8 Things You Should Never Put In Your Dryer
I completely understand the temptation to toss every single wet item straight into the dryer. Laundry is exhausting, and that machine is a magical time saver. We have all been guilty of just wanting the chore to be over. But over the years, I have ruined a few too many of my favorite things in the dryer. It turns out that the intense heat and tumbling action can actually destroy certain materials completely. Let us talk about what should never go in the dryer.
Swimsuits
After a long day at the beach or pool, tossing your swimsuit into the dryer seems like the logical next step. However, the high heat is actually the worst thing for that stretchy material. Spandex and Lycra break down very quickly when they get too hot. Your favorite suit will start to sag and lose its shape entirely. Just drape it over your shower rod instead, and it will be perfectly dry by morning without any permanent damage.
Rubber Backed Bath Mats
We wash our bath mats to keep the bathroom fresh, but putting them in the dryer is actually quite dangerous. That grippy rubber backing that keeps you from slipping on wet tile cannot handle high temperatures. The rubber will start to crumble and melt all over the inside of your dryer drum. In the worst cases, it can even become a serious fire hazard. Always hang your bath mats over a railing or a sturdy drying rack.
Everyday Bras
Bras are usually expensive, and made of delicate fabric that can get ruined easily. Putting them through a hot dryer cycle is a quick way to ruin them. The heat kills the elastic bands, making them stretch out and lose their shape. The tumbling action can also warp the underwire and bend the cups out of shape. Taking a few extra seconds to hook them together and hang them up to air dry will make them last so much longer.
Stretchy Activewear
Workout clothes are designed to wick away sweat and move with our bodies. They rely on high tech synthetic fibers to give us that comfortable stretch. Just like swimsuits, the intense heat of the dryer basically cooks those fibers. Over time, your expensive yoga pants will start to bag at the knees and lose their supportive compression. Since they are designed to dry quickly anyway, just lay them flat on a towel or hang them over a chair instead.
Anything With A Lingering Stain
This is a mistake I have made more times than I care to admit. If you wash a shirt that has a coffee spill or a grease mark, always check to make sure the stain is completely gone before drying it. The heat of the dryer acts like a giant oven. It will permanently bake any leftover markings deep into the fabric fibers. If the spot is still there, treat it again and rewash it before it ever goes in the dryer.
Cozy Wool Sweaters
There is nothing quite as heartbreaking as pulling your favorite oversized winter sweater out of the dryer only to find it would now only fit a toddler. Wool is an amazing natural fiber, but it reacts very poorly to heat and friction combined. The tumbling makes the wool fibers lock tightly together in a process called felting. Once a sweater shrinks this way, it is nearly impossible to fix. Always lay your heavy knitwear flat on a clean towel to dry.
Leather And Faux Leather
Whether it is a stylish jacket or pants with faux leather trim, these pieces absolutely never belong in your dryer. Heat strips the natural oils right out of real leather, leaving it stiff, dry, and prone to cracking. Faux leather is essentially a type of plastic, so high heat will actually melt and warp it beyond repair. Simply hang these items up in a well ventilated room, away from direct sunlight, and let them dry at their own pace.
Silk And Delicate Fabrics
Silk pillowcases and delicate blouses feel incredibly luxurious, but they require a gentle touch on laundry day. Tossing them in the dryer is just too harsh for these fine threads. The heat can cause the fabric to shrink, dull the beautiful sheen, and create permanent creases that are impossible to iron out later. To protect your investment, simply roll your silk items in a dry towel to press out the extra water, and then hang them up to finish drying.
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It definitely takes a little bit of extra effort to pull these specific items out of the wet laundry pile before switching the machine on. I know it can feel a bit tough when you are already tired. But protecting your favorite clothes from the harsh heat saves you money and disappointment in the long run. Setting up a small drying rack in a corner of your laundry room is a simple habit that truly pays off over time.
Bliss Donahue-Power
