Home ventilation is a delicate process. You want air to be able to circulate through your house to avoid stagnation, but you also want to avoid providing entry points for weather and wildlife. This delicate balance is a constant tension for homeowners.

When it comes to dryer ventilation, most vents terminate through the side of a home, providing a gaping hole for snow, rain, and critters to gain access. As a result, it’s very common for home builders and contractors to install outside dryer vent covers over a dryer exhaust vent.

But what are these covers, anyway? Why do you need one, and what are they made of? How many types of exterior dryer vent covers are out there — and what kind should you get?

As the manufacturers of quite a few makes and models of dryer vent covers, we want to answer those questions for you (and more).

By the time you’re finished here, you’ll know what kinds of dryer vent covers there are, what size you need, and what type is the best fit for your dryer exhaust vent.

What Is a Dryer Vent Cover?

A dryer vent cover goes over the spot where the dryer exhaust vent exits your home. They’re designed to allow the air that goes through the dryer (as it runs) to vent out of the home properly while keeping out animals like squirrels, birds, bats, mice, and rats.

They’re also designed to maximize airflow to keep dryer lint moving properly through the dryer vent. Dryer lint accumulation is dangerous; if enough gathers at the base of your dryer, it could get too close to the heating filaments and cause a dryer fire.

Dryer vent covers may not look like much, but their dual functions as a ventilation tool and wildlife exclusion device make them a versatile and vital component on any home.

Do You Need a Dryer Vent Cover?

If your home (or apartment or condo) has a dryer, then yes, it’s strongly recommended that you have a dryer vent cover.

Like roof vents, soffit vents, and foundation vents, dryer vent ports offer animals and insects the opportunity to get into your home. An outside dryer vent cover is a simple, cost-effective solution that works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

What Materials are Dryer Vent Covers Made Of?

Dryer vent covers are typically made of one of three materials:

1. Plastic
2. Aluminum
3. Steel

Plastic, depending on how the vent cover is made, are a decent animal deterrent at best, and pretty much useless at worst. Some animals can bypass plastic very easily and get into your dryer vent.

Aluminum dryer vent covers (on the whole) tend to be more effective than plastic, but some critters (like squirrels, mice, and rats) can still chew through them and gain access.

Steel dryer vent covers, on the other hand, are incredibly effective as wildlife exclusion devices when installed properly. Animals won’t be able to tear them off or chew through them no matter how hard they may try.

What Types of Dryer Vent Covers Are There?

There are several kinds of dryer vent covers, but to simplify things, we’ll break them down into three common types:

1. Dryer vent covers with louvers
2. Hood-style dryer vent covers
3. Bolt-on dryer vent covers

Dryer Vent Covers with Louvers

Dryer vent covers with louvers are very common, but they also offer minimal critter protection. The louvers open as air from the dryer exits the vent, and they stay closed when no air is moving through them. Outside air blowing toward the house can’t open the louvers; they only open in one direction.

These louvers are designed to keep critters out in theory, but in practice, they don’t exclude wildlife very well. Most critters can pop the louvers off simply by pulling on them or chewing through them, both gaining access and allowing future access to other animals.

Hood-style Dryer Vent Covers

Hood-style dryer vent covers work based on angles. The opening of the vent cover is perpendicular to the exhaust vent, meaning critters have to climb up through the vent cover and into the vent. Some hood-style covers even come with a circular, aluminum louver for an extra layer of protection.

These hood-style dryer vent covers probably provide better protection than covers with louvers, but animals can still get past them. They use their claws to climb up the vent with little to no issue, and even if the vent has an aluminum louver, critters will chew right through it.

Bolt-on Dryer Vent Covers

Bolt-on dryer vent covers are usually installed as an additional layer of protection on top of a louvered cover or a hood-style cover. Whether they’re made of plastic or steel, they’re the most effective animal exclusion dryer vent cover.

Since they bolt directly into the brick or siding of your house, they don’t even provide critters the opportunity to get near the exhaust vent, let alone into it. Wildlife also has trouble biting through the thick plastic and has no chance to chew through a steel bolt-on dryer vent cover.

HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Dryer Vent Covers

At HY-C, we manufacture a variety of dryer vent covers under our HY-GUARD EXCLUSION brand. All of these covers are the bolt-on variety, meant to be used on their own or in conjunction with a louvered or hood-style vent cover.

Below are the dryer vent covers produced under the HY-GUARD EXCLUSION brand, the sizes and color(s) they come in, the materials they’re made from, and more.

