Tumble dryer mishaps: beware of these five common mistakes

1: Forgetting about the lint filter

There’s a bin underneath the tumble dryer door that catches lint and hair. Ideally, you should empty it after each use, sometimes a little less often with newer models. If the filter is very full or even clogged, it impairs air circulation and with it drying performance. This means the process takes longer (and uses more electricity) – or the laundry doesn’t even get completely dry in the first place. With the door open, you can easily pull out the lint filter and remove what’s there by hand.

2: Tumble drying virtually everything

Yes, throwing everything in the dryer is incredibly convenient. But if your wardrobe doesn't exclusively contain white cotton T-shirts, you shouldn't do it. Not only can sensitive textiles such as silk, wool or viscose be ruined by tumble drying; you can also damage synthetic fibres and printed garments. Depending on the fabric, there’s a risk that your clothes will shrink, stretch or simply wear out.

The majority of modern dryers are heat pump dryers. They dry laundry relatively gently and energy efficiently at 45 to 60 degrees. However, generally speaking, anything you wash at less than 60 degrees is probably not safe in the tumble dryer. If in doubt, follow the instructions on the care label. The circle in the square is the tumble dryer symbol. If it’s crossed out, you need to air dry the garment in question. If the circle has two dots in the middle, you can dry the garment at a normal temperature. One point means you should only dry it at a low temperature.

3: Leaving laundry in the drum

It’s very tempting to ignore the beeping dryer out of laziness. But be careful: letting the crumpled load cool down results in very stubborn creases. Save yourself the hassle of ironing by shaking out the laundry immediately after the end of the programme and folding it neatly or hanging it up. There’s also usually residual moisture in the textiles and drum. If you leave the laundry for hours, it will have a hard time escaping, which can cause unpleasant odours.

4: Not closing fastenings

Open hooks, zips or buttons are a danger to your clothes in both the washing machine and the dryer. They can snag, rough up fibres and even cause holes. So you should always check thoroughly whether all fastenings are closed both before washing and before tumble drying.

5: Overloading the drum

Does your laundry not dry properly when you tumble dry it? Is the fluff filter quite full after just one load? You might be overloading your dryer. To save energy, the drum should always be reasonably full – but you shouldn’t overdo it. If the dryer’s too full, the garments sit very close together and it’s difficult for the warm air to get everywhere. This means that the items dry slowly, crease excessively and rub against each other, creating a lot of fluff. You can even strain the dryer if you exceed the recommended weight. This varies depending on the model. As a rule of thumb, as the volume of laundry increases when it’s dry, you should only fill the drum about two-thirds full.