Lazy Line Dry

Step 8: If you use a dryer

If you do use a dryer, here are some things you can do to reduce its energy use.

-Don't over-dry clothes. Baking them well past dry wastes energy and can damage clothes. Many new dryers have moisture sensors. Whether or not you have such a sensor, experiment with settings to find the minimum setting that still adequately dries the clothes.
-If you are buying a new washer, get one that has a high-speed spin cycle that gets more water out of the clothes. If you aren't anticipating getting a new washer soon, you can add this capability with a stand-alone high-speed spinner. It gets most of the water out of the clothes before you put them in the dryer, using much less energy.
-Some clothes dry much faster than others. If you need to run some clothes through the dryer to have something to wear to tomorrow's meeting, go ahead and put the lightweight dress shirt in the dryer with some other quick-drying stuff, and save out the cotton canvas pants to line dry.
-Don't run the dryer too empty or too full. It's a waste to run it without a full load, but if it's overfilled, the air can't circulate and it doesn't dry effectively or uniformly.
-Gas powered dryers are overall much more efficient than electric dryers, if you consider the energy losses in the power plant that burns gas to produce the electricity. If you have natural gas supplied to your house, but have an electric dryer, consider upgrading to a gas dryer (if you use it a lot). You can also install a propane tank and a propane-powered dryer even if you don't have natural gas.
-In Europe, one can get heat-pump dryers that effectively use a dehumidifier instead of a simple electric heater to remove moisture from the clothes, drastically decreasing the energy use. Appliance manufacturers say that Americans won't buy them because they are a little slower and we're too impatient. If you are in Europe, you can buy one; if you are in the US, you can call appliance manufacturers and tell them you want one even it it's slower.

Comments

[i_was_like_you]

Another way to dry clothes faster (and thus saving money and / or energy) when using a dryer is to use tennis balls. *Notices your puzzled expression* The tennis balls (two works well) kept the clothes separated to allow the air from the dryer to reach more surfaces of the clothing instead of the clothes just clumping together. OR you could shell out the extra money to buy the "dryer balls" from the as seen on tv section of your local retailer. They work the same, but tennis balls probably cost a lot less. My laundromat even keeps a box of tennis balls for customers to use. I'll admit I was puzzled for a moment the first time I saw it, but I had already seen the dryer balls, so it just clicked. Oh, okay, I understand.

[paqrat]

I bought the dryer balls and haven't noticed a difference. Another possible advantage of the tennis balls is they might possibly collect lint.

[khalednm]

 At the swimming pool that I use, they have a high speed spinner that takes about 30 seconds, and your swimsuit comes out completely dry.  Are there any options like this for domestic use?

[LowEnergy]

 Yes!   Actually the best energy-star washers now have capability like that built in, but you can also buy a stand-alone unit.  There's an expensive one called spin-X and some cheaper ones as well.  

Don't expect them to get everything as dry as they get a swimsuit--cotton holds moisture a lot more than synthetics used in bathing suits.  But they can still make line-drying faster or cut way back on the energy needed for a tumble dryer to finish the job.

[i_was_like_you]

Oh, and that dryer plug that uses lots of power when the dryer is running is still stealing power as long as it's plugged in. Consider unplugging it, and all other unnecessary cords around the house to avoid power vampires. Even if a device or appliance doesn't have a power saver mode (think anything with a remote control and an LED to let you know that it's waiting to roar to life with the push of a button), it's still drawing power just by being plugged in. For series of cords, like your entertainment center or computer desk, just turn off or unplug the surge protector when not in use to avoid the hassle of unplugging and replugging them each separately.

[FooGlacticon]

I don't think so. It looks older, so it probably uses a mechanical timer. Off = no load, in that case.

Same way with dial microwaves. They're great if you can find them; I don't know why we ever went to the digital monstrosities that everyone seems to have in their kitchen.