Steel Dryer Vent Exhaust VentGuard

Available in two sizes — a 6-inch width for 4-inch vents and an 8-inch width for 6-inch vents — the Steel Dryer Vent Exhaust VentGuard bolts over a dryer exhaust using three bolts (one on the top and two on each side).

Its most prominent feature is its hinge-style opening which locks closed to prevent animal intrusion and opens easily to allow for dryer vent cleaning. Its steel construction ensures critters can’t pull it off or chew through it.

Plastic Dryer Vent Exhaust VentGuard

The plastic version of the Dryer Vent Exhaust VentGuard also comes in a 6-inch width for 4-inch vents and an 8-inch width for 6-inch vents.

The 6-inch version features keyhole-style attachment points that slide onto the bolts and lock into place. This attachment style allows for easy removal for dryer vent cleaning access (but not so easy that animals can figure out how to take it off).

The 8-inch version, on the other hand, features the same hinge-style opening method of the Steel Dryer Vent Exhaust VentGuard, so you never have to remove it from the side of your house.

Both styles come in three colors — white, tan, and brown — to match the desired aesthetic of your home. While they’re made of plastic, they’re thick enough to avoid damage from animals, and their bolt-on attachment style means they’ll stay on securely.

Universal VentGuard

Our Universal VentGuard is arguably the toughest exterior dryer vent cover we make. It’s made from stainless steel, and it features a ⅝” mesh that’s tight enough to keep even the smallest critters out while still allowing enough airflow out of the dryer exhaust vent.

It doesn’t feature a hinge-style opening, but it does bolt on using the keyhole-style attachment points, so it can slide on and off easily enough for vent cleaning. It’s designed to cover most 3-inch and 4-inch vent openings and/or louver-style covers.

Which Dryer Vent Cover Should You Get?

It’s probably clear by now that there’s more to dryer vent covers than first meets the eye. From sizes to materials to even the color of the cover, there’s so much to consider before choosing the right one.

So — which one should you get?

It’s likely that your home came pre-installed with louver-style dryer vent covers. These covers — while handy — offer the bare minimum level of protection against critters. Just about any animal out there will be able to remove them with little effort.

For a more robust level of protection, it may be wise to invest in a bolt-on style cover. Between plastic and steel, 6-inch and 8-inch sizes, and even some color options, HY-GUARD EXCLUSION offers plenty of bolt-on vent covers to exclude animals from just about any dryer vent.

If you want the best level of protection to keep critters out of your dryer vent, give them a try. They’re easy to install, and they’re likely to last for as long as you own your home.

In lawn care, the big tools get the job done. Lawn mowers, tractors, trimmers — they pare down each and every blade of grass with precision to leave homeowners with a fresh, green, manicured lawn.

But small upgrades to the big tools can make a huge impact on comfort, convenience, and efficiency when caring for your lawn. And that’s exactly what Good Vibrations products are: universal lawn care accessories for trimmers, tractors, push mowers, zero turn mowers, and more.

But what’s in the line? How do the products work? And how do they make caring for your lawn easier and more comfortable?

As the owners of Good Vibrations, that’s exactly what we want to share with you in this guide.

We’ll go over which products we offer, what they’re compatible with, and how their design and development help to make yard work more enjoyable. By the time you’re finished here, you’ll understand this product offering, and you may even learn about a new upgrade or two you’d enjoy adding to your mower or tractor.

Good Vibrations Product Offering

In short, there are currently twelve Good Vibrations products that span nine different categories:

• A steering wheel knob
• A weed eater strap
• Two hitch plates
• Two locking hitch pins
• Two lawn mower pull cord handles
• A mower deck scraper
• An offroad drinking mug
• A selection of tractor wheel covers
• Tractor seat repair sealant

We’ll cover all these products by category in relative order of their popularity.

Steering Wheel Knob

The Easy-Rider Tight-Turn Steering Knob at a glance:

• One-handed control and comfort
• Universal fit for all lawn tractors
• Quick, easy installation
• Available in green, red, and gray

The Easy-Rider Tight-Turn Steering Knob fits on the steering wheel of any lawn tractor, regardless of make or model. The knob comes with an Allen wrench for easy adjustability and installation. The knob rotates in place as you grip it and turn your mower’s steering wheel, allowing you to control your vehicle easily with just one hand.

The Easy-Rider also works well on boats and golf carts, but it’s intended for off-road use only. Don’t install it on your personal vehicle, truck, or recreational vehicle!

