Author Topic: Drying clothing (Read 22996 times)

MEJG · « **on:** February 16, 2012, 10:46:54 AM »

Has anyone else seen these?

http://www.dryerpods.com/index.php

I'm living with family right now, but once we move out I'm thinking about making a clothing dryer based on this idea if we have forced hot air. Line drying is great during the sumer here, but not as wonderful in the winter.

AJ · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2012, 11:05:30 AM »

Hmm, those are sure pretty, but we just line dry in the bathroom during winter :) Those would be really cool if 1) you really dislike the aesthetics of hanging laundry, or you have guests very frequently and 2) you only wash a small amount of laundry. DH and I could probably manage it, but not with the kiddos.

When we visited family in UK, they had this wire device that they attached to their radiator and hanged (hung?) their smaller laundry on that. Larger pieces were draped over dining room chairs, or on hangers in the windows and bathroom. You make do with whatcha got :)

Still, those pods looked very nice, and no one would ever suspect you were drying laundry in there...

MEJG · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2012, 12:25:27 PM »

I wouldn't ever buy one..... but the temptation is a cheep or old cabinet and modify it. We hung clothing anywhere we could in the winter in our old place. It would just be nice to have more hanging space and for it to be pretty.

velocistar237 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2012, 01:41:17 PM »

Those dryerpods look expensive. How about one of these umpteen options?
http://www.tiptheplanet.com/index.php?title=Air_dry_washing

We're about to order one of these.
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Spin_Dryer.html

Evaporation is a cooling process, so drying inside our conditioned space with forced hot air would just make the furnace do the clothes dryer's work, with no savings. With a spin dryer, our hope is that we can dry clothes in the basement on racks without it taking forever. Since it's mechanical, it's a lot more efficient than the regular dryer.

Skinnyneo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2012, 02:47:57 PM »

That is a cool idea, but it seems like an overly complicated solution to a pretty simple problem. Two posts and a pole are really all you need. Here in Japan 99% of clothes are hung outside to dry for reasons of space and energy consumption. We purchased a laundry pole and some plastic multi clothes pin hangie things (http://photo.kenko.com/E184618H_L.jpg like this) and have never had a problem. Gotta watch the weather, and women usually can't live on the first floor of apartment buildings otherwise they notice items missing. I guess nothing is 100% fool proof.

Mike Key · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2012, 06:05:52 AM »

We have a gas dryer in our new home, and it really doesn't use that much gas as far as I can tell. But now that we live in Florida, and the weather seems so far to always be pleasant and the same, we are really considering a clothes line.

MEJG · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2012, 06:46:11 AM »

I hadn't thought of the thermodynamics and it being an evaporative process, alas it seems you are right.

We've been line drying our clothing for almost the last 4.5 years while living abroad; the climate there was by far superior for line drying. It looks like we'll get a foldable freestanding rack when we move out of the family's house :-)

JJ · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2012, 09:19:59 AM »

We live in a crazy humid climate (99% RH today) so clothes end up wet and smelly after two days hanging on a line. Solution. Dehumidifier in a small room with clothes on a rack. Much cheaper to run than a normal dryer as it doesn't heat the air, it just uses a heat pump to dry the air. You can set it so it switches off at a certain humidity level. As a bonus you can put it in the wardrobe from time to time to stop shoes etc going green. Not quite as eco and pocket friendly as line drying, but we only use it when it's just too humid for things to dry. I'm guessing all you folk from Colorado don't have this problem - I hear people there buy humidifiers rather than dehumidifiers.

velocistar237 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2012, 01:45:05 PM »

Quote from: JJ on February 21, 2012, 09:19:59 AM

Much cheaper to run than a normal dryer as it doesn't heat the air, it just uses a heat pump to dry the air.

I'm skeptical of this, but I'd like to learn more about it. Dehumidifiers are about 500 watts. Electric clothes dryers are about 5000 watts. If you have to run the dehumidifier for ten hours, then you probably aren't saving anything; how long does it take to dry a load with the dehumidifier?

