Dry Wisely
Clothes dryers use more energy on average than any other appliance, even your refrigerator. Follow a few simple tips on how to dry your clothes wisely and you can save money and extend the life of your clothes.
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
1Wash less
Did you know many people actually over wash and over dry their clothes? Before you wash and dry your next load of clothes, take a minute and think about whether your clothes are actually dirty. If your clothes have only been worn once, they might not need to be washed. Of course underwear, socks or workout clothes should be washed every time. But dress shirts, sweaters, pants, and particularly jeans, can be worn a few times before washing unless you were sweating or they are stained. Check out the Consumer Reports recommended list of How Often to Wash some common items.
2Spin, fill it up, and dry just enough
The main factors that affect how much energy is used in drying include how wet the clothes are, how full loads are, and if your dryer is running longer than needed. Here are some tips to save energy and money:
Spin it! Make sure your clothes washer completes the spin cycle to extract as much water as possible from the clothes before drying. Less wet means shorter dry times!
Fill it up. Drying full loads makes better use of the energy used for drying. Resist running the dryer with only your favorite socks in there. But also don't stuff the dryer too full! Very large loads don’t dry efficiently. Check your dryer manual for recommendations on the right load size. You can also save energy by drying similar types of clothes at the same time. Try drying two or more loads in a row to take advantage of the dryer's retained heat.
Dry just enough. Check out your dryer's settings for more efficient options. If your dryer offers a "less dry" setting, choose this option whenever possible. For most dryers, this setting will dry the clothes 95% and your clothes will feel dry. This saves energy and is better for your clothes. Using the low heat setting also saves energy. It takes a bit longer to dry your clothes but will save money on your bill and reduce wear and tear on your clothes.
See if your dryer knows when to stop. Finally, check to see if your dryer has a moisture sensor. A moisture sensor tells the dryer when your clothes are dry and when to stop drying. If your dryer doesn’t have a moisture sensor, it is likely over-drying your clothes by as much as 20-30 minutes. This wastes energy and money, and puts extra wear and tear on your clothes. Check your dryer manual to find out if you have a moisture sensor. You can usually find the manual online if you search for your dryer make and model number.
If you don’t have a moisture sensor, consider upgrading to a new dryer. Learn more on the Upgrade Clothes Dryer action page. Not ready to upgrade your dryer? You can still prevent over drying by checking your dryer loads 20-30 minutes before the cycle finishes and stop the load early if clothes are dry.
Post a Note. Once you have figured out the best tips and settings for your dryer, share the information with others in your household. Post a list of actions near the dryer as a reminder.
3Maintain your dryer
Extra Credit - Line Dry Your Clothes: Consider skipping the dryer and line dry your clothes instead. Line drying extends the lifetime of clothes and is the best way to save money, energy and emissions on drying! Learn more on the Line Dry action page.