Weed Eater Strap

The Zero Gravity Weight Absorbing Trimmer Strap at a glance:

• Makes trimmer feel 75% lighter
• Shoulder pad contoured for soft, cushioned comfort
• Bungee-style strap

One of the biggest pains (literally) of using a weed eater is back pain. The Zero Gravity Weight Absorbing Trimmer Strap helps to alleviate this problem. When installed correctly, all you should have to do is let your trimmer hang — just guide it along and pull the trigger to operate it.

The Zero Gravity’s unique, bungee-style strap is the secret to its success and comfort. It’s intuitive to use, attaching to any trimmer in seconds. It’s also great to use on leaf blowers.

Hitch Plates

The Hitchin Post Plus+ 3-Way Hitchplate & Towing Ball at a glance:

• Includes 1 ⅞” ball
• Pin-hitch hole
• Dual tow loops for chains, ropes, and winches

The Hitchin Post Plus+ offers three methods of towing additional equipment behind your tractor: a tow ball, a hitch pin hole, and two loops for chains or ropes. It attaches easily to any make and model of lawn tractor or ATV.

Despite its versatility, the Hitchin Post Plus+ is intended for off-road use only; you should not use the Hitchin Post on your truck to tow vehicles or equipment on roads or highways!

The Z-Hitch Zero-Turn Hitchplate at a glance:

• Universal for all zero-turn mower makes and models
• 3-way hitch plate
• 2” to 6” centers for an easy, flexible fit

The Z-Hitch Zero-Turn Hitchplate is similar to the Hitchin Post Plus+, but it’s designed specifically for zero-turn mowers that may not have a built-in hitch plate. It’s made for the same three towing methods, too — a tow ball, a hitch pin, or chains or ropes.

Like the Hitchin Post Plus, the Z-Hitch is intended for off-road use only. It’s also important not to exceed your offroad vehicle’s towing capacity when utilizing a Z-Hitch.

Locking Hitch Pins

The King Pin Quick-Connect Hitch Pin at a glance:

• One-handed hitch and release
• Automatically locks when yellow trigger is released
• Heavy-duty treated construction with nickel plating
• 5 ⅛” shaft, ½” diameter

The King Pin allows you to connect additional towing equipment to your lawn tractor or ATV with just one hand. The two prongs on the end are spring-loaded and connected to the handle. When pushing the King Pin in, the prongs retract and allow you to make the connection. Squeezing the trigger also retracts them, allowing you to pull the pin out.

The King Pin works well in conjunction with the Hitchin Post Plus+ and the Z-Hitch, and, like those items, it’s intended for off-road use only.

The Auto-Lock Magnetic Hitch Pin at a glance:

• Over 25 pounds of magnetic locking force
• Extra-strong neodymium magnet
• Easily stores on hitch when not in use
• 4” shaft, ½” diameter

Like the King Pin, the Auto-Locking Magnetic Hitch Pin does away with the need for clips and pins when towing equipment behind your tractor or ATV. This pin utilizes a strong, neodymium magnet with over 25 pounds of locking force to keep your equipment secured while towing it.

The red handle is angled a bit relative to the shaft, too, allowing you to pull it out easily against the force of the magnet. This hitch pin is intended for offroad use only.

Lawn Mower Pull Cord Handles

The Get-A-Grip Full Grip Deluxe Handle at a glance:

• Full grip for comfort and ease of use
• High-grade polymer rope
• Makes starting push mower easier

Your lawn mower probably came with a small, clumsy T-handle attached to its pull cord. These T-handles are awkward to use, and the Get-A-Grip offers an easier, more comfortable alternative. Just snip your T-handle off (while holding onto the pull cord!), tie a knot in it, and slide it into the Get-A-Grip for easy installation.

This naturally shaped pull cord handle works well on lawn mowers, boats, snow blowers, pressure washers — any kind of machine that utilizes a pull cord starter.

The Start Me Up Full-Grip Starter Handle at a glance:

• 88” rope included
• Soft-grip handle for a comfortable, secure hold
• Easy to install — change handles in seconds

So, what’s the difference between the Get-A-Grip handle and the Start Me Up handle? They both offer an easier, more robust option than the standard T-handle. But the Start Me Up features quite a bit more padding in the handle for the very best in comfort.

It’s available in both red and gray, and, like the Get-A-Grip, it’s also useful for lawn mowers, snow blowers, boats, and pressure washers.