Also, while a clothes dryer ejects heat outside (good during summer, and you can't capture this linty, humid heat in winter, anyway), the humidifier keeps its heat inside (bad during summer, good during winter).

Here's an example of heating with a humidifier:

http://coldhousejournal.com/2010/01/27/efficiency-bathroom-humidity/

The difference is that you start with water and end with water, so you probably don't get the boost from latent heat, just the heat that the dehumidifier generates directly.

Dehumidifiers also don't last terribly long. I hear you, though. Where we live, it's pretty humid, too. Have you looked into the spin dryer I mentioned above? Combine that with the dehumidifier, and it would be better than just using the dehumidifier.

JJ · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2012, 07:05:34 AM »

These things pull around 1 liter or so per hour when cranked up. Over 10 hours we could easily do 3-4 loads - it is definitely more efficient to do more loads in one go as there is overhead in dropping the room's humidity before the clothes start drying. We also use a small room to reduce this effect. You are right - a good spin dry would drop drying time, but then if you still have to front an office you lose out on having to iron your supposedly iron free shirts (time and energy) so we do the fastest spin which doesn't crease things up too badly. You could drop the costs more by turning it off once the room humidity is down - the air holds a surprising amount of water so the clothes will keep drying for quite some time so long as the door is shut.

The slight warming effect is fine as we use a small room for drying which we don't live in (spare bathroom) and it speeds up drying.

I also like that the appliance is a lot smaller than a dryer and is multi-purpose. As well as drying out the wardrobe from time to time to stop clothes and shoes going green, we give the bedrooms a blast every couple of weeks to dry out the mattresses and the shed to stop the tools going rusty.

JJ · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2012, 07:25:59 AM »

Sorry - forgot a couple of things.
The dehumidifier does generate a little heat when it operates - it is offset comfort-wise by the dryer air. I personally don't notice it as I came from a very hot, arid climate before moving here and we rarely ran air-cons in that hot climate - you just get used to it.

There is also a cost saving in damage to clothes. We use a front loading washer where agitation is primarily gravity rather than plastic blades and we only ever air dry, dehumidifier assisted where necessary. Clothes last a lot longer than they used to when we had a top loading washer. We have never owned a dryer but I have used them from time to time when traveling and that lint you collect after each load looks about the same as a pair of socks to me in terms of losses.

One thing the dehumidifier can't do is stop the dog smelling during a long humid spell. Maybe we just haven't thought about it hard enough...

JJ · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2012, 07:35:47 AM »

PS - had a look at the spin dryer you linked to. They used to have these 35 years ago attached to the washer. You would manually transfer the clothes between them and the spin speed was pretty impressive. That was in the UK and Australia. I don't know about North America. I still see them from time to time. Built in an era where things were meant to last so they never die. They just look unfashionable and get thrown out.

PPS - if you do go looking at dehumidifiers, Mitsubishi make a very high quality one. We have had it three years and looks like new. We also have a lubra. Rubbish in comparison.

kolorado · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2012, 08:01:06 AM »

I love these! We live in a humid environment now, the wetlands region of South Jersey. My daughter's outdoor allergies require that we dry indoors. Her indoor allergies also require that we keep the humidity range inside below 55% to ward off mites. So we use a dehumidifier and it is pricy to run, about $20 a month for occasional use.
Before her needs became apparent, I was using a metal drying rack over a vent and hanging laundry on hangers around the house. This worked but caused major humidity in the house, constant condensation on the windows and even mold growth.
Now we're moving to Colorado where these units are manufactured. Low humidity there is a huge local issue. I may very well be able to switch back to indoor "line" drying in our new state. As always, I will keep my handy hydrometer to monitor inside moisture levels. And as cute as I think theses units are, I'd just make my own. I'd want a flat rack for sweaters anyway.
Even though I'd save about $30 a month on my drying costs, it's take about 2 years to break even on buying one of these. Better to find a solid wood wardrobe, cabinet or armoire used for $50 and customize it than to spend $600+ on this gadget.

velocistar237 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2012, 08:51:52 AM »

Quote from: JJ on February 22, 2012, 07:05:34 AM

Over 10 hours we could easily do 3-4 loads.

