Although not intentional, this isn't limited to just "grandma"...anyone of us who neglects to clean and maintain our dryer vents could be guilty of burning the house down. While not as common as kitchen fires, dryer vents account for about 3000 fires annually in the US (NFPA). It's one of things that we just don't think about until we have to. Like a "chirping" smoke alarm, it's out-of-mind until it aggravates us.
While the process to clean your dryer vent is relatively easy, the actual job may take some effort. However, if you're up in age or have mobility limits, consider hiring a handyman to get this done for you. In some cases the dryer vent simply goes from the dryer to an exterior wall, so not much to and very easy to maintain.
However, when the vent stack goes up the wall and out the roof or the side of the house, it will require some effort. In some instances you'll have to climb into the attic and separate the vent to continue cleaning. A rotating bristle brush, a power drill, a vacuum and or blower, are usually the tools needed to do the job. If you're one of the fortunate ones where the vent exits directly the behind the dryer, this is easy enough for a DIYer to do, and should be maintained on a yearly basis. Just be sure to wear a mask... it will get dusty!
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