Mower Deck Scraper

The Grass Hawk Dual-Bladed Mower Scraper at a glance:

• Flat and curved cleaning blades for versatility
• Helps maintain a clean mower deck for a longer life and better cut
• Also attaches to a pole for cleaning lawn tractors

The Grass Hawk mower scraper makes cleaning a mower deck much easier than with a knife or screwdriver. It features a rotating head with both a flat and curved cleaning blade to reach every crack and crevice of your mower deck.

The bottom of the handle comes with a threaded hole that screws into an extension pole in order to clean lawn tractors, more easily too.

Offroad Drinking Mug

The Rough Rider Off-Road Drinking Mug at a glance:

• Jell-Lock base forms tight to any cup
• Holds tight on rough terrain
• One-handed open and close

When your lawn tractor or ATV takes you out on rough, uneven terrain, you shouldn’t use just any mug. The Rough Rider features a rubbery base that squeezes and flexes to fit into any cup-holder. The lid only opens at the press of a button, too, ensuring that dirt and grime stay out (and your beverage stays in).

The Rough Rider is perfect to use during lawn mowing, but it’s also well-suited to any offroad activity. Its 24-ounce capacity is enough to keep you hydrated (or caffeinated!) during any job.

Tractor Wheel Covers

Wheelies Tractor Wheel Covers at a glance:

• Black (in 6” and 8” radii)
• Chrome (in 10” and 12” radii)
• Red, light orange, burnt orange, yellow, and black accents available

As with anything lawn care-related, tractor wheels — especially white tractor wheels — develop a bit of an ugly green hue over time. Whether you want to cover up stains, wear and tear, or you just want to add a pop of color to your lawn tractor, Wheelies Tractor Wheel Covers have you… well, covered.

The 6” and 8” covers are available in black, and the 10” and 12” covers come in chrome. All sizes are available with light orange, dark orange, red, yellow, or black accents. They snap easily onto your wheels and, from a practicality standpoint, they help prevent rust.

Tractor Seat Sealant

Seat Magic Tractor Seat Repair at a glance:

• Avoid expensive seat replacement
• Durable and flexible
• Repairs rips, holes, and gouges

Finally, Seat Magic Tractor Seat Repair is a sealant designed to fix any holes, cuts, or scrapes in your tractor’s seats. Replacing the need for duct tape, this sealant comes in black and yellow to compliment common tractor seat colors.

It works well on other foam products, too, including arm rests, cushions, and foam seats (especially the more common black color).

Where Can You Buy Good Vibrations Products?

By now, you should have a full, complete sense of what’s included in the Good Vibrations product lineup. From trimmer straps and steering wheel knobs to hitch plates, pins, and more, Good Vibrations’ versatile offering is designed to make lawn care easier, more comfortable, and more efficient.

But where can you find the products?

Hardware stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Menards, Fleet Farm, and others carry Good Vibrations. You can also find Good Vibrations products on Amazon.

And whether you’re interested in one Good Vibrations product or a few, we hope they’ll make caring for your lawn a little easier — and a lot more enjoyable.

Cleaning your gutters is a tough job. Typically, you’ll need to hop on a ladder, scoop out some leaves, climb down, move your ladder, and repeat the process around the entire perimeter of your home. You could get on the roof and clean on your hands and knees, but that’s dangerous (and the process gets even more dangerous if you have a two-story house).

At HY-C, we manufacture and sell GutterSweep under our Gardus brand. It’s a drill-powered, extendable rotary cleaning tool to help you clean your gutters without a ladder.

But what’s included with a GutterSweep purchase? What are the pros of the tool — and what are the cons?

In this guide, we’re going to provide an honest, in-depth look at GutterSweep, where it excels, and even where you may run into some difficulties with it (and how to overcome them).

By the time you’re done here, you’ll know how GutterSweep works, what’s included in the kit, and how to get the best use out of one to keep your gutters nice and clean.

What is GutterSweep?

GutterSweep is an extendable rotary cleaning tool. It consists of two poles, an attachable handle, a curved tube, and a pair of rotating rubber paddles at the end. Attach a cordless drill to the device, reach up and set the rubber paddles in the gutter, and pull the drill’s trigger to sweep debris out of your gutters.

The kit can also attach to your hose, allowing you to run water through your gutters to spray out any small debris you may have missed in your initial cleaning. GutterSweep allows you to avoid climbing a ladder to clean out your gutters (and all the hazards that come along with doing so).

What Does GutterSweep Come With?