Well, it sounds like you found a good solution for high-humidity areas. Even if you couldn't spin-dry non-iron clothes, it might be worth getting one for other items to reduce your dehumidifier run time. I hadn't thought of the wrinkle issue, but I have only one non-iron shirt, and I'm fine with ironing for my office job. I do it while watching the one show we watch weekly.

We picked a dehumidifier up when our windows started fogging up and growing mold. It was in the fall, and it was too cold to run an A/C or open windows. It accomplished something, and it hasn't died yet; I was speaking more from the reviews we read rather than personal experience. If ours dies, I'll look yours up if we still need it. Eventually, we're going to get a bath fan and a hood over our stove installed so we can nip some of these humidity problems at the source.

Chris · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2012, 10:20:30 AM »

I line dry indoors, but one tip to hasten the process is to iron clothes before hanging them. Make sure you have good airflow in the room (set a window fan to exhaust).

tannybrown · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:49:47 PM »

Just started drying our clothes and noticed the fabric is somehow stiffer than when it comes out of the dryer. My wife says we need fabric softener for the washer but I remain unconvinced -- we never used any fabric softener when using the dryer.

Does the dryer actually soften my clothes?

Any recommendations would be helpful.

To the original post, I think those dryers look slick but for $800 I'm buying a new table saw and making one.

velocistar237 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 22, 2012, 02:06:51 PM »

Quote from: tannybrown on February 22, 2012, 12:49:47 PM

Just started drying our clothes and noticed the fabric is somehow stiffer than when it comes out of the dryer. My wife says we need fabric softener for the washer but I remain unconvinced -- we never used any fabric softener when using the dryer.

Try tumble drying with no heat for five minutes before hanging them. I just read this online, and I'm interested in whether it works, so please let me know.

kolorado · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2012, 05:57:30 AM »

You don't need oil and chemicals to make your clothes softer, just tumble dry for a few minutes before hanging. It absolutely works! I did that for years.

tannybrown · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2012, 08:12:12 AM »

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll do a load this weekend and report back.

tannybrown · « **Reply #19 on:** February 25, 2012, 06:45:51 PM »

So the 5 minute fluff dry definitely helped, but the clothes are still not as soft as they were out of the dryer. I'll try 8-10 min next time.

Freedom2016 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 27, 2012, 08:11:17 AM »

This may be a dumb question, but are folks using alternative drying methods to save money, or for environmental reasons, or both? If for the financial benefit, how much money does it save you per year? We have EnergySaver appliances and I don't get the impression that our dryer usage is breaking the bank.

To be honest, this is one area where I am very unlikely to become very mustachian. We don't have room for a dryer pod type piece of furniture in our home, and I'm not interested in having our clothes strewn all over the condo for hours or days (line drying outside isn't an option for most of the year). I've also done a lot of decluttering in our home in recent months and I'd like to keep it that way. :P Beyond that, I've spent a fair amount of time in developing countries where I hand washed and line dried my clothes and sometimes didn't have access to running water, plumbing, or electricity, and those experiences made me all the more grateful--and willing to pay--for the conveniences I do have.

On this front, we're trying to be more 'mustachian' by in-sourcing instead of sending H's work shirts to the dry cleaner.

velocistar237 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 27, 2012, 10:06:56 AM »

I hear you, course11. This is definitely a ways down the list, far behind the big three of housing, transportation, and food. If your savings rate is high enough without things like this, then it might make sense not to go for the diminishing returns.

Here's a site that talks about the savings.
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/dryers.html

For us, it's about $100/year. What isn't included in that figure is wear and tear on the dryer or longer life for clothing. I buy used clothing, so it's not a big cost to wear things out anyway.

