the laundromat, and called a dryer repair guy.

Steve from Cascade Appliance Service came to figure out what was going on.

Lint and dust everywhere!

Once he took the front cover off, it was evident why there was a burning smell. Dust and lint was all over the place, even on the heating element. Oi!

The air couldn’t circulate properly because of a build up of lint on the fan.

He cleaned up all of the dust that was inside the dryer.

Air flow is key!

After he put it all back together, we went outside to where it vents outside. The air flow wasn’t very strong. He recommended replacing the dryer hose and outside vent cover. He would have done it, but due to the [ridiculous] location of our dryer [due to the previous owners of the house], he didn’t have anything long enough with him.

Off to Home Depot!

I headed off to Home Depot to pick up a new hose and a new vent cover.

Out with the old dryer vent…

…back to Home Depot…

Not fun.

Look at all the lint!!

After taking that apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together, I’ve come to the conclusion that that has to be fixed properly. We definitely don’t need all of those bends. There used to be an air conditioner there, but it was relocated to the other side of the house.

More lint inside!

…in with the new!

3 hours + 2 trips to Home Depot = Success!

Once I got the new hose hooked up, I tested the dryer.

No more burning smell!!

And when I went outside, the air was flowing out the vent so much faster!

Don’t wait!

The biggest mistake we made was not cleaning this sooner. The manual for the dryer says it should be done every 2 years. I think that since we have a dog, that maybe a bit sooner than that might be a good thing. Our dryer is 8 years old and we had never cleaned it. We’re pretty lucky that we didn’t have a fire.

After watching the dryer guy go through the cleaning process, I’m pretty confident that I can do the cleaning part myself next time. Oh, and he reminded me that that I need to unplug it first!

At the beginning of every summer, we pick up the trailer from our winter storage location, bring it home and prep it for the summer.

Cleaning the outside of the trailer

After sitting outside for the winter, the trailer is ready for a good cleaning.

The awning bag usually needs a good scrubbing, especially around the zipper where the fabric can get moldy if it’s not taken care of.

The tops of the bed areas always seem to be the dirtiest.

Using the cleaner, the dirt gets scrubbed off and rinsed with clean water.

Cleaning the inside of the trailer

At the end of every summer, before we take the trailer to the RV service centre to be winterized, we always clean the inside. We’re sure the wipe down all of the tables and vacuum the seating, beds and floors. Because it’s going to be stored for several months, I’d hate for dirt and dust to get left inside.

When we open the trailer, everything gets wiped down and windows are opened to air it out.

Hooking up the electricity, water and propane

Electricity is the easiest part of the testing process. Connect the trailer to the outlet in the garage using an extension cord, and when the lights come on inside, you know all is good.

Water is a bit more tedious. When they winterize the trailer, all of the water lines are filled with anti-freeze. This needs to be flushed out until all the water runs clear.

We have a water tank under the trailer that needs to filled and cleaned out as well.

Once the propane is hooked up, the hot water tank needs to be turned on and tested.

This always tests my patience. The propane tank needs to be opened and then you have to wait. After about 5 minutes, the switch can be turned to light the pilot light. If the propane isn’t completely through the system yet, the pilot won’t lite and you need to wait a bit longer. Once the pilot lights, then you can turn it on and the water heats up.

Once the water has heated up enough, I run the water inside and to finish flushing the anti-freeze out of the system.

All lines are flushed, even the outdoor shower.

We’re ready to go camping!!

Once all systems checked and working, we load up the sleeping bags, pillows, chairs and anything that will be used over the summer into the trailer. The trailer gets closed up and taken to our summer parking spot. With it being left partially packed, it’s very easy to pack some clothes and food, grab the trailer and run away for a weekend.

Do you have a camping trailer??

What prep do you have to do to get ready??

Cleaning your dryer and dryer vent is so important!