GutterSweep isn’t just a tool; it’s an entire kit that comes with all the bells and whistles you need to clean your gutters as thoroughly as possible. Here’s a look at what the kit comes with:

1. Extension poles
2. Rotary paddle brush
3. Curved tube
4. Grip handle
5. Button release tool
6. Right-angle gear drive
7. Drill adapter
8. Camera mount
9. Hose attachment
10. Gutter brush (with water jet nozzle)
11. Threaded tool attachment

How to Use GutterSweep

To use GutterSweep, start by attaching the two extension poles together. Add the curved tube to the end of the extension poles. On the end of the extension poles opposite the curved tube, attach the drill bit adapter. Then attach the right-angle gear drive to the curved tube, and attach the rotary paddle brush to the right-angle gear drive. Finally, attach the grip handle to the same extension pole that has the drill adapter attached to it.

From there, attach your drill to the drill adapter. Reach up toward your gutters and set the rotary paddle brush in the gutters. Now, power on the drill — the rotary paddle brush will spin, sweeping debris out of your gutters.

After you’ve thoroughly cleaned the gutters of large debris, you can swap out the rotary paddle brush with the gutter brush to sweep out anything you may have missed. Be sure also to take off the drill adapter and replace it with the hose attachment, and instead of attaching a drill to the GutterSweep, attach a garden hose. This will let you run water up into your gutters to rinse out smaller debris.

The GutterSweep also comes with a camera mount tool so you can take a video recording of your gutters to see if you missed any spots that need cleaning. It’s vital not to attach a camera while using the rotary paddle brush or the gutter brush as you could ruin your camera.

Also, be sure not to lose the button release tool. It’s specifically designed to disassemble your GutterSweep. You will still be able to take everything apart without it, but the process will be much more difficult.

Three Pros of GutterSweep

1. It Allows You to Clean Your Gutters without a Ladder

We’ve mentioned this already, but perhaps the biggest benefit of GutterSweep is that it saves you the trouble of getting up on a ladder to clean your gutters. Climbing a ladder or getting on your roof can be dangerous; GutterSweep offers a safer alternative.

2. It Tackles Large and Small Debris

All kinds of junk can end up in your gutters — everything as big as sticks and leaves down to stuff as small as acorns and shingle granules. Within the full scope of the pieces available in the kit, GutterSweep is designed to help homeowners tackle it all.

Starting with the rotary paddle brush allows you to sweep out large debris like leaves and sticks. Following up with the gutter brush allows you to take care of smaller obstructions, and using the hose attachment to rinse your gutters especially helps.

3. It Can Clean Two-Story Houses, Too

GutterSweep comes standard with two three-foot extension poles. These poles, coupled with the curved tube attachment on the end, allow you to reach up and clean out the gutters on a single-story house.

We didn’t forget about two-story homeowners, though; we also offer a GutterSweep extension kit that allows for six feet of additional reach. The kit operates the same way with these additional poles. All they do is give the GutterSweep some additional range.

Three Cons of GutterSweep

1. You’ll Be Cleaning Blind

Say what you want about the dangers of being up on a ladder or a roof, but at least you can see what you’re doing while you’re up there. This isn’t true with GutterSweep. You’ll be on the ground while you clean, so you won’t visually be able to make sure you clean every nook and cranny.

We tried to solve this issue with the camera mount attachment, and it certainly helps. But it may take some time to inspect your gutters with your camera, and even if you can spot some additional debris on film, you’ll still be guessing by the time you get your GutterSweep back up there.

Another point of frustration to prepare for is the gutter hangers. These anchors help to connect the gutters to your house, and they’re usually located inside the gutters every few feet. You may have trouble maneuvering a GutterSweep around them; in fact, when you run into one, you’ll have to lift the paddle brush (or gutter brush) up and over the hangers to avoid them.

2. It May Have Trouble with Shingle Granules

Shingle granules are tiny, crushed pieces of stone that are glued to your shingles. They help to protect shingles from the elements (specifically solar radiation), and if you’ve ever cleaned gutters before, you know that these granules will inevitably accumulate in gutters over time.

The gutter brush attachment of the GutterSweep — with its accompanying water jet nozzle — was designed to help clear out tiny debris just like this. Still, they’re hard enough to get out by hand, and it may prove difficult to get them out with a GutterSweep, too.

3. The Debris Gets Everywhere

If you clean gutters by hand, you at least have some control over where the debris winds up when you drop it from the top of the roof. GutterSweep, on the other hand, proves to be a little wild, flinging debris in every direction.

