3 Ways Home Fires Start in the Laundry Room (and how to Avoid them)

7/27/2020 (Permalink)

While rare, laundry room fires have effected numerous families in Parkersburg, WV over the past years. These fires may start small but within minutes laundry fires can grow and take over the entire house, taking away all your possessions. No family deserves this. Let’s look at what you can do to minimize (and hopefully neutralize) the chance of this ever happening in your home.

3 Ways Fires Start In The Laundry

• Blocked Filters and Vents: Over time, the vents and filters of the dryer may get blocked. The heat inside the dryer does not get released as there is no way out. In this way, the temperature may cause the lint to catch fire.

• Leaving Moist Clothes in the Hot Dryer: Clothes such as towels or bed sheets, etc. may take longer to get dry. After washing the clothes, leaving these damp items inside the dryer is very risky. The dryer is hot, so leaving the clothes inside for too long can start a fire in the laundry.

• Washing Fabrics at Higher Temperatures: All fabrics cannot be washed at high temperatures. Normally people wash all of their fabrics at the same temperature and this can lead to problems. It is important to note that some fabrics, especially cotton fabrics, need to be washed at relevantly lower temperatures than others. We advise keeping an eye on the temperature while washing different types of clothes together.

How to Avoid Fire Damage:

Here is how you can avoid a laundry fire starting regarding the three points above:

• Blocked Filters and Vents: Check the filters after every wash. Most dryers have a very easy method of cleaning out the filters. By making it common practice (it literally takes seconds!) you are dramatically minimizing the chances of fire damage occurring.

• Leaving Moist Clothes in the Hot Dryer: After each wash empty it fully. This might sound silly but even leaving a sock in there may create a chance of issues arising.

• Washing Fabrics at Higher Temperatures: Look at the guidelines on the tag of the clothing you are washing. If they are suggesting a cold wash, please do this!

Bonus note: Only use the dryer when you are at home. Never use the clothes dryer when you are out of home, even if you are quickly running to the store.

Preventions are always better than a cure. By following the instructions mentioned above, you can easily avoid the possibility of laundry fire.

In the horrible event any fires start please call 911 immediately.

We hope this has helped,

The Team at SERVPRO of Wood, Ritchie & Pleasants Counties - Fire Damage Restoration Services.