6 Clothes Dryer Myths – Debunked

If you have a dryer in your home, then you know that it is a lifesaver for all things laundry. Seriously, how did we ever live without them?! While they are a household staple, though, they are also machines that require proper use to keep them functioning properly. Because of this, there are a lot of mixed opinions floating around regarding how to use them correctly. So many, in fact, that it’s hard to know what is true and what is false. 

If you’ve found yourself questioning your dryer usage and you’re curious about common clothes dryer myths, keep reading below. 

Common dryer myths

There are tons of dryer myths out there, ranging from the semi-accurate to the downright ridiculous. Below are the top 6 common dryer myths we hear about all the time:

High heat causes shrinking

A very popular dryer myth is that using high heat can cause shrinking. While it feels like this would be accurate, it’s actually not. Clothes shrink when there’s a lack of moisture. Since clothes are placed into the dryer after being in the washer, this is a non-issue.  Additionally, most dryers have sensors in them designed to turn off the dryer once the moisture level drops below a certain point and the clothing is officially dry. 

If you’ve had clothing shrink in the past, it’s probably got more to do with the clothing’s material and drying specifications then it does with the dryer itself. Try reading the labels before putting anything in the dryer to save clothes from any potential damage. 

Dryer lint is no big deal

If high energy bills, longer drying times, and potential fires are no big deal to you, then dryer lint isn’t either. However, the majority of people don’t like any of those situations.

With just a little bit of effort, you can skip all of those potential issues and practice safe laundry technique. Just make sure that after every load, you’re emptying the lint trap completely and throwing it away before starting a new load. It’s that easy! 

You can’t overload a dryer

Believe it or not, you actually can overload your dryer. Every college student who’s ever had to do their own laundry is rolling their eyes at this one, but hear us out.

While the dryer may have tons of room in it, filling it to the brim is not efficient or safe. This is because dryers need air circulation to work properly. If you fill them up completely, you’re not allowing the air to circulate and dry your clothes. This means that the machine has to work much harder to dry the load and long term use like this tends to damage the drum, motor, and other important dryer components. Long story short – don’t do it!

Dryer sheets can cause fires

This one may be surprising, but dryer sheets don’t actually cause fires. Since the sheets sit in the drum with your clothes, they never actually get into the vent system to clog it up.The only fire hazard you should be concerned about is lint build up in the trap and the vent. Just make sure that you’re cleaning the lint screen often and you’re removing all dryer sheets form the drum every time you remove a load of laundry. 

The dryer is eating your socks

This one may shock you, so hang onto something – the dryer is actually NOT the sock monster. It’s just a dryer. Before you go providing your singleton socks as evidence to the contrary, know that often times, socks are just behind the dryer or under it. In some cases, they may be sucked up into the agitator but that’s pretty rare. So if you find that your socks are coming out mismatched, check around first before claiming the sock monster as the culprit. They may just be hiding from you.

The ducts don’t need cleaning

Our personal favorite dryer myth is that the dryer exhaust duct doesn’t need cleaning. This is entirely false. The dryer exhaust duct should be cleaned at least once a year, if not more often depending on your dryer usage. This is because the dryer exhaust duct can become backed up with lint, which can then put your home at an increased risk of laundry fires.

Dryer exhaust cleaning

Are you concerned that your dryer exhaust needs to be cleaned? If so, contact AIRPRO Indoor Air Solutions. We are dryer exhaust exerts and can offer you exceptional dryer duct cleaning services. Whether you’re just in need of regular maintenance or you’ve never done it before and need professional guidance, we are here for you.

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Contact us today to schedule your dryer exhaust cleaning appointment.