On the bright side, the debris will be out of your gutters. On the downside, though, it could take a while to clean it all out of your yard, and it may even end up landing directly on you. We’d suggest wearing a pair of protective goggles when using a GutterSweep (just in case).

Should You Get a GutterSweep?

It can be intimidating to have to get up on your roof to clean your gutters. Some people hate it, and their fear of heights makes the job exponentially more difficult. It can be frustrating to overcome that fear to keep your gutters clean.

By now, though, you should understand how GutterSweep helps you to clean your gutters without the need to climb a ladder and get up on your roof. You know what the kit comes with, and you know some of the caveats and how to overcome them.

But should you get a GutterSweep?

If you’re comfortable on your roof and you’ve cleaned gutters before, it may simply be quicker and more convenient just to stick with what you know.

But if you have a fear of heights, if you’re getting a little older and less spry, or you just want to try something new, GutterSweep is a useful and powerful tool for keeping your gutters clean without the need to ascend your roof. If it sounds like it could help you, we’d encourage you to give it a try.

Dryers are great appliances. Long gone are the days of clotheslines and clothespins; nowadays, you just toss your laundry from the washer into the dryer, choose the appropriate cycle, and your clean clothes are ready to be folded in an hour or less.

Dryers aren’t without their issues, though — lint buildup in the vent hose can hamper their efficiency or even cause a house fire. The vent hose connection point on the back can also cause your dryer to jut out from the wall much farther than your washer, which takes up space and looks aesthetically unpleasing.

SnugDryer — a HY-C dryer vent wall plate under our Gardus brand name — was created to solve these issues: improving the safety, efficiency, and alignment of your clothes dryer. But the question is, does it actually solve these problems?

How much space does SnugDryer save? How does it help alleviate lint buildup? Which situations are best-suited for a SnugDryer — and who may not be a good fit for one?

While we are the manufacturer of SnugDryer, we want to answer all these questions as clearly and objectively as possible to help you figure out whether or not you need one.

By the time you’re done here, you’ll understand how SnugDryer works, its pros and cons, and you’ll be able to decide for yourself whether your dryer setup should or shouldn’t include one.

Three Pros of a SnugDryer Dryer Vent Wall Plate

1. It Helps to Reclaim Lost Space

Some dryers are installed in a closet area with doors that close in front of the appliance. Others are installed in a dedicated laundry room that may measure anywhere between 50 and 100 square feet. These situations are by no means uncommon, and they result in a pretty tight fit, with the washer and dryer taking up to a quarter of a laundry room’s space.

SnugDryer helps your dryer sit closer to the wall and in line with your washing machine, allowing for an even, aesthetically pleasing fit. A dryer utilizing SnugDryer can save five inches of space or more, which can make all the difference, especially if the washer and dryer are set up in a closet (where the doors have to be able to close without getting stuck on the machine).

2. It’s Designed for Easy Installation

If you’re even a bit DIY-inclined, you shouldn’t have to pay a contractor to install a SnugDryer for you. As long as you have access to a drill and are nimble enough to move your dryer out and get behind it, you should be able to install a SnugDryer on your own.

The kit comes with all the hardware you need — four screws and four drywall anchors. Of course, it also comes with the housing (two plastic panels and a rubber gasket) and the cylindrical hose connection piece.

Perhaps most importantly, though, the box that your SnugDryer comes in will act as your measuring tool. Just cut the template out from the box and trace it carefully against your drywall with a pen or pencil. As long as you’re precise, installation should go smoothly.

3. It Increases the Efficiency and Safety of Your Dryer

The biggest problem with a clothes dryer is the accumulation of lint in its venting. This lint accumulation problem is often the result of flex pipe; over time, as a dryer gets bumped into or pushed toward the wall, the flexible pipe connecting the dryer to the exhaust vent gets crushed. This causes the lint to collect near the dryer’s exhaust port, which could lead to a fire.

SnugDryer utilizes a non-flexible plastic connection port, eliminating the easily-damaged flexible pipe altogether, allowing lint to be sucked safely away from the exhaust port.

Not only will keeping the port clear and lint-free exponentially decrease your risk of a house fire, but it will save you money, too; clogged dryer vents can add up to $25 a month to your energy bill.

A clear dryer vent also means that your dryer will run more efficiently. A dryer that can’t cycle air properly will take much longer to dry your clothes. SnugDryer helps facilitate proper airflow, ensuring clothes dry faster.

