Laundry Room Fire Prevention

11/12/2021 (Permalink)

When you are in a rush to complete a load of laundry, you might be in a hurry. Don't overfill the washer as it causes extra strain on the machine.

A lot of people will admit that doing one laundry could be the most tedious task. You have to organize, clean, dry, and put away one load after another. People might feel like cutting corners by overfilling the machines, others might not check the mechanical structures to ensure its working correctly, and often the person might forget to clean out the lent filter. All of which can create the perfect factors of a laundry room fire. On average, washers and dryers cause about 16,000 house fires each year - however, 31% of the leading causes are failure to clean and perform routine maintenance. 

Common Causes of Laundry Room Fires

• Mechanical and Electrical Failure:

Although these types of fires aren’t as common as the others on the list, this is critical to pay attention to. To prevent these types of fires, you should do a general lookover of the machine to ensure all parts look correctly. It’s important to provide maintenance updates to ensure you stop a problem before it happens.

• Improper Use:

I think we all had overfilled a washer/dryer when we were in a time crunch. When you overload the machine, you are creating extra strain on the mechanisms. Another factor you should keep in mind is the material your putting into the dryer. Materials that aren’t suited for the high temperatures are plastic, rubber, or foam, and if placed in the dryer, these fabrics might melt and cause a fire. 

• Dirty Lint and Vent Filters

One of the biggest causes of laundry room fires are clogged vents, ducts, and filters. These filters collect remains like grass, dirt, or other materials left from the washer. Something that you should make an effort at checking is the outside vent. These are the perfect nesting grounds for birds, insects, or rodents, which could cause significant problems if let continue. 

Laundry might be your least favorite task to complete. If you make an effort to follow these few tips, you ensure that you don’t fall in danger of a fire.