Clothes Dryers – 10 Money-Saving Tips

March 22nd, 2007

Laundry

Clothes dryers can be expensive at time, but as the cost of living goes up, we all try to find ways to save our hard earned cash. I have compiled some ways to keep your energy bill down as well as ways to look after your clothes so they last you longer. Read on and start the savings!

There are a few simple things you can do when using clothes dryers to reduce its running cost.

1) Make sure you clean your lint filter before every use. A full lint filter consumes more energy and is also a fire hazard.

2) Do not over dry your clothes. This will waste energy and is also detrimental to the laundry. Over drying can cause creases and gives the fabric a rough feel. If you can, use auto-sensing clothes dryers.

3) Do not mix heavyweight clothes such as jeans with lightweight articles such as sheets.

4) External venting will save you money. As the moist air is vented the drying time will be shorter because the moist air is not recirculated. This will also lead to airborne lint being expelled from the house. External venting also leads to less moisture in the house which will reduce the possibility of mould forming and paint stripping.

5) Don’t put soaking wet clothes in your dryer. Put your clothes in the clothes washer on the spin cycle and this will remove most of the excess water. The faster the spin speed, the dryer your clothes will be.

6) Don’t overload clothes dryers. It means a longer drying time, using more electricity and this can cause wrinkles and drying unevenness.

7) If you do not have your dryer vented, make sure there is a good airflow as this will reduce running time.

A few ways nature can help reduce your bills as well:

1) If the weather is bad or you have a bad forecast, try to avoid washing large loads if you have to use a dryer.

2) Partly drying the load in the sun or wind (even on a cloudy day) will save energy – clothes dryers can then be used to finish off the drying as required.

3) Use the sun and the wind whenever you can. It’s the most environmentally friendly dryer of all!

4) Do not leave your clothes out in the sun too long as this will lead to fading.

5) Do not give your clothes unnecessary time in the dryer and try to let them dry naturally as this will lead to a longer life for your laundry and of course will lead to a lower electricity bill!

Here is a little extra tip for you all: Some stains may not come out in the wash but if you expose them to the sun, the stain will go or at least be reduced!

Happy washing and drying. If you do all or some of my tips for clothes dryers, you will reduce your electricity bill as well as reduce global warming!

And if you need a clothes dryer, go to Appliances Online.