Tumble dryers are one of the most expensive appliances to run in a home, and can typically cost the average UK household £131 in energy bills due to the amount of electricity they use. However, it can be really difficult to dry clothing in winter by simply hanging it up, and if you need to dry clothes quickly or have a big family, then having a tumble dryer is essential.
The experts at Save Money Cut Carbon have shared that there is actually an easy way to make a tumble dryer more efficient, helping to save money, and it involves simply untangling your laundry before drying it. They said: “All of your items are likely to bundle together in the washing machine, so before popping everything in the dryer, make sure you untangle and separate them first. This ensures that everything will dry quicker and evenly, meaning lower energy consumption.”
How does sorting out laundry save money on energy bills?
If clothes are twisted into a big ball in the tumble dryer, then hot air cannot properly circulate around the fabric to dry it, so it takes a lot longer to remove any moisture.
Most tumble dryers have a moisture sensor, and if laundry remains clumped in the middle, the sensor will cause the cycle to continue even if the clothes are already dry.
Taking a few seconds to sort laundry properly will speed up the drying process and reduce the time you need to have your tumble dryer switched on.
It also helps to sort your laundry by fabric type, as thick items such as towels or jeans dry much more slowly, and mixing them with lighter garments can lead to uneven drying.
Mixed loads can cause the tumble dryer to run for a longer period, and they can also damage clothes over time, as thinner items like socks and T-shirts are more susceptible to overheating.
How else can you make your tumble dryer more efficient?
Many people assume that filling a tumble dryer to the brim will help save money on energy bills, as it allows for drying more clothes in one cycle.
However, overfilling the tumble dryer will actually increase the cycle time and cost more, so it’s better to run two cycles, as this will be much quicker.
If you have a lot of laundry to get through, starting a second load immediately after the first is very efficient, as the dryer will still be warm, so it takes far less time to heat up.
Once your clothes have been washed in the washing machine, it is also beneficial to put them on a quick spin cycle, as it helps remove excess moisture, which also speeds up the tumble dryer cycle.
Getting more use out of a tumble dryer is really simple and usually only takes a few seconds, but it can significantly reduce energy consumption, helping to save a little more money on electricity bills this winter.