Yes, there is the environmental reason, which might turn into a cost reason for more and more people as non-renewables are used up. Our washer is Energy Star, but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as an Energy Star clothes dryer.

(course11, urban planning?)

Freedom2016 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 27, 2012, 10:17:08 AM »

Quote from: velocistar237 on February 27, 2012, 10:06:56 AM

(course11, urban planning?)

Good guess. ;)

Thanks for the bluejay link. We do some of the things recommended on the site, like cleaning out the lint trap every cycle, running most loads in the early morning or night, and the dryer does have a moisture sensor so it stops when the clothes are dry.

Miamoo · « **Reply #23 on:** March 01, 2012, 02:53:44 PM »

For softer fabric try putting white vinegar in the softener dispenser in lieu of Downy or what ever. No dispenser? Figure out when the rinse cycle starts and use a kitchen timer to add the vinegar to the rinse cycle. (vinegar smell will not be present after the final rinse & spin)

I think the vinegar rinse takes out the last of the soap residue and so the cloth is a little softer. Works for me anyhow. I make our own laundry soap, rinse with vinegar, tumble dry for a few minutes (more to make sure there's no more dog hair on the clothes from my furry beasts!) then hang to dry.

Mr Mark · « **Reply #24 on:** March 01, 2012, 03:09:38 PM »

Quote from: course11 on February 27, 2012, 08:11:17 AM

This may be a dumb question, but are folks using alternative drying methods to save money, or for environmental reasons, or both? If for the financial benefit, how much money does it save you per year? We have EnergySaver appliances and I don't get the impression that our dryer usage is breaking the bank.

...
On this front, we're trying to be more 'mustachian' by in-sourcing instead of sending H's work shirts to the dry cleaner.

Fully agree. "Even the hard-core environmentalist movement use washing machines!"

See TEDTalk http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_and_the_magic_washing_machine.html

Gerard · « **Reply #25 on:** March 01, 2012, 06:02:15 PM »

Here in Newfoundland we have dry-ish winters (well, winter air dries as you heat it), so I dry on a folding rack indoors. The rest of the year it's damp, but windy, so outside line drying works fine. Most people here never stopped line drying... the tourist bureau even uses clotheslines in its commericals!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnEjWhg9fMY

strider3700 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 04, 2012, 02:09:00 AM »

Quote from: course11 on February 27, 2012, 08:11:17 AM

This may be a dumb question, but are folks using alternative drying methods to save money, or for environmental reasons, or both? If for the financial benefit, how much money does it save you per year? We have EnergySaver appliances and I don't get the impression that our dryer usage is breaking the bank.

I use a clothes line to save money and it helps the environment at the same time as well as making the clothes last longer. Also I have to say I really enjoy taking the time to hang the laundry on the line. It's a very zenlike experience for me. Since I track my power usage daily I have a pretty good idea of what the dryer costs me when I do have to run it. First off there isn't an energysaver dryer. If it's electric they all use great big heating coils of roughly the same size. Better dryers from a power usage perspective use sensors to make sure you're just getting the clothes dry and not cooking them based on a guessed run time.

Having watched the power meter while drying loads 1 large (I only do large loads) or general mixed clothes uses 5 kwh of electricity. THis costs me about 40 cents. Since I also track all of my laundry in a spreadsheet I can tell you I've spent about $137 on laundry. I mostly use cold water and I line dry as much as possible. Having washed in cold has saved me $24 and the clothesline has saved me $33. I've done 398 cold loads, 44 hot and 81 loads have been dryed on the clothesline. this is since October of 2010 when I started tracking to figure it all out since it seemed like I was always doing laundry. Two toddlers make for a lot of laundry. My front load washer is really good on water so it's "only" used 6071 gallons in that time. Older top loaders use way more water so the cold water savings would be much higher.

