Appliance experts have warned against a couple of tumble drier habits that could be making your energy bills higher.
They may seem like one of the simpler home appliances to figure out, but there are certain things that you might be doing with your laundry that could be putting a strain on your tumble drier.
And aside from wearing down the machine's lifespan, they could be costly mistakes to make - which isn't ideal for anyone during the current cost of living crisis.
To help people know what they shouldn't be doing to avoid soaring bills, appliance experts at Repair Aid have shared their top seven things to steer clear of when using their tumble drier.
Here's everything the specialists had to say, as reported by the Express.
1. Use them to dry thick sheets
One piece of laundry you should “definitely avoid” doing in the tumble drier is drying thick duvets, sheets, and blankets, claimed a spokesperson at Repair Aid.
They said: “Because these are big, dense materials there isn’t enough room in the drum for the air to properly circulate. For these kinds of things, you are best sticking to the old-fashioned drying methods.”
2. Adding clothes straight from the washing machine
A lot of people are probably guilty of this, but you apparently shouldn't be filling your tumble drier with clothes straight from the washing machine.
But the expert warned that this is a “big mistake” because if the clothes aren’t properly untangled the dryer will have to work a lot harder to get them dry.
They added: “This will cost you time and energy which means higher energy bills and it also increases the risk of damage both to the dryer and the clothes themselves.”
Instead, before putting clothing in the dryer take the time to untangle everything and place them in gently.
3. Not checking the filter
The experts say that the lint filter shouldn't ever be forgotten about as it's an 'essential' part of the tumble drier.
They said: “Ideally, you should clean it after every load, which is much easier than it sounds don’t worry.
“By doing this you can ensure there is never a build-up of lint that you’ll need to take more time to properly clean. It will also help ensure your tumble dryer never starts smelling.”
4. Over or underloading
You probably knew that cramming too many clothes in the drier was damaging, but not filling it up enough can also cause problems.
The experts warned: “If you only put a few things in to dry then you aren’t being overly energy efficient. However, while this will impact your energy bills it won’t really harm the tumble dryer, although we still don’t recommend doing it as it can be very expensive.
“However, overloading your tumble dryer is more dangerous as it can damage the drum. It also won’t be energy efficient either but at least underloading is unlikely to cause damage.”
5. Putting everything in the dryer
A lot of people may not think twice about putting their whole loads in the appliance to dry off, but there are certain things that should be avoided.
The experts said: "Clothes like bras, and sports shoes can easily get damaged, spandex clothing like swimming costumes can get distorted due to the heat and clothing with heavy embellishments can easily get damaged. So, with clothes like this it’s best to avoid the dryer altogether.”
Similarly, households should avoid drying mixed materials if they are looking to achieve the “best results”. The appliance pros noted: “Tumble dryers work best when they are drying the same materials in a cycle.
“Mixing cotton clothing with some thick nylon is going to have a very unbalanced load and at the end of the cycle certain things could still be wet while others will be hot to the touch. So, try to keep mixing materials to a minimum wherever you can."
6. Turning it off too early
The pros said: “Tumble dryers can get very hot so if you don’t let a cycle finish and therefore complete its cool down then things can come out very hot. Metal fixtures like buttons and zips can even cause burns.”
You can sometimes get away with doing this in an emergency, but in general, it's "strongly recommended" to let the cycle come to an end.
7. Running the machine unattended
While it’s not essential to watch your tumble dryer for every minute of the drying cycle, households should check it occasionally to make sure everything is safe.
The experts said: “What this tip really means is that you should never turn your dryer on and then leave your home. Yes, the fire risk is minimal but it’s always better to be safe.”
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