Dryer Basics for the Newbie

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’ve made it through the hardest part of doing your own laundry.  Mommy will be very proud, I assure you. When it comes to dryers, there are three things to remember: time, lint drawer, label instructions.

Time

Dryers have many different settings—although not as many as washing machines, don’t worry. As a general rule, just stick to the regular or timed dries. An hour should be plenty of time to dry a regular load. Throw in a dryer sheet, push the start button and let the machine do the rest! (By the way, most dryers turn off automatically when you open the door. Just close it again and push the start button for it to come back on.)

Lint Drawer

The location of these varies, but every machine has one. Check on the top of your dryer or directly in the front once you’ve opened the door. The lint drawer collects the lint that your clothes produce as they tumble and dry. A full lint drawer can increase the amount of time it takes to dry your clothes, so make sure to empty it before every load.

Label Instructions

If your clothes shrink, this is where it’ll happen. Be sure to double-check the labels before tossing clothes from the washing machine into the dryer. From personal experience, I can tell you that not every piece of clothing that says it’s not dryer safe is actually not dryer safe. But for your first several washes, it’s best to follow the label instructions.

A Few Last Dryer Tips

• Folding your clothes as soon as the dryer’s done helps keep your clothes wrinkle-free!
• Never wash and/or dry only one item. It will come out wrinkly and not as well cleaned.
• If the shirt you want to wear in an hour is super wrinkled, stick it in the dryer with a big towel for twenty minutes to get out the wrinkles!
• Dryers are the most expensive appliance in your apartment. If you want to save some cash, opt to line dry. Make one in your living room, or just lay things out to dry on any open surface. If you do this, you might want to put the softener in the washing machine since your clothes won’t get it in the dryer.

Written by: Laura R. Aiuto