Author Topic: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"  (Read 7487 times)

MrWednesday

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Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« on: May 12, 2014, 08:23:31 PM »
MMM mentioned using his dryer for the small stuff (ie socks underwear) but I am confused how this saves money. I have an epicz electric dryer which is supposed to have some sort of wet sensor that adjust drying time and so I hoped putting the small stuff in but taking out jeans towels shirts etc would shorten drying time but this does not seem to be the case. Maybe I set it wrong or it is not working? With this in mind, I worry that since I am still running the dryer with each load of wash I am not just, not saving money, I'm also adding to my work load by hanging the big stuff to line dry. Does anyone have any ideas how I can do things more efficiently (for example, should I be waiting to run the dryer till I have a whole dryer full of small stuff? How to avoid moldy items while waiting for a full dyer load?) If you use your dryer for small stuff, how do you make sure you are still actually saving any money? Thanks for your thoughts!

Greg

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2014, 08:48:00 PM »
My experience is that small stuff dries faster on a line than heavy stuff.

kaetana

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2014, 11:00:44 PM »
After years of always using the dryer, I stopped a few months ago, and haven't looked back. I don't even bother with hanging clothes up outside - I just hang them on an indoor clotheshorse. "Small stuff" dries so quickly that if anything, I would be more tempted to dry the heavy stuff!

galliver

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2014, 11:10:55 PM »
I believe his reasoning isn't about efficiency so much as convenience; he's not saving money, he's saving Mrs MM's nerves. It's a compromise between stuffing everything in the dryer indiscriminately and having underpants hanging up all over the house (not the most socially acceptable environment...). I would guess he does wait until there's a full load of "small stuff" to wash and dry it.

In my experience/dryer, a load of towels and jeans takes 50-100% longer to dry than one of thinner clothing.

happy

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2014, 03:12:30 AM »
I have read that when using a dryer more energy is consumed in heating, than spinning, and that its cheaper overall to run the dryer on low heat for longer.

Personally I hang everything , preferably outside on the line. If its winter and raining I hang it on a rack in front of the gas heater, since the heater is on anyway.  I live in a high humidity climate so some thick cotton items ( e.g. sox and jeans)  don't line dry on a bad day, in which case after 24-48 hours I put them in the dryer (or in front of the heater if its cold). Otherwise they will smell mouldy and need rewashing. Usually they will be at least partly or mostly dry, so it reduces the dryer use to a minimum.  Most of the cold damp days are in winter, so I rarely use the dryer.

Basenji

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2014, 06:03:19 AM »
I am so confused by dryer use. We have had for 12 years a plastic large indoor drying rack with big "wings" that fold out. It holds one large load of clothes. Nothing ever gets moldy and it dries in a day. Less in hot weather. We only use the dryer when we have guests (who have limited clothes in their suitcases) or in "emergencies" when we need something immediately. Our clothes last forever.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2014, 07:45:53 AM »
Thicker cotton socks or underwear can take a long time to dry. Underwear is big enough I hang them up. For the small stuff I hacked together a drying rack using an old window screen in front of a box fan.

MayDay

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2014, 07:59:54 AM »
I run one "dryer load" a week. It is h's work clothes and then I fill the rest with socks and underwear just bc it is a pain to line dry 100 socks. Not all the week's socks fit in my dryer load but it reduces the annoyance.

Drying time on a line is really climate dependant so just bc it works in your house doesn't mean it will for someone else. for us stuff is dry indoors within 12-24 hrs, even thick jeans. In the muggy summer it is much longer, but I bet it would be short if we ever ran the a/c ;)

FIence!

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2014, 08:10:56 AM »
I agree that MMM's point was to avoid the piece work of clothespining 100 socks... not to mention that things like socks get a little "crunchy" sometimes when air-drying while the dryer makes them soft.