Using cold and line drying when I can is saving me about 28% on my laundry costs. I also use measuring spoons to measure the right amount of laundry detergent. Most people use way more then needed/recommended.

darkelenchus · « **Reply #27 on:** May 04, 2012, 08:48:10 AM »

If you've got access to a basement, a pulley system is low-cost ($25-$30 for four 20ft lines) and very effective. We've been using a pulley clothesline system in our basement for the last year and a half or so, & it works just fine if you don't mind 16-24 hour drying times. The Great Lakes areas aren't really ideal for air drying. Winters are cold and summers are generally humid, but it's not really a major inconvenience. We keep an eye on the weather between mid-May and mid-October & run an outside line during dry and/or sunny days. During the winter we use two box fans on a low setting to circulate air, which seems to reduce drying time a fair bit.

AJ · « **Reply #28 on:** May 04, 2012, 02:15:06 PM »

Quote from: course11 on February 27, 2012, 08:11:17 AM

This may be a dumb question, but are folks using alternative drying methods to save money, or for environmental reasons, or both? If for the financial benefit, how much money does it save you per year? We have EnergySaver appliances and I don't get the impression that our dryer usage is breaking the bank.

There is a reason there are no Energy Star labeled dryers - they are all equally inefficient. But whether or not dryer use breaks the bank depends on your bank :) For most folks here, nah. A dryer load is only about $0.40-$0.50. Whether its worth it is up to you. Sounds like for you, it wouldn't be worth it. I don't personally mind so much, the sight of hanging laundry doesn't bother me, and I like having my clothes last longer. YMMV.

igthebold · « **Reply #29 on:** May 28, 2012, 12:53:55 PM »

Quote from: velocistar237 on February 16, 2012, 01:41:17 PM

We're about to order one of these.
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Spin_Dryer.html

How has this been working for you? Is it worth it?

I can hang-dry clothes here.. it's humid, but not *that* humid. I just need to set up a line, now that we're in our new house.

velocistar237 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 29, 2012, 11:31:08 AM »

Quote from: igthebold on May 28, 2012, 12:53:55 PM

Quote from: velocistar237 on February 16, 2012, 01:41:17 PM
We're about to order one of these.
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Spin_Dryer.html

How has this been working for you? Is it worth it?

I can hang-dry clothes here.. it's humid, but not *that* humid. I just need to set up a line, now that we're in our new house.

I haven't bought it yet. I should do that soon.

Dicey · « **Reply #31 on:** May 29, 2012, 12:06:20 PM »

Just curious: If you're using a high efficiency front-load washer, is there any benefit to a spin dryer?

velocistar237 · « **Reply #32 on:** May 29, 2012, 02:40:57 PM »

Quote from: Diane C on May 29, 2012, 12:06:20 PM

Just curious: If you're using a high efficiency front-load washer, is there any benefit to a spin dryer?

Supposedly, yes. Centripetal force goes as omega^2*radius, so spin speed matters more than drum size, and spin dryers spin much faster than any washer. The front-load washers do extract more water than top-load washers, so the benefit would be smaller.

We have a high-efficiency top-load washer.

zinnie · « **Reply #33 on:** May 29, 2012, 05:58:49 PM »

Quote from: AJ on May 04, 2012, 02:15:06 PM

Quote from: course11 on February 27, 2012, 08:11:17 AM
This may be a dumb question, but are folks using alternative drying methods to save money, or for environmental reasons, or both? If for the financial benefit, how much money does it save you per year? We have EnergySaver appliances and I don't get the impression that our dryer usage is breaking the bank.

There is a reason there are no Energy Star labeled dryers - they are all equally inefficient. But whether or not dryer use breaks the bank depends on your bank :) For most folks here, nah. A dryer load is only about $0.40-$0.50. Whether its worth it is up to you. Sounds like for you, it wouldn't be worth it. I don't personally mind so much, the sight of hanging laundry doesn't bother me, and I like having my clothes last longer. YMMV.