Three Cons of a SnugDryer Dryer Vent Wall Plate

1. It’s Best Suited to New Construction

As with any other project requiring ductwork or venting, SnugDryer is most easily installed before drywall is put into place. That’s not to say that a retrofit installation isn’t possible — folks who buy SnugDryer do it all the time. But it is more difficult.

Obviously most people looking for a solution like SnugDryer aren’t typically looking to install one on a home they’re building; rather, homeowners are most often looking to upgrade the efficiency of their current dryer setup.

That said, if you happen to be in the process of building a home, be sure to talk to your builders about SnugDryer. Now’s the best time to install one in your future home if you’re interested.

If, on the other hand, you want to retrofit your existing dryer vent connection, you certainly can. But be sure you’re aware that…

2. It May Not Be DIY-Friendly

While SnugDryer is designed for easy installation, a self-install may not be for everyone. Homeowners’ DIY skill sets are all over the map, and it’s important to understand whether or not you’ll be able to tackle a SnugDryer installation on your own or if you should leave it to a contractor.

Installing your own SnugDryer will require you to pull your dryer out and get on the floor behind it. You’ll also need to be able to measure precisely where your dryer vent connects with your drywall and the ductwork on the other side.

You’ll need to be comfortable with putting drywall anchors and screws into your wall. But the thing that may turn most homeowners off to a self-install (especially DIY novices) is the requirement to cut a hole in your drywall.

If everything isn’t measured out accurately from the start, you could wind up cutting out the wrong part of your wall. Cutting improperly poses two problems: for one, you’ll need to repair the damage you caused with the first cut. For another, you’ll need to try again, which poses the risk of even more damage.

If you think you can handle all these caveats, you may be able to install a SnugDryer on your own. If you have doubts, though, err on the side of hiring a contractor.

3. It’s Not Suited for Every Dryer Setup

We manufacture SnugDryer, and of course, we like it when we sell them. But trust us: SnugDryer is simply not suited for some washer and dryer tandems.

Take basements, for example. Any dryer sitting with its back facing the concrete foundation would not benefit from SnugDryer at all. SnugDryer is meant to plug into a vent system enclosed in the drywall behind it, and in an unfinished basement, the dryer exhaust vent is almost always mounted well above the dryer. In this case, a flexible dryer vent hose is the only way to go.

More generally, if the dryer connection point in your ductwork isn’t already at the same height as the exhaust port on the dryer itself, SnugDryer may be more trouble than it’s worth. These cases can require cutting out large sections of drywall to adjust the position of the ductwork inside the walls.

If you really want your dryer to be flush with your wall for aesthetic purposes or you want to up your dryer’s efficiency, a project that intensive may be worth the financial investment. If not, though, you may simply have to rely on a dryer vent hose instead — after all, situations like that are what they’re made for.

Is a Gardus SnugDryer Dryer Vent Wall Plate Right for You?

By now, you should have a good understanding of what SnugDryer is, how it works, and the problems it’s meant to help solve. We’re confident that, for the right homeowner, SnugDryer can save space, increase your dryer’s efficiency, and even make your home safer. But ultimately that decision is yours.

If you find that your ductwork doesn’t line up with your dryer’s exhaust port or you don’t feel too comfortable with tools or drywall work (and you don’t want to pay a contractor), SnugDryer may not be the right fit for you.

But if you’re handy, if your home’s blueprint makes sense, or if you’re willing to make some adjustments (or pay a contractor), a SnugDryer is a great device to help improve your laundry room setup. You’ll end up with a dryer that fits the way you want it to and dries clothes with out-of-the-box efficiency.

“If you own anything, you’ve got to clean it.” Those are words that Paul Manning, the inventor of SpinAway, lives by. He and his wife Connie, both Louisianans, had been passionately developing, tweaking, and championing SpinAway for over 10 years before they decided to partner with HY-C.

Paul has run his own janitorial service for decades — he knows how to clean. But one day, a heart attack limited his ability to (quite literally) do the dirty work. Paul hated not being able to operate at full capacity; he believes that you should never ask anyone to do something you wouldn’t do, and his condition was causing him to have to do just that. Determined not to sit on the sidelines, Paul — with the help and support of Connie — began developing SpinAway.

But what is SpinAway? How is it different from other cleaning tools? What is it good at — and what isn’t it good at? In this guide, we’ll answer those questions (and more) to prepare you to jump into the world of rotary cleaning. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how tools like SpinAway work, and you’ll be ready to decide whether or not it’s the right tool for you.

What is SpinAway and How Does it Work?

