by Elke C

Created on: February 03, 2007   Last Updated: September 12, 2011

To ensure you are maximizing the efficiency of your clothes dryer, follow as many of the suggestions below as you can:

1. First off, if you are just purchasing a dryer, make sure it is energy efficient and has a temperature sensor. This ensures the dryer has the latest technology for using electricity efficiently and the sensor ensures the dryer runs only until the clothes are dry.

2. If you have an older dryer without a heat sensor, watch how long a few loads take to dry and then for future loads set the timer, to avoid over drying.

3. Ensure the dryer is well vented to the outside. This includes checking for blockage on the outside vent and cleaning the tube connecting the dryer to the outside regularly.

4. Depending on the model, you may also be able to take off part of the grate inside the dryer (not the lint catcher) in front of the lint trap using a screw driver. This opens up the pocket between the drum and the outside casing of the machine. The extender hose from a vacuum will easily fit in to grab the lint sticking to the sides.

5. We all know it is important to clean the lint trap each time before use to ensure there is no chance of a fire. This also helps the efficiency of the dryer.

6. Most dryer sheets leave a chemical residue on the lint trap making it less effective in trapping fibers. Therefore, you must also wash the lint trap with mild dish detergent and rinse with water about every 10-15 loads.

7. It takes a great deal of energy to heat the dryer, so by doing several dryer loads, one after the other you will be saving energy by not having to repeat the "warm up" phase in the cycle.

8. If you have a cool down cycle, you can also take advantage of the fact that warm clothes will continue to dry in the air-dry cycle, again cutting down on heating costs.

9. Put the right amount of clothing in to be dried. Running the dryer for one pair of pants is wasting energy. Putting in too many clothes, however, is just as bad. The dryer should be 3/4 full to ensure the warm air can move between the clothes to ensure proper drying.

10. Lastly, ensure the clothes have been wrung out (or gone through a good spin cycle in the washer) before putting them in the dryer. This is just common sense, as the wetter clothes, are the longer they need to dry, and thus the higher your energy bill.

Happy drying.

Excuse me while I take out my next load.

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