These are still our favourite tumble dryer cleaning tips from you know who...

We’re always on the look out for the best cleaning hacks and routines to share with you – and use ourselves. This means, of course, that we are avid followers of Insta sensation Mrs Hinch. If Sophie Hinchcliffe has advice or tips on keeping our homes hygienic and sparkling, we look or we watch, and then we try them out ourselves.

And that’s why, since the cleanfluencer shared her tumble dryer cleaning routine a while back, and we have been following the steps regularly since to maintain our tumble dryers. Our verdict? It’s a brilliant way to keep these appliances working as they should.

Now that we’re coming into the peak season for drying indoors, it’s a great time to lavish a little attention on your tumble dryer if you’ve been neglecting the chore. We’re sharing the Mrs Hinch method below, and if you want to check out the top ways to keep other appliances and your home spick and span, visit our cleaning hub.

How to clean a tumble dryer like Mrs Hinch

1. There’s a job you should do every time you use your tumble dryer, as Mrs Hinch reminds us, which is to clean out the fluff (or lint) filter (more on this later). But every so often it’s a bigger clean that’s needed, paying attention to the vent tube (if yours is a vented tumble dryer), and pulling the tumble dryer away from the wall to clean behind it, too. 

2. Before you start cleaning? Take Mrs Hinch’s advice and unplug the tumble dryer first.

3. Back to that fluff filter. Here’s what Mrs Hinch’s looks like (and she’s a regular at this job remember). The filter needs to be kept clean because if it’s blocked or even partly blocked, the dryer will be less efficient, it will use more energy, and the lint becomes a fire hazard. Mrs Hinch says she’s ‘paranoid’ about keeping hers clean, and we should all follow her lead for the above reasons.

You can take the fluff out of the filter with your fingers, but Mrs Hinch recently shared a hack for getting the lint out easily on Insta. The secret? She uses the brush from her dustpan and brush set to pick up the lint. Any other dry brush will do the job equally effectively.

Once the fluff is gone, Mrs Hinch washes her lint filter in warm water. However, do check your appliance’s instructions as this should only be done if the manufacturer of your dryer recommends it. Mrs Hinch drys the filter thoroughly with a tea towel before replacing it in the machine.

4.  Mrs Hinch also cleans out the trap in which the lint filter is located, as plenty of fluff accumulates here, too. You can get in there with a narrow vacuum cleaner attachment. Mrs Hinch uses a dry microfibre cloth in there as well for thorough fluff removal.

5. The proof that tumble dryer fluff gets everywhere is right there on top of Mrs Hinch’s machine. As part of her cleaning, she vacuums the fluff that’s accumulated. She also uses her cloth to wipe the top and front of the machine, including the glass door.

6. If yours is a vented tumble dryer, your vent tube could be harbouring lint like Mrs Hinch’s. As she points out, you should ‘always check your vent tube for damage’ when you’re cleaning. If you find any problems, it needs to be replaced.

Mrs Hinch uses the long attachment of her vacuum for cleaning the vent tube. Make sure you do this carefully so you don’t cause damage.

She also takes the opportunity to vacuum around the back of the dryer. 

7. Got a condenser dryer? Then you’ll need to clean the condenser from time to time. Remove it from the machine (check the handbook if you’re not sure how), and run it under the tap to clear out debris before replacing it. 

8. If your dryer has a sensor, this is located in the drum. For these appliances, make sure you add in the step of wiping the sensor and the rest of the drum using white vinegar on a cloth. It’ll keep the sensor accurate, and the drum pristine to boot.

8. Mrs Hinch’s tumble dryer looks like new when she’s replaced the dried fluff filter and closed the door. 

Read more:

• How to clean a washing machine
• Best vacuum cleaner: 12 of the best tried, tested and reviewed
• How to clean an oven