Living in North Texas brings more than just sunshine—our humid seasons lead to dust, bacteria, and allergens piling up in our homes. This is why I knew it was time to clean my ducts and dryer vents and called Elite Clean & Restoration, a local team known for top-notch HVAC services. With 1,000+ Google reviews and a highly coveted 4.8-star rating, Elite Clean & Restoration is a trusted place in the DFW community. Their customer-centric approach, led by owner Tony, makes every step of the process easy and pleasant as he vies for customers for life who want to leave those 5-star ratings because they are so thrilled with their experiences.
If you’re lucky enough to meet John or the team of Dylan and Ishmael (who I call the Dream Team) from Elite Clean & Restoration, you’ll immediately see their passion for HVAC work. Inspired by meeting John—one of the top HVAC pros in the metro—and hearing his enthusiasm as he explained not only what we needed but also why and how they do things, my son, who's studying business, was so inspired that he could potentially learn to be among the best in the HVAC world as a career too. It’s a testament to Elite Clean & Restoration’s focus on quality, efficiency, and creating a positive customer experience.
Allergies Got You Down? Start with Your Ducts! If you’re from North Texas, you know the allergy struggle is real. Between dust, pet dander, and who-knows-what in the air, I thought a duct cleaning might help with my own cat allergies, especially since the previous owners of my home had a cat. The whole house had been cleaned, but the ducts? Not so much. As it turned out, this was long overdue, and I only wish I’d done it sooner. Dylan and Ishmael let me know that a lot of homes they see have built-up allergens. They even found one of my vents with a small spot of bacteria near the kitchen, which was likely from steam buildup. They quickly treated it, and my youngest son came home and said that the house “smells clean,” and he didn’t even know about the duct and vent cleaning when he arrived!
Humidity + Ducts = Potential Bacteria Growth Dylan explained that in 20-25% of homes, they actually find bacterial growth in the ducts. This often happens because high humidity can encourage bacteria to develop, and Texans know our humid months too well. My vents were in decent shape, but if you’re experiencing musty smells or live in an older home, having the ducts inspected and cleaned can be a game changer, especially if there is bacteria under your vent cover and in your vent. You really need to have that treated and get to the root cause if it's a problem.
Dryer Vents – A Critical Cleaning for Safety Here’s a little-known but serious fact: According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, dryer vents cause over 15,000 house fires each year. Given how much laundry I do for my boys, I knew it was time to have Elite Clean & Restoration tackle this. My dryer vent is two stories, which is no DIY task—in Texas, dryer vents can legally be up to 30 feet long, and mine was packed with lint. Ishmael worked his magic to knock it all out, and Dylan even climbed up to the roof to make sure every bit of lint was gone.
Tips for Knowing When to Clean Your Dryer Vent and Air Ducts:
- Your Clothes Take Longer to Dry: If your clothes aren’t drying as fast, it could be due to a lint buildup blocking airflow.
- Hot Dryer Exterior: If the outside of your dryer is hot to the touch, it’s a sign of blockage.
- Debris at the Vent Hookup: Check around where your dryer vent attaches—if you see a lot of lint buildup, it’s time for a cleaning.
- Check the Vent Cap While the Dryer is Running: Make sure air is coming out, and the flap is moving freely. If it isn’t, you might have a clog.
- Allergy Troubles: Dust, pet dander, and other allergens can accumulate in your ducts, so consider duct cleaning to help with allergies.
In my personal experience, I am grateful to the team at Elite Clean & Restoration. Let me share a few highlights.
Let's start with the dryer vent. They cleaned the inside and then put everything back together. After this, they literally pulled handfuls of hard and wet lint out of the dryer vent cap!
The photo below shows the lint that Ishmael pulled out of my dryer vent from the inside! Isn't this shocking?!
Here is Dylan scaling the roof. He didn't even need to use a drill with the extensions on the outside. He could see that the blockade was just at the dryer vent cap. He used a brush and his hands to pull out chunks of debris. Notice how steep the roof is -- I couldn't believe that he was able to do this!
Prior to my appointment, I worried that the vents in my living room would be too high for them to reach. Ishmael reached and cleaned them without any problems! I'm not sure whether most companies would be able to handle such high ceilings.
This is bacteria growth. If you notice this at your home, quickly call Elite Clean & Restoration for advice and a quote.
Here is a photo of him cleaning the vent in the kitchen. I was relieved that my situation wasn't too bad and that they were able to get everything. They assured me that everything is perfectly fine now!
If you’re considering a duct or dryer vent cleaning, I can’t recommend Elite Clean & Restoration enough. They also provide an extensive list of HVAC services, from installation to repair. They will even help you find solutions to optimize your system if you have a room that isn't as cool as the others or other HVAC issues. Their commitment to quality and customer care shines through at every step! Don’t wait until you smell something funky or your dryer is running hot—give your HVAC and air systems a little love, and enjoy cleaner, safer air in your Texas home!