Dryers are pretty heavy-duty, so you might think of the damage doing laundry can inflict on one. Put the wrong thing in your dryer, though, and you’ll definitely notice it. Plus, putting the wrong item of clothing in your dryer might not only damage your dryer, but the item itself; not to mention, it could also raise the risk of a dryer fire. Here’s a look at the items you should never put in your dryer!
- Embellished items. If you love sequins or other embellishments on your clothing or pillows, you may not want to put those items in the dryer. Embellishments can break off, melt, or even get stuck in the dryer vents. And if there’s any glue on those embellishments, that glue can melt which will ruin your clothes.
- Activewear. Activewear won’t harm your dryer, but putting these items in your dryer can definitely ruin the clothes. A lot of activewear involves sweat-wicking material, which is a material that isn’t dryer friendly. Exposing that sort of material to high heat can causes holes and tears, damage the functionality, and eat away at the elasticity. It’s best to lay activewear flat or hang it up to dry.
- Pet hair. You aren’t just sticking pet hair into the dryer, of course. But anytime you throw your furry friend’s blankets, bedding, clothing, or toys into the wash, the washing machine won’t get rid of all the pet hair on the item. And that’s bad news for your dryer! When pet hair gets into your dryer, it will start to build-up and add to lint, which creates a fire hazard. (And if you have pets in the home, we absolutely recommend getting your dryer vents cleaned regularly!) Air dry any items belonging to your pet instead.
- Beachwear. Beach season is behind us, but you should be prepared for next time it rolls around. That means knowing that the beach isn’t great for your dryer. If you throw a towel or bathing suit into the dryer that has sand in it, it could end up damaging the inside of the dryer. (Not to mention your bathing suit can begin to lose its stretchiness because of the dryer’s heat!)
- Items with chemical and oil stains. The majority of home fires begin with the dryer, and throwing in clothing or towels stained with chemicals or oil is one of the ways those fires start. It seems obvious not to toss a towel with gasoline into the dryer; of course, you’d wash it first, right? But the thing is that washing that item doesn’t guarantee there won’t still be an oily residue on it. And when you toss that into the dryer, it could lead to a fire. Always, always air dry items that have had chemicals or oils on them!
- Suede. Suede is another material that isn’t dryer friendly (and isn’t friendly to the material either!). Suede and high heat don’t mix, so putting a suede item in the dryer means the suede could distort, melt, or crack. And that could also harm the inside of your dryer.
There are plenty of other items that shouldn’t go in the dryer—rubber-backed mats, lace, lingerie, tennis shoes—but that’s mostly for the item’s own good, not the dryer’s (excepting the rubber-backed mats). Being careful about what goes into your dryer can not only lengthen its lifespan, but also keeps you safer from dryer fires. Dry responsibly!
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