This is why I line dry most of my clothing. There is a huge difference in my experience in how long things last when they aren't put in the dryer. I only dry things like socks, t-shirts, and towels. Pretty much everything else gets put in the drier for 5 minutes to get out the wrinkles and then hung to dry. But I still have to wear a lot of business attire, sweaters, etc. And we're cool with hanging clothes all over the house for a day or two every couple of weeks:)

shadowmoss · « **Reply #34 on:** July 11, 2012, 02:14:20 PM »

I'm currently living in Honduras and I have the spin dryer mentioned above. I don't have access to an electric clothes dryer, although I do have electricity. I have found that my clothes dry over night when hung in my bathroom on a rod (I put up a second rod just for clothes hanging on the wall side of my shower). I do iron pretty much all of my work clothes and even some of my tshirts now. I use inflatable hangers from Magellan's to hang my tops and shirts to dry. They hold the sides apart and let more air flow to help drying times. I also use them when traveling as when not inflated they take up very little room and weigh almost nothing.

gitstash · « **Reply #35 on:** October 18, 2012, 09:30:21 AM »

Quote from: tannybrown on February 22, 2012, 12:49:47 PM

Just started drying our clothes and noticed the fabric is somehow stiffer than when it comes out of the dryer. My wife says we need fabric softener for the washer but I remain unconvinced -- we never used any fabric softener when using the dryer.

Most of the problem with fabric stiffness is the soap residue. I've had pretty good luck using white vinegar in the rinse cycle. The smell does not stay on the clothes when the wash cycle is done. Towels aren't as soft as when I use the dryer, but aren't too bad.

chicagomeg · « **Reply #36 on:** December 05, 2012, 08:24:38 AM »

This is probably a really dumb question, but I figure you guys will know the answer better than anyone. I just moved into a new apartment and have a gas dryer for the first time ever. I think that's good, because they're more efficient, BUT...I have to run it twice for 100 minutes each time to dry one load of clothes! That's the same load that dried in about 70 minutes in our old electric dryer. That's not normal, right?

We have radiator heat and a spare bedroom, so this weekend I'm going to get a clothesline and large drying rack to go in there, so it's sort of a temporary problem, but I'm just baffled by this.

shadowmoss · « **Reply #37 on:** December 05, 2012, 10:17:37 AM »

Check the air outflow port to make sure it isn't blocked, clean the filter, check to see if it is getting hot air at all. I would think that either the temperature isn't getting warm enough, or the air is being exchanged enough to move the warmed damp air out.

Nords · « **Reply #38 on:** December 05, 2012, 11:19:18 AM »

Quote from: mlipps on December 05, 2012, 08:24:38 AM

This is probably a really dumb question, but I figure you guys will know the answer better than anyone. I just moved into a new apartment and have a gas dryer for the first time ever. I think that's good, because they're more efficient, BUT...I have to run it twice for 100 minutes each time to dry one load of clothes! That's the same load that dried in about 70 minutes in our old electric dryer. That's not normal, right?
We have radiator heat and a spare bedroom, so this weekend I'm going to get a clothesline and large drying rack to go in there, so it's sort of a temporary problem, but I'm just baffled by this.

You have a serious airflow problem, and a potential fire hazard.

If there's nothing obvious from the filter, then you'll want to follow the exhaust all the way to the little louvers on the outside. Sometimes lint hangs up right at the exit from the dryer, other times it hangs up on a screw or a bend in the vent piping, and sometimes it hangs up in the exit louver at the outside end. Eventually a giant lintball builds up and blocks the exhaust. I once cleaned over 30 feet of dryer-exhaust ducting that hadn't been checked in nearly 25 years, but it took that long to plug itself. We learned that every condo in the association had been built with that problem, and a couple of them had already experienced dryer fires.

If the airflow blockage isn't in the dryer exhaust piping (it almost always is) then you'll have to take the bottom panels off the dryer to see if it's blocked in the suction/exhaust of the fan itself.