What I've found is that putting a large, dry item in with the little stuff really helps the little stuff dry faster. The dry item might be a bed sheet or a couple of bath towels. The dry stuff kind of stirs the wet stuff, getting more air flow going, whereas a pile of wet socks tend to thud around in the dryer in a clump and never get fluffed. I have no scientific evidence for this, but I theorize that the dry item might also help to wick moisture or something. In any case, it helps.

Socks/underwear and towels are the only things I dry completely in the dryer. Clothes get a "fluffing" cycle (also with a dry item) of 2-3 minutes, then hung. I find the short burst of drying gets a lot of wrinkles out and cuts down on or eliminates ironing.

NinetyFour

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2014, 08:21:19 AM »
I have a washing machine but no dryer, because I knew I wouldn't need one.  I hang everything to dry.  Works wonderfully, and I love my low gas bill.

mbl

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2014, 08:45:58 AM »
FIence!...you're right... actually if you put a dry hand towel in the dryer with the heavy wet stuff it will dry faster.

That being said, I try to hang stuff by the wood burning stove in the winter and line dry as often and as much as I can in the warmer months.   I hang towels, bathroom rugs/mats  out in the sun during the warm months and that works fine.

I usually hang black T's and better things on my drying rack inside so that they don't fade and also so they don't get bugs or flying grasses on them  :).

St4n

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2014, 04:39:00 PM »
Kaetana, I'd be interested to know what your trick is to drying clothes indoors in Melbourne at this time of year??  DW and I used to just about get by in the winter time, but now we have a baby too, we're battling piles of damp blankets, towels and the like.

We have an indoors drying rack which works just fine in the summer time, but in the winter some clothes are still damp after 2 days.  Maybe it's because I'm too tight to turn on the heating - we have split system heating cooling and don't usually turn it on until it drops below 15-16C (~60F).

We have a dryer (that DW was given before we met), which I see as a terrible waste and detest using it!  Still, I've had to go with it on occasion, as I can't think of any alternative, so I'd be interested to hear any tips you have...

MayDay

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2014, 06:19:58 PM »
When I had wee babies, line drying went out the window. Sanity >> electricity savings. 

Cloth nappies especially take forever to line dry indoors. My mom had no dryer and no choice, and three little kids in a tiny apartment, so she hung laundry outside all winter. On a sunny day it will freeze then dry. Your hands will be destroyed though.

abhe8

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2014, 07:06:53 PM »
I dry 1 load per week: socks and undies for a family of 6. sometimes i wait a week and a half. (we all have 2 weeks worth of socks/undies....i know, facepunch away!) I wait until I have a pretty big/full load to wash/dry it.

all our regular clothes I hang to dry. I hand towels, sheets, cloth napkings/kitchen towels/rags and cloth diapers and then toss in the dryer for 5 mins to soften.

Rube

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2014, 08:13:14 PM »
Too little in my dryer will hug the partitions of the drum and not tumble properly. Sometimes if I have too little it won't dry at all.

BTW, am I the only one on here with a natural gas dryer. I don't hesitate to use it. In the summer when we're not using the furnace my gas bill is about $25 with a lot of hot water use - also natural gas.

The Money Monk

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2014, 08:30:43 PM »
for me, line drying has always been one of those things were I don't see the value;

Energy cost per dryer load: around $0.31 – $0.49, averaged at $0.40. This is excluding equipment cost, but most people (especially those that rent) Already have the appliance available, and just choose to line dry.

Even if it only takes 10 minutes to hang it all up to dry, that isn't worth it to me to not spend 40 cents. There are a LOT of other things I can do in ten minutes that makes me more than forty cents. Hell, even if you make minimum wage, clocking out 10 minutes later on a single shift will give you about $1.20, enough for  to pay for 4 dryer loads.

It takes me less than 10 minutes to list most of the items I sell on ebay, and I always make a lot more than 40 cents.

I just don't see the advantage.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2014, 08:32:54 PM by The Money Monk »

Basenji

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #16 on: May 13, 2014, 08:38:52 PM »
for me, line drying has always been one of those things were I don't see the value;

Energy cost per dryer load: around $0.31 – $0.49, averaged at $0.40. This is excluding equipment cost, but most people (especially those that rent) Already have the appliance available, and just choose to line dry.

