If your dryer stops working, you might want to ask yourself: When was the last time it was cleaned? After one woman’s Samsung dryer bit the dust, she decided to investigate and was appalled by what she discovered.
What’s inside this Samsung dryer?
“So, you know how they say, ‘House fires start from your dryer?’” TikTok creator Breaun Osborne (@breaunosborne) asks over 161,000 viewers. “Our dryer stopped working. So, I am taking apart.”
Once she completely disassembled her appliance, her discovery rendered her speechless. “I am in utter disbelief at what is coming out of the bottom of our dryer,” she states. “Look at this.”
When the content creator flips her camera, she pans over the humungous pile of hair, dirt, and dryer lint, bunched into a ball.
“What the [expletive] is that?” Osborne questions, disgusted.
Upon further inspection, she spots charred markings in the cluster. “There’s even burn marks where it was melting right here,” she adds, pointing to the burned areas on the outlet it was plugged into. “Was this about to catch on fire?!”
Off camera, the content creator pulls the cluster apart, revealing a scorched chunk she unearthed.
“Literally burnt to a crisp.” Because of this, Osborne urges viewers to clean their dryers. “If you have dogs, or girls with long hair that lose a lot of hair, this might be your sign to literally take apart your dryer and look at it,” she suggests. “I don’t know if I need to buy a new lint trap or if this is just what happens after years of never knowing you should probably clean out your dryer.”
Osborne shares the most frustrating part of the process in the caption, “The fact you have to practically take the whole [dryer] apart to properly clean is [ridiculous]… they could at least make everything easily accessible.”
House fires caused by dryers are more prevalent than you think. According to Consumer Reports, approximately 13,820 homes are affected each year, making up 4% of total house fires. The same report showed that 27% of these incidents are due to excess dryer lint buildup because it’s extremely flammable.
Viewers rush to check their dryers
Some took Osborne’s advice to heart and plan to clean their household appliance.
“Thank you for posting this! I’ll add quarterly dryer cleanings to my routine! So glad nothing happened,” one viewer commented.
“[Expletive] let me go look at mine,” another remarked.
“Well now I know what I’m doing this weekend lol,” a third stated.
Most even concurred that dismantling the machine is a hassle.
“They should make it more accessible to clean,” one commenter wrote.
“I wish [manufacturers] would make it easy to open the bottom for cleaning cause taking mine apart is a NIGHTMARE,” a second echoed.
@breaunosborne The fact you have to practically take the whole damn dyer apart to properly clean is rediculious… they could at least make everything easily accessible… #samsung #dryer #housefire #firehazard #wtf ♬ original sound – Breaun Osborne
How to remove dryer lint
According to Today, lint traps should be emptied after every load of laundry, whereas the fans and ducts (the metal accordion hose that plugs into the wall) should be cleared out once a year, at a minimum, depending on how many people and pets live in the home. If you don’t want to spend money on a professional, you can always clean it yourself. Here are instructions listed from Home Depot’s website:
- Unplug the dryer and gas valve (if you own a gas dryer)
- Remove the dryer from the wall
- Disconnect the duct and clamp
- Slip on a pair of gloves and remove the from the duct and the wall interior
- Use a vacuum hose or a shop vac to eliminate any remnants
- Empty out the hose or shop vac
- Attach everything back together
However, you can always purchase a dryer vent kit or dryer vent brushes to do the job if a vacuum or shop vac isn’t efficient enough.
The Mary Sue reached out to Osborne via TikTok comment and direct message.
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