Let’s be honest, we’re all looking for smart tips to save money on electricity!

Between fuel hikes and the rather frightening rise in the cost of powering our homes, our bills can quickly become grudge purchases. (To be fair, we’d much rather spend our hard-earned cash on a beach holiday for our family!) And this is just one of many reasons we’re looking at how to save energy when using our tumble dryer.

Do We Really Need a Tumble Dryer?

Some may argue that a tumble dryer is not a necessity and that we can just as

easily hang our clothes out to dry in the sun. That’s a surefire way to save energy, right?

Perhaps it is.

But by that logic, we can also hand wash our clothes and clean our dishes in the sink. Yes, tumble dryers are pretty greedy appliances and can gobble up a lot of power when left to their own devices. But they are also incredibly useful in certain situations:

●      People who live in flats or small apartments may not have any space to hang wet clothing.

●      Some may live in areas where their laundry simply isn’t guaranteed to be on the washing line when they come home from work, thanks to some opportunistic midday “shoppers”.

●      Families with small children may need clothes dried quickly for school or simply because the baby keeps throwing up on himself.

●      When family members are ill and convalescing at home, washing and tumble-drying their clothes and bedding stops the spread of bacteria.

●      Sometimes, it can be cheaper to pop a handful of clothes in the dryer and fold them than to iron them individually.

Now that we all agree that a dryer is a pretty handy appliance let’s find out how to manage it correctly.

Be smart when sorting clothes

Your energy-efficiency journey starts when you’re sorting clothes for drying.

Keep like items together. Drying heavy items such as thick cotton or jeans together with lighter fabrics will damage your more fragile clothes while keeping them damp for longer. (Which kind of defeats the whole object.) Viscose and lighter fabrics usually dry pretty quickly, so keep them in separate loads.

Don't overload the drum. If you're drying too much laundry at once, it can lead to a longer cycle time and more wear on your tumble dryer. Some machines have handy guides for this printed on their lids or sides; others might not have any such feature but still indicate how many kilograms they can hold at one time by showing their maximum weight capacity.

Don't use the dryer for wet clothes! Not only will this result in a painfully long drying cycle, but it will put a significant strain on your appliance. Instead, let items air-dry first whenever possible - especially if they came straight out of the washing machine - and then pop them in for a light tumble to remove creases and the last bit of moisture.

Use energy-saving features

You may find that you can use the cool setting for most clothes. While it might seem counterintuitive, there are many reasons why using a lower heat setting is better for your dryer and your clothes. For example, it will help to prevent creases in your garments, which can be hard to iron out if you use high heat settings. Plus, by using cooler temperatures, you can save energy each time you use your tumble dryer.

Use the warm setting for towels and other items that need to be dry but not hot (like bedding or gym clothes). The warm setting won't damage these items as higher temperatures can.

Use the hot setting when drying small loads of heavy cottons like jeans or cotton sheets—these types of fabrics tend to dry quicker on a hotter setting than on a cooler one, so don’t waste time waiting around!

Clean the filter regularly

You should clean the lint filter before each use. A build-up of trapped debris makes your machine work harder for no reason, and each load will take longer and use more power. Be sure to clean the area immediately around the filter too, perhaps even giving it a gentle vacuum if possible.

Clean your condenser regularly

Take a look at your appliance manual and determine where your condenser (heat exchange) unit is, and remove it for a good clean at least once a month. Built-up lint, dust and debris block the vents and prevent the flow of air, which reduces the efficiency of your dryer drastically.

Be sure to empty the water out of your condenser dryer frequently too.

Use a timer

Use a timer! You can set the timer on your tumble dryer so that it automatically switches off after 30 minutes or an hour of drying time. It’s just too easy to forget that you’ve got laundry drying in another room, especially since most dryers are pretty quiet appliances.

Awesome Appliances

If your dryer is a little tired and in need of replacement, then you’ll likely look for the most energy-efficient dryer available. Smart move! Perhaps consider the 8kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer which boasts an A+ energy rating and a host of energy-saving features.

We hope this post has given you some useful tips for saving energy at home, which will also save you some cash along the way.

For more information on Defy’s awesome appliances please visit our website, or contact us for more information.