Sears Knowledge Center

How to Run Your Dryer More Efficiently

Your dryer is one of the biggest energy hogs in your home. Regardless of whether you have a gas or electric dryer, it takes a lot of power to get the air inside the drum hot enough to dry a big load of wet clothes. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to minimize the amount of energy your dryer uses. By running your dryer more efficiently, you'll save on your monthly utility bills while also doing a good deed for the environment.

Take advantage of the moisture sensor

A dryer with a moisture sensor will monitor how wet your clothes are and will automatically shut off once they're dry. You'll never again waste energy heating up clothes that are already dry.

Use the delayed start feature

Many people use the delayed start feature to start their appliances when they're not around, so they don't have to listen to the noise. There's another use of delayed start, however, and it has to do with energy rates. Depending on where you live, energy rates may be lower during certain times of day—such as the middle of the night, when few people are using their appliances. Use delayed start to run your dryer during these lower-rate hours. You'll still use the same amount of energy, but you won't have to pay as much for it.

Place your dryer in a warm area

Your dryer uses a lot of energy just to heat the air at the beginning of each cycle. By placing your dryer in a warmer area of the house, you can reduce how long it takes to warm up. As a result, your clothes will dry faster and you won't have to run it for as long a time.

Do loads one after another

Instead of doing a load here and there, save up several loads of laundry and do them one after another. This takes advantage of the already-heated drum to reduce how long it takes your dryer to heat up, once more minimizing how long you have to run it.

Study the energy report

Some dryers have the ability to give you an energy report, which provides information on how much energy it's using. Studying this report will help you to track your results so you can see what really improves your efficiency and what doesn't.

Get a drying rack

Foldable drying racks are inexpensive and easy to store. Use them to air-dry small loads and delicate items, and you won't have to run the dryer as often.

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