How to Optimize the Use of My Dryer
Our Tips for Better Efficiency
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a garden or terrace where clothes can dry in the sun and wind. In cities or small apartments, when you don’t want to turn your home into a laundry room, the tumble dryer is a reliable solution for many households.
With our tips, you can make it even more efficient and reduce drying time.
Spinning
A dryer is an effective appliance—but why make it do all the work?
Instead of loading it with soaking wet laundry, let the washing machine handle the spin cycle properly first. Using an appropriate spin program can cut drying time by half!
Your clothes will also last longer: the dryer’s main drawback is that it wears out fabrics through friction, something that doesn’t happen during machine spinning, even at high speed. It also helps prevent wrinkles in your laundry.
Fabric Softener and Detergent
If your dryer seems to be slowing down, if drying cycles are getting longer, or worse—if clothes come out stained—it’s most likely due to residue from fabric softener or detergent left over from washing. Reduce the amount of detergent and softener you use. Even better: replace fabric softener with white vinegar. Pour half a cup into the softener compartment instead of your usual product. It’s just as effective, cheaper, and less allergenic.
Stains and Odors
Clothes that go into the dryer must be completely clean. If stains remain, the heat from the dryer will set them permanently into the fabric. In some cases, this can also produce an unpleasant odor inside the appliance—and in the rest of your laundry. For the same reason, never put smelly laundry in the dryer thinking the odor will disappear, even with a “cool air” program. It won’t.
The Right Location
To work properly, the dryer needs to circulate hot air to evaporate moisture. Therefore, it’s important not to place the appliance in a damp area, as this will extend drying time significantly. Instead, place it in a dry, well-ventilated room.
Loosen Up!
It may be tempting to throw clothes straight into the dryer in a tangled ball after washing—but resist the urge! Shake out your laundry before putting it in the drum. This allows for faster drying and helps prevent wrinkles.
At the End of the Cycle
Once the drying cycle is finished, some fabrics may still be slightly damp. For perfect drying, toss the laundry by hand and let it sit for a few minutes, keeping the dryer door open. If you plan to iron the clothes, remove them immediately to take advantage of the remaining moisture. In fact, you can even shorten the drying cycle intentionally to leave a bit more moisture for easier ironing.
Vacuum It!
The dryer filters must be cleaned after every use to remove lint buildup.
A vacuum cleaner is ideal for a thorough cleaning of the filters—but don’t forget the lower part of the machine! Vacuum it at least every other time so that air intake grilles don’t get blocked
Shorten Drying Time
For faster and more efficient drying, place a dry towel in the drum along with your laundry. During the cycle, the towel will absorb some of the moisture, saving time and protecting fabrics from over-drying. It’s also an easy way to cut down on your electricity bill!
Anti-Pilling Trick
When a garment starts to pill, removing the fuzz by hand can be tedious—and it often spreads to other clothes. A simple solution: place a rolled-up old pair of tights in the drum. It will attract and collect most of the lint and pills.
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Fresh Smell
If your laundry tends to come out with a strange odor, first check that no stain has burned onto the fabric. Then, wipe the inside of the dryer with a damp sponge soaked in white vinegar.
Always leave the dryer door open or ajar between uses to prevent odors.
To leave a pleasant scent on your laundry, add 2–3 drops of essential oil to the towel used for moisture absorption. Recommended oils include tea tree, rosemary, ylang-ylang, lemon, geranium, petitgrain bigarade, or spikenard.
Tennis Balls
To keep your laundry from coming out flat or stiff, you can add two or three tennis balls to the drum during the cycle. Avoid using hard rubber dryer balls, which are better suited for washing machines—tennis balls are quieter and just as effective.
