Don’t Ever Put These in Your Dryer!

I’m sure I’m going to surprise a bunch of you today with these tips on what not to put in your dryer.

Sometimes we are just too short on time, and in a big rush. It’s so easy to just throw everything from the washer into the dryer and call it a day. But, there can be some major consequences for some of your clothing if you should choose that.

So here are some things, and trust me, it’s worth taking an extra minute to make sure none of these items hit the dryer.

Activewear

While tossing your active wear into the dryer won’t damage the machine itself, it could ruin your clothing. Since most active wear is sweat-stinky or even coated to protect from the sun’s rays, it’s definitely not dryer-friendly. “Drying your active wear in the dryer and exposing it to all that high heat and friction can be damaging to the functional components that these technical fabrics are developed for,” according to Brit Turner, co-founder of Fit Atelier. “The heat can also wear away on any elastic properties that your garments may contain and weakens the material—leading to tears, holes, picks, and runs.” Instead, Turner suggests hanging or laying your active wear flat to dry after washing it in a cold or delicate washing cycle.

Now this next one may surprise some of you.

Dryer Sheets

Yes, you read that right. While dryer sheets might be intended to be used, well, in the dryer, that doesn’t mean they’re good for your health. “They are bad for your respiratory system, your skin, and moreover, the environment,” says Dr. Elizabeth Trattner A.P. DOM, doctor of Chinese and Integrative Medicine. “These are toxic and cause long-term health hazards. It is worth throwing them out and trading them in for a healthier option like scented wool balls using essential oils.”

Lingerie

Just ask anyone who has tossed lingerie in the dryer might know, this greatly reduces its lifespan. Do not put a good investment in the dryer. Heat will shorten the lifespan of a bra and wear down the latex, lace and other fabric in it. Treat your undergarments with respect. Put bras in special lingerie bags and remove them and hang them from the washing machine or better yet hand wash and hang dry.

Sandy Towels and Beachwear

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Warm sand might be nice to sit down and relax in when you’re at the beach, but it can be a pretty pesky nuisance if it ends up in your dryer. Sand can get trapped between gaps in the drum, which adds an irritating sound when drying and can damage the dryer over time.

Pet Hair

Anyone who has a furry friend at home knows just how messy things can get—their hair ends up everywhere. But one place where it should never, ever end up is in the dryer. If the hair builds up over time, it could begin combining with lint and debris around it, especially if the lint screen isn’t emptied before every load. Excess dryer lint is a major fire hazard, can cause your dryer to become damaged, and also reduces the efficiency of your dryer. To avoid a possible fire sparking, make sure to keep the areas around your dryer, including underneath and behind, free of extra pet hair, lint, and debris that might build up.

Chewing Gum

While you’re probably not actively trying to dry your chewing gum, it does occasionally get thrown in there by accident. And unfortunately, by the time you notice, the damage has probably already been done. Chewing gum can have lasting damage if left in the pockets of your clothes. It can either permanently stick itself to clothes or fall out of the pocket and stretch all over the wall of your dryer.

Spandex

photo by Andrey Vasiliskov/shutterstock

If you’ve ever bought spandex leggings or yoga pants, you probably know that they can be pretty expensive. With that being said, if you toss them in the dryer, they probably won’t ruin your machine itself—but there’s a good chance they’ll shrink a bit, which could be costly to replace. Your item should be hang-dried to avoid shrinking, although many people will also dry them with an air dry cycle with good results.

Suede

photo by Viktoria Minkova/Shutterstock

Some faux leather is actually washable, it should never be put in the dryer. Heat melts plastic, ruining your garment and possibly your dryer. This obviously rules out ironing as well. The same goes for dry cleaning. Ultimately, air drying your suede garments is definitely your best bet.

Tights or Pantyhose

Antonio Guillem/shutterstock

If you’ve ever worn tights, you probably know how easy it is for them to rip and tear. And after a trip in the dryer, that little hole that wasn’t noticeable before is probably running down the entire leg. The material your tights are made out of might even cause them shrink when its exposed to high heat. “The best thing you can is to air dry them, but do NOT hang them! Hang drying tights will stretch out the material and even potentially ruin them. As an alternative, try rolling your freshly laundered tights into a dry towel and let them dry overnight.”

Lace

Viktoriya Pavlyuk/Shutterstock

Lace is another delicate fabric that should never meet your dryer. In fact, you should really be avoiding machines altogether. Instead, lay your lace garment flat to dry so it doesn’t lose its natural shape or damage the fabric.

Anything Embellished

Indigo Club/Shutterstock

You should probably find another way to dry your favorite sequined top. Sequins, gems, stones, or whatever other items that are embellished onto your garments can hook onto other items in the dryer, or even the dryer itself. This can potentially damage the garment itself and its surroundings. The best way, and a way easier way, is to hang dry embellished garments, or if the material is thin or delicate,lay them on a towel to air out.

Silk

photo by Yuexun Ding/Shutterstock

Ladies, we love our silk!  But you should avoid both the washer and dryer when it comes to your silk garments. Instead of adding your delicate silk clothing to your dryer load, the website suggests laying it flat to dry on a towel, then rolling it up inside of it to squeeze out excess moisture. After, repeat this process with a second towel.

Rubber-Backed Bath Mats

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Putting a rubber-backed bath mat in the dryer can end up being pretty messy. The rubber can crumble and get caught in the dryer, which can cause a fire hazard.

I hope you found some of these helpful. Thank you for looking!

I just had some great advice from https://everyappliancepart.wordpress.com/

Here’s a tip, if you need to wash your pet’s bedding, use your dryer first to get rid of stray hairs, esp. in the summer-time when they shed. That way, you keep all that hair out of your washer and out of your washer’s pump where it could get clogged. It’s way easier to toss it in the dryer a minute or two to remove stray hairs and clean out your dryer’s lint screen.

Thank you so much!!!