There are cool tools to help with this cleaning but you can probably find (and clear) the blockage without them. Maybe a narrow nozzle on a vacuum cleaner will help you within the dryer's chassis.

chicagomeg · « **Reply #39 on:** December 05, 2012, 11:53:06 AM »

Quote from: Nords on December 05, 2012, 11:19:18 AM

Quote from: mlipps on December 05, 2012, 08:24:38 AM
This is probably a really dumb question, but I figure you guys will know the answer better than anyone. I just moved into a new apartment and have a gas dryer for the first time ever. I think that's good, because they're more efficient, BUT...I have to run it twice for 100 minutes each time to dry one load of clothes! That's the same load that dried in about 70 minutes in our old electric dryer. That's not normal, right?
We have radiator heat and a spare bedroom, so this weekend I'm going to get a clothesline and large drying rack to go in there, so it's sort of a temporary problem, but I'm just baffled by this.
You have a serious airflow problem, and a potential fire hazard.

If there's nothing obvious from the filter, then you'll want to follow the exhaust all the way to the little louvers on the outside. Sometimes lint hangs up right at the exit from the dryer, other times it hangs up on a screw or a bend in the vent piping, and sometimes it hangs up in the exit louver at the outside end. Eventually a giant lintball builds up and blocks the exhaust. I once cleaned over 30 feet of dryer-exhaust ducting that hadn't been checked in nearly 25 years, but it took that long to plug itself. We learned that every condo in the association had been built with that problem, and a couple of them had already experienced dryer fires.

If the airflow blockage isn't in the dryer exhaust piping (it almost always is) then you'll have to take the bottom panels off the dryer to see if it's blocked in the suction/exhaust of the fan itself.

There are cool tools to help with this cleaning but you can probably find (and clear) the blockage without them. Maybe a narrow nozzle on a vacuum cleaner will help you within the dryer's chassis.

Yikes. Since I'm renting this place in a condo building, I think I'll just let my landlord deal w/it; thanks for the info! In the meantime, maybe I'll just wait to do that last load of laundry until I get the clothesline rigged up, just in case.

Nords · « **Reply #40 on:** December 05, 2012, 08:48:20 PM »

Quote from: mlipps on December 05, 2012, 11:53:06 AM

Yikes. Since I'm renting this place in a condo building, I think I'll just let my landlord deal w/it; thanks for the info! In the meantime, maybe I'll just wait to do that last load of laundry until I get the clothesline rigged up, just in case.

The landlord should be motivated when they hear the words "fire hazard". I don't know if their insurance would cover dryer fires caused by maintenance neglect.

Dicey · « **Reply #41 on:** December 18, 2012, 11:39:51 AM »

Quote from: mlipps on December 05, 2012, 11:53:06 AM

Yikes. Since I'm renting this place in a condo building, I think I'll just let my landlord deal w/it; thanks for the info! In the meantime, maybe I'll just wait to do that last load of laundry until I get the clothesline rigged up, just in case.

Wow! This kind of renter laziness is so frustrating!! Clearing out the dryer exhaust vent is incredibly simple. All it takes is a few minutes, a screwdriver and possibly a vacuum. Seriously, google it and watch an instructional video if necessary. The effort is minimal and the reward is huge, both in terms of your energy consumption and your family's safety.

chicagomeg · « **Reply #42 on:** December 18, 2012, 01:17:47 PM »

Quote from: Diane C on December 18, 2012, 11:39:51 AM

Quote from: mlipps on December 05, 2012, 11:53:06 AM
Yikes. Since I'm renting this place in a condo building, I think I'll just let my landlord deal w/it; thanks for the info! In the meantime, maybe I'll just wait to do that last load of laundry until I get the clothesline rigged up, just in case.

Wow! This kind of renter laziness is so frustrating!! Clearing out the dryer exhaust vent is incredibly simple. All it takes is a few minutes, a screwdriver and possibly a vacuum. Seriously, google it and watch an instructional video if necessary. The effort is minimal and the reward is huge, both in terms of your energy consumption and your family's safety.