Even if it only takes 10 minutes to hang it all up to dry, that isn't worth it to me to not spend 40 cents. There are a LOT of other things I can do in ten minutes that makes me more than forty cents. Hell, even if you make minimum wage, clocking out 10 minutes later on a single shift will give you about $1.20, enough for  to pay for 4 dryer loads.

It takes me less than 10 minutes to list most of the items I sell on ebay, and I always make a lot more than 40 cents.

I just don't see the advantage.
Clothes last longer (I'll try to find hard data for you in a bit). I do it because why spend the energy if I don't have to. I hang clothes inside, they have no static, and I don't have to catch the dryer take sure everything doesn't lump in a wrinkly ball.

The Money Monk

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2014, 08:44:47 PM »
for me, line drying has always been one of those things were I don't see the value;

Energy cost per dryer load: around $0.31 – $0.49, averaged at $0.40. This is excluding equipment cost, but most people (especially those that rent) Already have the appliance available, and just choose to line dry.

Even if it only takes 10 minutes to hang it all up to dry, that isn't worth it to me to not spend 40 cents. There are a LOT of other things I can do in ten minutes that makes me more than forty cents. Hell, even if you make minimum wage, clocking out 10 minutes later on a single shift will give you about $1.20, enough for  to pay for 4 dryer loads.

It takes me less than 10 minutes to list most of the items I sell on ebay, and I always make a lot more than 40 cents.

I just don't see the advantage.
Clothes last longer (I'll try to find hard data for you in a bit). I do it because why spend the energy if I don't have to. I hang clothes inside, they have no static, and I don't have to catch the dryer take sure everything doesn't lump in a wrinkly ball.

Maybe it would last longer, but how long do you need clothing to last? I have shirts and pants from 10 years ago that are fine lol.

Also my dryer doesn't make big wrinkly balls, so that's not an issue for me.

If your goal is just to save the energy, then yeah sure, makes sense, I have no problem with that. I just never got the people who supposedly do it to save on their power bill.

But I am extraordinarily lazy, so doing things the hard way never appeals to me  anyway :)


P.S. How many people who line dry live in Florida? I have tried it a few times and stuff just doesn't seem to dry at all. I live in a place literally nick-named "The Swamp" and 80 to 100% humidity is normal, so line drying may just not be in the cards anyway.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2014, 08:47:45 PM by The Money Monk »

The Money Monk

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2014, 08:51:52 PM »
sort of on topic: I just happened across this link, and I am flabberghasted by how much laundry these people do!

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090403103954AAIg8H2


it seems like its totally common for people to be doing more than a load of laundry per person per day!

I do 2 a week usually, and I felt like that is a lot for one dude. 

Basenji

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #19 on: May 14, 2014, 05:04:28 AM »
Two loads for one guy seems like a lot. Are you a coal miner?

Not that it will change your mind, you seem pretty set, Money Monk,  but good org http://laundrylist.org/why-line-dry/
« Last Edit: May 14, 2014, 05:11:05 AM by Basenji »

catccc

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #20 on: May 14, 2014, 07:14:06 AM »
Like a lot of other people here, I try to run one "dryer" load a week.  That includes sheets, towels, undies, cloth wipes, socks.  Things I deem to big or too little to hang.  We "line" dry everything else indoors.

The Money Monk

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Re: Using Clothes Dryer for "small stuff"
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2014, 11:42:47 AM »
Two loads for one guy seems like a lot. Are you a coal miner?

Not that it will change your mind, you seem pretty set, Money Monk,  but good org http://laundrylist.org/why-line-dry/

lol i know, right? I feel like I do a lot of laundry, but those people are doing more than one a day, EACH!

I do have an exceptionally small front-loading washer/dryer, so one of my loads is definitely half (or less) of a normal family washing machine.

I'll check out the link you posted.