How-to guide

How to clean your tumble dryer’s filters

Blocked filters are one of the most common reasons a tumble dryer takes too long, leaves clothes damp or runs hot. This guide covers the lint filter on any dryer, plus the water container and heat exchanger on condenser and heat pump models.

  • Time 5 to 15 minutes
  • Difficulty Easy
  • How often Clean the lint filter after every load (Bosch’s advice). Samsung recommends cleaning a heat pump dryer’s heat exchanger at least once a month, or whenever the indicator lights up.
Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A soft cloth
  • Warm running water
  • The cleaning brush supplied with heat pump dryers, or a soft brush

Safety first

  • Don’t bend the heat exchanger fins: damaged fins reduce drying performance.
  • Never run a dryer without its lint filter in place.
  • If the dryer smells of burning or cuts out, stop using it and unplug it.
Step by step

7 steps

  1. Switch off

    Turn the dryer off, unplug it and let it cool if it has just finished a cycle.

  2. Take out the lint filter

    Open the door and pull out the lint (fluff) filter, usually in the door opening. Some are two-part filters that open out.

  3. Clean the lint filter

    Remove the fluff by hand or with a cloth, rinse away what’s left under running water, and dry the filter thoroughly before refitting it.

  4. Wipe the filter slot

    Wipe around the opening the filter sits in, to remove loose fluff.

  5. Empty the water container

    On condenser and heat pump dryers, slide the water container out slowly, keep it level and pour the water away. Do this after every cycle, unless your dryer drains straight into a waste pipe.

  6. Clean the heat exchanger or condenser

    On heat pump dryers, open the lower cover, release the levers, remove the inner cover and brush the heat exchanger fins gently up and down. On condenser dryers with a removable condenser unit, slide it out and rinse it as your manual describes.

  7. Refit everything

    Make sure every cover is back and every lever is locked. Some dryers show an error code if a cover isn’t fitted properly.

Still not working?

When to call an engineer

If the filters are clean and the dryer still runs cold, takes far too long or overheats, the heater, thermostat, a sensor or, on heat pump models, the compressor may need testing.

Done the checks? We’ll take it from here.

Book a slot online or give us a call. £40 call-out including diagnosis, and a clear quote before any work starts.