The Guardian did a story with some tips for eco-friendly tumble drying. Among them….
Invest in a high-rated tumble dryer – C, B or A and make sure it has an automatic drying sensor function so it doesn’t over-dry clothes, but switches off when it senses the moisture level is low.Invest in a gas tumble dryer – they will require a registered Gas Safe installer to fit but will have a lower impact on the environment than an electric tumble dryer. Or a heat pump tumble dryer can use around 25% less energy than a standard dryer.
As much as possible, try using drying racks in sunny rooms so the tumble dryer doesn’t have to be used.
Use a high spin setting on the washing machine to get rid of as much water as possible before it comes out – the increased energy used to spin is nothing compared to the energy needed to dry clothes in a tumble dryer so there will be a benefit.
Read the whole story at the Guardian.
Just a little reminder. Don’t forget to clean the lint filter. Doing so will at the very least make your tumble dryer more efficient at drying and save you money on your electric bill. And that’s not all…
A build-up of lint, in addition to reducing the ability of your dryer to dry, also increases the chance of a fire breaking out. Then, wet clothes will be the least of your problems!
And it’s not just the filter. Lint can build up in the exhaust vent of a vented type dryer, around the drum, and even on the heating element. Take a poke around and remove lint wherever you see it once a year as your standard maintenance. Every few years, it can’t hurt to have it professionally cleaned as well.
The life of your dryer (and even your life, in extreme cases) depends greatly on the small but consistent efforts you make to maintain it.
So, at least start by regularly changing the lint filter. Please!
Here’s a useful video giving some extended instructions for making sure your dyer is really lint free and running smoothly and safely….
