About Urbana Dryer Vent Cleaning
Our Story
Urbana Dryer Vent Cleaning started in 2017 after a string of dryer fires in the Villages of Urbana—several homes in just one week. It was a wake-up call for the whole neighborhood. I had recently left my job as an operations supervisor at a nearby power plant and was doing odd jobs while searching for another engineering position. Suddenly everyone wanted their vents cleaned, and I saw an opportunity.
I eventually figured it out and was blessed with so many great reviews and referrals that I decided to make this my full-time business. I’m grateful to every customer who trusted me in their home and took time to write a review or refer friends and family. Thank you!
My Background
I was a nuclear-trained mechanic in the U.S. Navy for almost 10 years, serving on fast attack submarines. On submarines, you learn to fix everything—even equipment you’ve never seen before. You don’t have a choice. It’s not like you can make a phone call and help shows up! Overcoming those challenges instilled in me a love for fixing things.
Dryer vent cleaning frequently poses unique challenges. I get to troubleshoot and fix dryers and dryer vents. No two jobs are the same, and the moment I think I’ve seen everything, something new comes along. I also love meeting people—I’ve had countless great conversations and made many friends along the way. Getting to help people while fixing things and being creative has been a dream come true.
I just wish I didn’t spend so much money on that Nuclear Engineering degree. Life is funny like that.
Why We Clean Inside the Dryer
The biggest revelation I’ve had in this business is that the inside of the dryer can accumulate large amounts of lint and pose a serious fire hazard.
When I first started, I read everything I could about dryer vent cleaning. Nowhere on the internet was anyone talking about cleaning dryers internally. It was only after taking dryers apart to help with heater problems and burning smells that I realized—this is where fires actually start. I saw dryers packed with charred, burnt lint. It became clear that cleaning inside the dryer had to be part of a comprehensive service to truly protect your home from a dryer fire.
It makes no sense to clean the dryer vent but leave a massive fire hazard inside the dryer. Yet that’s exactly what other companies do.
The challenge is there are dozens of dryer models to learn how to disassemble and reassemble. I suspect other companies skip this because it’s too difficult to train employees on every model and trust they’ll do it right—too much liability. I don’t have that problem because I’ve personally trained all our technicians. We’ve taken apart and cleaned thousands of dryers and done countless repairs, so you can be confident the job will be done right.
Roof Vents
We also specialize in dryer vents that exit through the roof. These pose unique challenges—screens that get clogged, flaps that get stuck. Dryer exhaust is dirty and wet, and most roof vents aren’t designed with that in mind. To clean them properly, you have to access the flap or screen from the roof or attic. This is something other companies don’t do.
Check out our article on dryer vents on the roof to learn more about why they’re a problem and what we do to clean them properly.
Learn More
Check out our dryer vent knowledge articles for everything you need to know about dryer vents. Share them with friends and family—the more people informed, the more dryer fires we can prevent!
Also, visit our gallery to see pictures of the crazy things we’ve come across. Some are a pretty compelling testament to why we do what we do.
Thanks for reading our story. If you have any questions, please reach out. I look forward to serving you!
Dennis Thomas Owner – Urbana Dryer Vent Cleaning [email protected] 240-258-8968