What to do if…
your clothes dryer smells unusually hot or burnt and you suspect a venting problem

What to do now

1. If there is smoke, flames, sparking, a rapidly worsening smell, or you feel unsafe, leave the home, close doors behind you if you can do so without delay, and call 911 from outside or a safe nearby place.
2. If you smell rotten eggs, sulfur, or natural gas, leave on foot immediately. Do not unplug the dryer, switch lights on or off, use a phone inside, start a vehicle in an attached garage, or try to find the leak. Call 911 from a safe place.
3. If there is no smoke, flame, sparking, or gas smell, turn the dryer off. Unplug it only if the plug is easy to reach, the area is cool, and you can do it without moving the dryer or touching hot parts.
4. Keep the dryer off and let the dryer, duct, and laundry area cool fully before touching anything around the appliance.
5. Once everything is fully cool, do a no-restart check:
   • Clean the lint screen.
   • Remove only the lint you can safely reach around the lint screen housing.
   • Look behind the dryer for an obvious crushed or kinked duct without forcing or moving the appliance.
   • Look at the outside vent hood if it is safely reachable, and check for visible lint, debris, nests, or a stuck flap.
6. Do not use the dryer again until the exhaust path has been cleared or inspected.
7. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager in writing that you stopped using the dryer because of an unusually hot or burnt smell and a possible vent restriction, and ask for urgent service.
8. If you own the dryer, arrange a qualified appliance technician or professional dryer-vent cleaning service, especially if the vent run goes through walls, ceilings, a roof, or a long duct path.
9. Find the dryer’s model and serial number and check the CPSC recall database. If the dryer is recalled, follow the official recall instructions and do not use it until the remedy is completed.