Four Mistakes To Avoid Making With Your Clothes Dryer

When you move away from home and into your first apartment or a dorm at your college, one of the things that will take some adjustment is getting used to using appliances – especially if you didn't do your own laundry at home. While you can figure out how to use the clothes dryer, for example, by following the instructions on the machine or in the owner's manual, there are a number of tips and tricks to which you won't necessarily be privy. Here are four commonly made mistakes with the dryer and how to avoid them.

Letting The Machine Run Too Long

You shouldn't make the mistake of simply tossing your load of wet clothing into the dryer, setting it for a long duration and ignoring it until you hear the appliance stop running. Letting the machine run too long risks unnecessarily elevating your energy bill while also putting undue wear on the dryer. It's beneficial to get into the habit of checking your clothing – and removing the lighter fabrics, which will be dry faster than heavier garments – throughout the drying cycle.

Failing To Clean The Lint Trap

Whether you have your own dryer or you're using a communal one, it's always valuable to check and clean the lint trap before each use. If the trap has previously been neglected, it will be filled with a thick coating of lint that can reduce the dryer's efficiency. The result can not only be higher energy bills, but also more time spent waiting for your clothing to dry.

Filling The Dryer With Too Many Clothes

Tossing a huge load of wet laundry into the dryer will often require it to run a long time to get everything dry, which will unnecessarily raise your energy bill. Even though it might feel confident to do so, try to avoid overloading the dryer. When it's too full, the wet clothing is unable to tumble freely and have the hot air circulate through it. It's better to set aside a few lighter items, such as socks, to hang in your home and free up space – and drying time.

Drying The Wrong Clothing

It's imperative that you get into the habit of meticulously checking your clothing labels. Some items are meant to be hung to dry, while others are acceptable for the dryer as long as it's on a cool setting. Failing to understand the drying needs of each article in your wardrobe puts you at risk of shrinking or otherwise ruining the garments.

For home appliance repairs, contact a company such as Appliance Tech Repair LLC by Frank Lecato.

Share