We asked Matt Stevens, tumble drying expert at Which?, what he'd never do when dealing with dryers.
Be inspired to make home improvements.5 things I’d never do as a tumble dryer expert
1. Let the lint filter get clogged up
The lint filter on a tumble dryer is designed to trap any stray fibres from clothes which could clog up the vent hose.
A clogged filter will stop the air circulating properly, meaning your clothes won't dry as efficiently. This can mean you're tumble drying for longer than you need to, making your machine more expensive to run.
Lint build-up is also flammable, and can cause an increase in temperature in your machine. Tumble dryers come with a thermal cut-off, so the machine will be designed to stop working when it gets too hot inside the drum.
Clear the lint filter after every use to keep your dryer running smoothly and safely.
2. Ignore the heat exchanger on a condenser dryer
A condenser dryer works slightly differently to a vented dryer. Instead of heated air drying the clothes and being expelled as steam, a heat exchanger condenses the warm air from the wet clothes into water, which is then collected in a reservoir under the machine.
Much like a lint filter, the heat exchanger can get clogged up. The heat exchanger is a small, shoebox-sized plastic and metal device at the front of the machine. Once removed, you can clean away the fluff by hand or under a tap. Try to clean it once a month – check the manual or visit the manufacturer's website for instructions.
The same goes for the lower filter on a heat pump dryer, which comes in two parts. The front filter is a sponge that can be removed and rinsed under the tap. Behind it is the heat exchange unit or evaporator. Unlike the unit on a condenser dryer, this can't be removed, so it needs to be gently brushed clean every now and then.
3. Run an overfilled (or half-empty) dryer
To dry clothes effectively, tumble dryers need to be able to circulate hot air within the drum. Overfilling means that drying takes much longer, the quality of the drying will be reduced (you might find a damp sock lurking), and too much heat could build up in the drum.
We compared eco and standard programs on 12 tumble dryers to find out4. Put wool in a tumble dryer
Our general advice is to avoid using a tumble dryer when drying wool because the temperatures reached in the drum are simply too high. Heat from the tumble dryer causes the fibres to interlock, making the fabric tighter and smaller.
This is especially true of vented or condenser tumble dryers, where drum temperatures will be significantly higher than with heat pump machines.
Our tests show that, every now and then, a dryer comes along that can gently dry woollens without shrinking them, but they’re few and far between. You're better off air-drying your woollen garments.
5. Buy a tumble dryer based on price alone
When shopping for a new tumble dryer, consider more than just the upfront cost. You'll need to think about the running costs, size, the features you'll need, and how frequently you'll use it.
Instead, an energy-efficient heat pump tumble dryer might cost you more upfront, but uses less than half the energy of a vented or condenser dryer, so it will work out cheaper in the long run.
Members can even filter our reviews by annual running costs, drying time, quietness, brand, price and more.
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