Eco-Friendly Laundry Drying Indoors

Eco-Friendly Tips for Drying Your Laundry in a Dryer

Having talked about eco-friendly ways of washing your laundry and of drying it outdoors (super eco-friendly), today’s topic is using your indoor drier efficiently – I have 10 great tips for you.

(I had to do quite a bit of research for this one – because I have never owned a drier in my life!  Living in various parts of Africa means I have been able to dry my clothes in the fresh air all year round (some times it takes longer of course due to weather, but I just plan around that).

As usual, this blog has easy-to-implement, simple tips.

Most of these tips apply in the Laundromat too.

1.  Check the Weather!

This is possibly the most important step!  If the weather is good enough to hang clothes outside, then do so.  The solar energy is totally free!

2.  Check the Quantity

Too large a load makes the drying time even longer, leaves creases in the laundry and results in higher energy consumption.   Items should not be folded, nor compressed by other items – air should be able to circulate freely around the drying clothes.  However, drying small loads is simply a waste of energy.

3.  Clean the lint filter
Clean the lint filter every time you use the machine.   Few manuals will tell you this – they normally advise cleaning it monthly or so.  But a clean lint filter shortens the drying time and thus saves you money, and avoids the risk of fire. A filter covered in lint prevents the circulation of hot air, which means that more hot air needs to be produced to dry the laundry. Vacuum the lint filter thoroughly a couple of times a year, or when it requires to be cleaned.

4.  Use a drying ball

A drying ball is a special ball that lifts and separates laundry during drying, and allows hot air to circulate more efficiently, thereby reducing drying time. Research shows that a dryer ball can reduce the drying time in certain tumble dryers. Test whether this applies to your tumble dryer. A dryer ball can be purchased on the Internet and from other outlets, including all-natural, hypoallergenic dryer balls from alpacas, see Ginger and Clover.

5.  Sort laundry

Eco-Friendly Laundry Dryer Tips
Eco-Friendly Laundry Dryer Tips

Aha!  You thought separating laundry was only for washing, didn’t you!  Sort and separate laundry by textile type, and dry it at the right temperature. Wool and acrylic materials should be dried at a much lower temperature than cotton for example. You will reduce drying time (you will save money and help the environment), and extend the life of your clothes (save money and help the environment).

6.  Empty pockets

Avoid leaving paper tissues and other materials in the pockets of jackets and trousers. This results in even more lint in the filter.  (This applies to washing too of course.  I’m horribly guilty of this – my clothes end up covered in specks of tissue).

7.  Not too Dry

Don’t over-dry clothes. Take clothes out while they are still slightly damp to reduce the need for ironing.  If your dryer has a setting for auto-dry, use it instead of the timer to avoid wasting energy.

8.  Keep it Dry

Don’t add wet items to a load that is already partially dried.

9.  Do Two in a Row

Dry two or more loads immediately after each other, taking advantage of the heat still in the dryer from the first load.  The residual heat will allow your clothing to dry faster and use less energy than heating up a cold dryer.   You’ll save money.

10.  Fold it Now.

Fold your clothing immediately as it comes out of the dryer to prevent additional wrinkles. you may eliminate the need to iron later on.

11.  Check the Vent

Check the outside dryer exhaust vent. Make sure it is clean and that the flapper on the outside hood opens and closes freely.

 

OK, so it ended up being 11 tips instead of 10 – I couldn’t stop!

 

P. S. A few readers have queried the drying balls, here are some examples:


The one on the left is non-PVC; the one on the right is priced lower.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit:  Goodhousekeeping.com


Tags

eco friendly, Energy Use, environment, green, laundry, reduce, Save money, save the planet


  • I am intrigued by this “drying ball”. I must look it up.

    I really wish we could hang our clothes outdoors, but because of the bees, we think it’s safer for the bees and our clothes if we don’t. Our car, which is under one of their flight paths, is often dotted with bee poop.

    • I’ve had a couple of queries on the drying balls. If you pop back to my blog (ww.ecofriendlink.com/blog, I’ve added some pics, prices etc. onto the end of the Eco-Friendly Drying article.

  • Check the vent is huge. It’s actually one of the most common sources of a house fire in the US. We offer dryer vent cleaning at my company should anyone request in Las Vegas for that reason. A clean dryer vent will save huge amounts of money and energy use. It’s an easy way to green up your laundry day and save the planet. Another great tip would be don’t mix anything else in with sheets. They get wrapped up and both items won’t dry.

  • Ah, check the pockets!!!! Yes!!! My worst habit….I use to blame my ex-husband for all that kleenix but he is gone and the kleenix keeps appearing….oh,no ..it must be me!!!
    Sonya Lenzo

  • Thanks for the great tips on conserving energy! I never heard of thought about drying 2 loads, one right after the other. Great advice!

    Thanks

  • Hi Green Goddess,

    If you live an arid area like Las Vegas, you can post your laundry indoors for ecofriendly drying as well draping them over stairway railings.

    Happy Dating and Relationships,

    April Braswell

  • Are you really supposed to clean the lent filter every single time it is used? I have not read that in a manual or heard it before….

    Liz-CoolProducts

    • Hi Liz, thanks for your comment! It’s not commonly known at all. But it can make a huge difference to the efficiency of the machine, and thus its electrical consumption. And I was surprised to read the comment from a very ‘green’ air-conditioning expert that it’s one of the leading causes of fire in the US. So it’s worthwhile cleaning it on every use for many reasons!

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