Dryers and washers should last a good long time (especially if you’re doing things like keeping your dryer vents cleaned out!). But did you know you might be doing things that shorten the lifespans of your dryer and washer? It’s true! You might be doing things that are taking years off the life of your appliances, so read on to find out what you should avoid doing!
Are you properly sorting your laundry each wash? We know sorting laundry is an annoying task that seems to only take up time, but it turns out laundry sorting is important. When you dry things together that don’t weigh equal (or close to equal amounts), such as towels and t-shirts, then you can throw the balance of your dryer off, which could cause damage in the long term!
Something else you may be doing that’s shortening your appliances’ lifespans is overrunning your machines. The more you use your dryer and washer, the sooner they’ll break down. Try to keep laundry to merely eight loads a week to keep the lifespan of your appliances in the low double digits.
Tell us—did you read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to properly maintain your dryer and washer when you got the machine? Chances are, you didn’t (most people don’t!), but looking at these instructions is one of the top things you can do to lengthen the life of your appliances. So, grab the owner’s manual and take a quick look through it!
Think about how much detergent you use in your washing machine when you do a load of laundry; we often think more is better, but that doesn’t apply to detergent. The more detergent you put in your washer, the more suds you get, making it more likely that your machine will overflow. Plus, this requires more energy from your machine to wash the clothes (since extra rinses are automatically added to rinse out extra suds) and increases the wear and tear on your washing machine. Add in the fact that more detergent doesn’t equal cleaner laundry, but can actually lead to soap residue on your clothes, and it’s just not worth it!
Are you drying and washing things that shouldn’t be dried and washed? That item of clothing that says it should be hand-washed doesn’t say that just for the sake of the clothes. It may be that there’s a piece on the clothing (zippers, hooks, underwire) that can damage the drum of one of your appliances or scratch up the interior of one of your machines. Then some items don’t belong in your dryer like bath mats and pillows. These sorts of things might contain elements (like rubber) that can be a serious fire hazard when placed in the dryer!
Just like with detergent, more dryer sheets do not equal softer, fresher-smelling clothing. Rather the overuse of dryer sheets can lead to the gumming up of the interior of your dryer. You might have noticed that dryer sheets have a bit of a waxy feel to them. That layer of the dryer sheets melts when it goes through the dryer, so adding too many dryer sheets means things are getting gummed up from that waxiness (particularly the lint trap!). This is one reason it’s so vital to have your lint trap deep-cleaned every once in a while (which we at Dryer Vent Wizard are more than happy to do for you!).
Finally, when it comes to your dryer, not keeping your dryer vents clean can take years off the life of your dryer. If you aren’t keeping your dryer vents clean and clear, your dryer is having to work twice as hard to dry your clothing, which increases wear and tear on your dryer. So, be sure to have your vents professionally cleaned each year!
As you can see, there are many ways you might be shortening the lifespans of your dryer and washer. There are also plenty of ways to fix the issue, though, so your appliances last as long as possible. Avoid doing the things listed above, and give us a call when you need a hand, and your dryer should have a long, happy life!
We're the experts for professional Massapequa dryer vent cleaning and repair, after all! Give us a call at 516-780-0150 so Dryer Vent Wizard of Massapequa can help you save energy, time, and money. Some of the towns we service include Rockville Centre NY, Oceanside NY, Lynbrook NY, Hewlett NY, Cedarhurst NY, and many others!
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