Clothes Dryer Tips

Consider these Tips when buying a new clothes dryer:

• Moisture sensors save money. A moisture sensor is an energy-saving feature that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry. Moisture sensors save energy and reduce wear and tear on clothes by preventing over-drying.
• Not all moisture sensors are alike. Ask how the moisture sensor works. The best dryers have an actual moisture sensor in the drum. Others use temperature sensors to estimate dryness. You can save about 10% with a temperature sensing moisture control, and 15% with a moisture sensing control compared with a timed drying cycle.
• Save with the cool-down cycle. Many dryers have a cycle that includes a cool-down period. In the last few minutes of the cycle, cool air, rather than heated air, is blown through the tumbling clothes to complete the drying process.
• Consider gas if practical. Gas dryers are less expensive to operate than electric dryers. The cost of drying a typical load of laundry in an electric dryer is 30-40 cents compared to 15-20 cents in a gas dryer.

Tips for operating your clothes dryer efficiently:

• Don't overload the dryer. Overloading makes the dryer work harder and may cause excessive lint and wrinkling.
• Clean the lint filter after every load. Lint on the filter reduces air flow and makes the dryer work harder.
• Dry like weight items together. Lightweight items take less time to dry than heavier items like towels.
• Dry loads consecutively. This will take advantage of heat build-up in your dryer.
• Remove clothes right away. Removing clothes as soon as the cycle is complete not only saves energy but also prevents wrinkling.
• Your dryer is most efficient when fully loaded. Combine smaller loads of wash into one dryer load, but be careful not to overload.
• Line dry clothes during periods of nice weather. Take advantage of the free, environmentally friendly energy from the sun.