By Lisa Milbrand
Toss Your Iron
That magical permanent-press setting that most people never use is a wrinkle-reducing marvel and gentler on clothes, helping them last longer.
The secret? It runs a little less hot than a standard drying cycle and switches to an even cooler temperature later in the cycle to help keep wrinkles at bay.
Sound the Alarm If Something’s Wrong
Some newer dryers have built-in sensors that monitor the dryer-vent status. These models will sound the alarm if the vent gets clogged—which could help prevent a fire.
Learn about some surprising home hazards.
Refresh Your Down Comforter
If your down comforter has flattened out and lost a little bit of its fluff, running it through a dryer with several tennis balls can help restore its usual loft.
Be Super Energy Efficient
For the longest time, clothes dryers didn’t earn Energy Star ratingsbecause they were energy devourers. But in the past few years, several models have been released that can use 20 to 40 percent less energy than standard models.
Dry Your Sneakers Silently
Drying sneakers in the dryer can make a sound like a cement mixer, and they could wreck the appliance. But with a drying rack installed in the dryer, you can cut back on the noise that comes with drying heavy, clunky shoes.
Kill Germs
Most dryers these days come with a handy sanitize cycle—and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of it. Run your germiest clothing through the dryer on that setting, and you can kiss those germs goodbye.
Dry Your Delicates
You don’t necessarily have to air-dry your unmentionables—or your child’s beloved stuffed animal—anymore. Some newer models, like the Samsung Flexdry, have a separate, smaller dryer section custom-made for keeping your more delicate items safe.
Refresh an Outfit
Some newer clothes dryers can help you easily get a wrinkled or not-so-fresh outfit ready to go. The dryers are hooked up to cold water: The machine heats the water to create steam, releasing wrinkles and adding freshness.
Kill Off Bugs
The heat of the dryer is an all-natural (and fast) way to murder ticks, bedbugs, or lice, according to the University of Minnesota. Just make sure to run the objects in the dryer for at least 30 minutes at high heat to kill them off.
