Keep it Clean

• Clean the lint filter after every load. Your dryer has is much less energy efficient when it has to push air through a full lint screen.

• If you use dryer softening sheets, they can cause a waxy build-up that isn’t always easily seen, but it’s there. Wash the lint filter with warm, soapy water occasionally to keep your dryer working well. A toothbrush or other soft-bristle brush also can be used to clean the filter. These cleanings can actually extend the life of your dryer!

• If your machine has a moisture sensor, clean it occasionally so the waxy build-up from dryer softening sheets doesn't interfere with the sensor’s ability to detect moisture. If the dryer stops when it’s supposed to, you save electricity.

Dry Full Loads

• Dryers typically have larger capacities than washers, allowing you to dry three loads of washing with only two dryer loads. That’s cutting your energy use by up to 33% depending on the type of clothes you’re drying

• Dry multiple loads one right after the other to make use of the heat existing from the previous load.

• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.

• Don’t over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, be sure to use it.

• If your clothes have been over-dried and become wrinkled, you can throw a wet towel in and re-run them instead of re-washing and re-drying.

Don’t Heat Your House. (Unless You Want to Heat Your House.)

Close your laundry-room door when drying clothes during the summer. This keeps the dryer from heating your whole home during the summer (causing the air-conditioner to run more). During the winter, open the laundry room door to allow the heat from the dryer to help heat your home.