Are you sure you're using your dryer properly? Tips for a simpler life

The clothes dryer is an appliance that entered our homes relatively recently, although the first model was patented almost a century ago, in 1937. Like the washing machine, the dryer is also a valuable ally in our daily cleaning chores, saving us time and effort dealing with laundry.

Thanks to the dryer, we can time waiting for laundry to dry, especially in winter when cold and humid conditions make this task more challenging, forcing us to keep our laundry indoors (and causing humidity build-up). Moreover, drying laundry in the dryer allows us to reduce or eliminate arduous and lengthy ironing chores significantly.

But are you sure you are using your dryer correctly? There are several tips that allow one to always achieve maximum efficiency from the appliance and ensuring its longer lifespan. Let's explore these together below:

Useful tips for using your dryer properly

Freepik

Regardless of the type of laundry you need to dry, there are some basic rules to follow for using your dryer:

• Avoid overloading: Like any other appliance, your dryer will work best if the drum is not overloaded. It's better to do an extra washing and drying cycles than risk damaging fabrics and the appliance.
• Sort clothes by type: Similar to the washing machine, the dryer works better when you sort laundry by type. Different fabrics have varying washing and drying times.
• Pay attention to the spin speed: While a higher spin speed leaves the laundry less wet, excessive spinning can cause the formation of stubborn wrinkles that are challenging to iron out.
• Use an anti-wrinkle program: This will promote gentler drying and spare you the tedious task of having to use to the iron once the laundry is taken out of the dryer.
• Leave some residual moisture: Another way to avoid ironing is to always leave a bit of residual moisture on your fabrics, avoiding them becoming "bone dry".
• For a consistently fragrant laundry: Apply a few drops of essential oil on old fabric scraps, cotton balls, or wool dryer balls.

"Special" laundry in the dryer

ikea.com

There are also some specific types of laundry that are more delicate than others and require more attention during drying:

• Wool garments: These may from lint/pilling if put in the dryer, but you can easily avoid this issue by using special mesh bags for the dryer and selecting gentle drying programs.
• Shoes: They can be dried in the dryer, provided they are placed in a special laundry bag for this purpose.
• Sheets: Sheets tend to ball up both in the washing machine and dryer. Avoid this by washing and drying them separately and in small numbers (no more than one set at a time), laying them as flat as possible inside the appliance.
• Down comforters: Whether for the bed or to keep warm in winter, down comforters should be washed and dried carefully to avoid damage. Choose a dedicated (or gentle) program and check the drying progress every 20/30 minutes (and to let the comforter cool).
• Special garments: Some items should never be dried in the dryer, and will usually be indicated on the label. Items like linen, silk, and fleece, for example, must be air-dried. Nylon stockings, swimwear, and garments with rhinestones should never be put in the dryer, as they risk losing their shape.

With these precautions, using your dryer will be a breeze!