7 Common Clothes Dryer Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
Dryers have made our lives much easier. Ah, no more waiting days for your favorite pieces of clothing to dry. These machines are super convenient, especially for the cold and wet periods of the year. However, are you sure you are getting the most of your dryer? While you may think you know everything there is to using a dryer, that may not be the truth. There are a ton of common mistakes we do without even realizing. And while they may not seem like a big deal now, these tiny mistakes are costing us money, time, and affecting the dryer’s performance. That’s why today we want to share with you some of the most common dryer mistakes to avoid, so your clothes can dry faster, and your dryer can work well for years to come.
These machines are super convenient, especially for the cold and wet periods of the year
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Common Dryer Mistakes
Continuing to make the following mistakes will only cause your clothes and dryer to suffer. These bad habits may not seem like a big deal, but they are secretly increasing your bills, making the drying time more, and slowly ruining your dryer. Yikes! That’s why it’s time to re-learn how to use the dryer. Most of us are guilty of committing these mistakes, but the good thing is that most of the problems that result from them are all easily solvable. So, let’s see which mistakes to avoid if you want your clothes to dry faster, your bills to become cheaper and your dryer to work at peak performance for years to come.
Continuing to make the following mistakes will only cause your clothes and dryer to suffer
#Not cleaning the filter or vent
While removing the lint after every load can be a bit of an annoying chore, it is essential you take care of it. If you don’t, the lint will build up. So what? Well, lint build-up can severely reduce your dryers’ efficiency. The hot air won’t be able to circulate properly, which means your clothes will take more time to dry. Plus, the machine will be using up more energy since it will be working overtime, so your electricity bills will skyrocket. Not only that but it is also a potential fire hazard. Yikes! That’s why you should clean the filter after each use. The same applies if you have a vent that runs from the back of the appliance all the way to the outside of our home. It also needs regular cleaning.
Lint build-up can severely reduce your dryers’ efficiency.
#Letting clothes sit for hours
We know it’s easy to forget you have clothes sitting in the dryer, but it’s important you remind yourself. If you leave your clothes to sit in the dryer too long, they will come out super wrinkled. Not only that but some clothes can also shrink due to the residual heat. So, in order to avoid this, it’s best to take out the laundry promptly after the cycle has finished. Set an alarm if you have to. Plus, even if you can’t fold the clothes straight away, you can just lay them flat until you have time to deal with them.
If you leave your clothes to sit in the dryer too long, they will come out super wrinkled
#Over-drying
Excess heat is a friend to no one. And this is especially true for your hair and clothes. While you may think putting your laundry on the longest cycle is the best way to ensure everything comes out dry, what you are really doing is over drying your clothes. Excess heat can damage your clothes and linens in a variety of ways. This includes wrinkling, yellowing, shrinking, textural changes, and a loss of elasticity. The lifespan of your favorite pieces can be severely decreased from over-drying. That’s why it is recommended to put the laundry on a normal cycle and check at the end whether some clothes may need extra drying. Remember, while you can always dry your clothes a bit more, you can reverse over-drying.
Excess heat can damage your clothes and linens in a variety of ways
#Mixing bulky items with delicate ones
It’s very tempting to throw the whole wet load in the dryer, but it’s not the most effective way to dry your clothes. Since different fabrics weigh differently and hold different amounts of moisture, this means they will dry at different rates. So, if you mix bulky and delicate items, you will be over-drying some while under-drying others. That’s why it is recommended to place alike items together to dry. While it may be a bit annoying, you will be lengthening your clothing’s lifespan and this will keep them looking great.
If you mix bulky and delicate items, you will be over-drying some while under-drying others
#Overloading or under-loading
While dryer usually have a greater capacity than washing machines, this doesn’t mean you can load it to the brim. That extra space is with a purpose. It helps give the hot air plenty of space to circulate and for the load to tumble and rotate. Overloading means the dryer won’t be able to dry your clothes and you will be left with a wet mess. Which you will most likely try to fix by putting it on another cycle and over-drying the already dry pieces. You will be exposing the load to excess heat and you will be wasting energy. So, make sure you don’t overload. However, you also shouldn’t under-l0ad. Under-loading can lead the clothes to clump together and will also increase the drying time. Or the cycle will do its job faster than expected and you will over-dry your clothes. Make sure you read your manual and see what the recommended load size is.
Overloading means the dryer won’t be able to dry your clothes
#Not cleaning your dryer
We often forget that appliances also need a good clean from time to time and this includes the dryer. Cleaning your dryer at least once a month is a must. It is a super simple process that will help keep your machine working efficiently. By cleaning your dryer you will be getting rid of any soap residue left from clothes as well as other dirt and debris that may have built up over the month. So, make sure you don’t skip your monthly clean.
Cleaning your dryer at least once a month is a must
#Choosing the wrong dryer
The biggest dryer mistake you can make is choosing the wrong one. There are a variety of dryers on the market nowadays, so it’s important you do your research and find the one that best fits your needs. Think about how often you will be using it. If the answer is all year round, then you might need one that has a high energy-efficiency score. If you do a lot of laundry, get one with a bigger capacity and so on.
The biggest dryer mistake you can make is choosing the wrong one
These were some common clothes dryer mistakes you may not know you are making and how to easily avoid them. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can avoid these mistakes and save yourself time, money, and prolong your dryer’s lifespan.
These were some common clothes dryer mistakes
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