SpinAway is an extendable rotary cleaning brush. Other extendable cleaning brushes get the job done just fine, but SpinAway comes with a drill bit on the end of its handle to attach to any cordless drill. That’s where the “rotary” component comes in: attach a SpinAway to your drill, extend or collapse it to the length you need, and pull the trigger. The removable brush head will spin as you hold onto the guide grip built into the handle and pull dirt and debris off surfaces (rather than rubbing it in).

SpinAway features no rustable components — the telescopic handle is made from aluminum and fiberglass. Its brush heads wear evenly as they rotate, ensuring consistent contact with surfaces as you use it.

Need to clean the brush head after a heavy-duty job? Just throw it in the washer and let it air-dry, or replace it entirely after it wears out. SpinAway can be used in wet or dry conditions. As far as using it with cleaning agents goes, wash & wax, neutralizing agents, Pledge, Windex, and soap all work very well.

Who Is SpinAway a Good Fit For?

One of the toughest things about using SpinAway is putting old cleaning habits out of your head. There’s no need to push or scrub; in fact, the brush works best if you simply rest it on a surface, pull the trigger on your drill, and let the bristles do their work with minimal pressure applied. Anyone from a custodian who cleans professionally all day long to a homeowner just looking to tidy up their house or car can make good use of the versatile brush head.

Paul developed it during his convalescence, and it’s still a powerful, effective cleaning tool for anyone who may be temporarily or permanently disabled. It’s adjustable between about three and five feet in length, and offers at least ten feet of total reach. It’s very light, too — weighing in at just 1.9 pounds, it takes minimal effort to maneuver.

Who Is SpinAway Not a Good Fit For?

SpinAway has some trouble with thick, sticky debris. Mechanics, septic tank cleaners, or any other roles which may encounter grease or coated residues may have better luck with more robust tools.

While SpinAway has many versatile uses, some cleaning tools are tailor-made for specialized jobs (and are hard to replace). Crime scene cleaners, for example, utilize specific, irreplaceable tools in their jobs. SpinAway isn’t a great fit for cleaning the inside of a barbecue pit, a surface that becomes greasy and oily after many uses. It’s also not best for cleaning grass off of a lawnmower — a job better left to a battery or gas-powered blower.

Advantages of SpinAway

We’ve tried out SpinAway on quite a few cleaning tasks. And despite its superb flexibility, there are three applications it serves particularly well: pest control, homes and businesses, and vehicles.

1. Pest Control

SpinAway can clean out bird nests and other animal-related debris, but we’ve found that it works especially well on spider webs. Spiders tend to make their webs in hard-to-reach-places like ceiling corners or soffits and fascias. SpinAway’s extendibility not only allows you to reach up high to these spots, but also to spin webs away to eliminate every last thread.

2. Homes and Businesses

Walls, windows, crowns, baseboards, ledges, edges, cracks, crevices — if you own a home or a business, it has these. And SpinAway can clean them. Use it wet or dry and polish up every square inch of your property. Outdoor furniture, bird baths, and swimming pools are also perfect targets for SpinAway’s rotating brush head.

3. Vehicles

Own a car or truck (or a fleet of cars or trucks)? Use spinaway to buff up your fenders, clean off your windshield, and remove debris from your doors — inside and out. It works well on ATVs and motor homes, too.

If you have more of a nautical bent, SpinAway is great for boats. Whether you need to clean algae off the hull or slime out of the live well, SpinAway can tackle it, wet or dry.

Disadvantages of SpinAway

While SpinAway’s cleaning functions are pretty far reaching, we’ve found that it has a lot of trouble with axle grease on vehicles. We would recommend sticking to a more traditional degreaser-and-rag-style solution in this case.

This isn’t necessarily a cleaning limitation, but something to look out for when using SpinAway: be careful near dangling strings, like those attached to your blinds. Like a vacuum, SpinAway’s spin doesn’t pair well with small components that may get caught in it.

Unlike a vacuum, though, SpinAway doesn’t always need to be used with the drill running. If you want to avoid getting things tangled up in the bristles, just run it without the drill — you can still use it effectively, wet or dry.

Is a SpinAway Right for You?

If you have a trusty extendable cleaning brush that works well for you already, no problem. But if SpinAway has piqued your interest, you can find one on HomeDepot.com or on Amazon. We’ve outlined what we know it can do, but try one out for yourself. Get creative with it. Push it to its limits. We want to know where it succeeds and, more importantly, where it fails, so we can continue to take Paul Manning’s ingenious tool to the next level.