Buying a new clothes dryer
By Fiona Wagner
• Bankrate.com
Drying cycles
The number of drying cycles available varies between high-end and low-end dryers. While most standard dryers offer normal, timed dry, permanent press, delicate and fluff cycles, higher-end models include options such as heavy duty, damp dry, super delicate and quick dry. The difference is largely due to how much water is left in the clothing. For example, the permanent press cycle leaves clothes less dry to reduce the onset of wrinkles.
"It's all about garment care," says Coupal: The greater
the choice and flexibility in your dryer options, the better off
your clothes will be.
Drying racks
Fitted dryer racks allow you to dry non-tumble items such as gym shoes that would otherwise be left out on the porch overnight. Fancier models have racks that let you lay items, such as sweaters, flat to dry.
Wrinkle protection
Some models offer a wrinkle protection option, which is great if you can't get to your clothes as soon as the dryer cycle ends. Instead of clothes sitting in a heap and developing wrinkles, this option tumbles clothes periodically for a set time until you open the dryer door.
Steam
The newest technology in dryers is steam, and currently only Whirlpool offers top-of-the-line models with this option (though Samsung, LG and Maytag will be introducing models later in 2008). Steam is great if you want to refresh your clothes quickly as it removes odours and wrinkles and makes them ready to wear. It also decreases static (a big problem during our cold Canadian winters) and minimizes wrinkles during drying.
Energy savings and efficiency
While it's always a good idea to consider energy efficiency when
shopping for appliances, the Energy Star certification (labeling
the most energy efficiency products) does not apply to dryers.
Most similar-sized dryers use equal amounts of energy,
so there isn't a significant difference in energy usage between
models. That said, when you compare different dryer capacities,
there is a big difference in energy expenditure: while a basic 3.6-cubic-foot
dryer has a 398 kWh EnerGuide Rating (how much energy an appliance
consumes in a year), a top-of-the-line fancy 7.3-cubic-foot dryer
uses 965 kWh/year.
Laundry room tips
Once you get your dryer home, there are a few things you can do to make laundry less of a chore and keep your machine running at peak performance.
- Separate loads into heavy, medium and lightweight items. Lighter loads will take less drying time than a mixture of items.
- Extract as much water as possible from clothes before putting them in the dryer, a task made easier by front load washers that spin twice as fast as their conventional cousins.
- Invest in a rigid, good quality aluminum vent hose. Plastic and aluminum venting are both flexible and crushable, so people often push their dryers too close to the wall. This limits air flow, decreasing dryer performance and creates a fire hazard. It may even void the machine's warranty.
- Clean the lint filter after every load. Clogged filters can reduce appliance efficiency, increase drying time and are the number one cause of fire.
- Consider using a clothesline to dry your laundry. If this seems too onerous, start off with the items that are easy to hang but take the longest to dry, such as jeans and towels.
Fiona Wagner is a freelance writer in Georgetown, Ont.
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