I have a stackable washer dryer in a condo building. The outside vent is 1.5 stories off the ground. To clean the vent, the dryer guys had to climb on top of my stackable unit into the teeny tiny closet, with another guy outside on a ladder. I have none of the equipment to do so, including a vaccum since we have hardwood floors. It only cost my landlord $85.

But yes, I'm SO lazy...

SavingMon(k)ey · « **Reply #43 on:** August 18, 2013, 04:38:57 PM »

Quote from: JJ on February 21, 2012, 09:19:59 AM

We live in a crazy humid climate (99% RH today) so clothes end up wet and smelly after two days hanging on a line. Solution. Dehumidifier in a small room with clothes on a rack. Much cheaper to run than a normal dryer as it doesn't heat the air, it just uses a heat pump to dry the air. You can set it so it switches off at a certain humidity level. As a bonus you can put it in the wardrobe from time to time to stop shoes etc going green. Not quite as eco and pocket friendly as line drying, but we only use it when it's just too humid for things to dry. I'm guessing all you folk from Colorado don't have this problem - I hear people there buy humidifiers rather than dehumidifiers.

JJ, we definitely don't have that problem here. It's pretty dry all year round, and yes, we have a whole house humidifier that's hooked up to the furnace in our current rental house. That is sweet! I will probably install one of those in the house we just bought. It makes it so much more comfortable in the winter. In the summer, a lot of people here use swamp coolers, which also provide some humidity and are much more energy efficient than ACs.

DocCyane · « **Reply #44 on:** August 18, 2013, 04:50:52 PM »

Quote from: Diane C on December 18, 2012, 11:39:51 AM

Wow! This kind of renter laziness is so frustrating!! Clearing out the dryer exhaust vent is incredibly simple. All it takes is a few minutes, a screwdriver and possibly a vacuum. Seriously, google it and watch an instructional video if necessary. The effort is minimal and the reward is huge, both in terms of your energy consumption and your family's safety.

This is an inappropriate assertion, Diane. I'll assume you are a landlord and thus working from a specific perspective.

My perspective as a renter is that I pay a premium to not deal with such issues. Reporting them is one thing. Fixing them is quite another. And be assured I've done my share of maintenance with no compensation for tools or time.

The "renter is lazy, poor and dirty" vibe often found on these forums needs to be tempered.

LJfunstuff · « **Reply #45 on:** August 18, 2013, 09:21:00 PM »

Hi,
I had wanted something similar - a European style clothes drying cabinet. I live in the Pacific Northwest so it takes a long time for 4 people's laundry to air dry during the fall, winter and spring. I want my good clothes to last longer, but I really don't want to hang the laundry all over the house. It's basically a drying cabinet that has heating elements built in. But it's super expensive!
http://www.appliancist.com/washers_dryers/drying-cabinet-from-maytag.html

So my idea was to build a cabinet next to, or on top of, my dryer, encompassing the metal vent tube. It would hide the clothes from view, and when I run the dryer to dry towels, old clothes, sheets, etc., the heat from the vent tube would warm up the cabinet and speed up the drying somewhat.

The cabinet would not be solid wood - just a wood frame with cloth walls - better for evaporation.

But then I saw that Ikea already made me one! It's the Ikea BREIM wardrobe. It's fabric and open on the bottom. I figure I can modify it to fit the vent tube and hang some clothes lines/rails inside. If you have forced air heating you could use it just like the DryerPod. And it's only $39.99.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/30246468/

What do you think?

galliver · « **Reply #46 on:** August 27, 2013, 10:55:52 PM »

I could be reading this wrong, but there seems to be a misconception in this thread that clothes won't dry in the cold, which is patently false... I visited my relatives in Russia two years ago; all of them had clotheslines on their balconies and no dryer to speak of. Quite sure they line dry, outdoors, in the winter. The water/ice sublimates. My mom also line dried shirts/pants/shorts most of my childhood when we didn't have in unit W/D but had a little yard. Granted this was in California, so the coldest it got was like 30 at night/40's daytime in January.

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Author Topic: Drying clothing (Read 22996 times)

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