9 Things You Never Knew Your Dryer Could Do

If you’re using that machine only to dry clothes, you’re missing out. Find out some more ways your dryer can make your life even easier.

1 / 9
Modern iron and shirt on board
Photo: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Replace your iron

That magical permanent-press setting that most people never use is a wrinkle-reducing marvel and gentler on clothes, helping them last a little longer. The secret? It runs a little less hot than a standard drying cycle and switches to an even cooler temperature later in the cycle to help keep wrinkles at bay.

Check out these 12 essential laundry tips and tricks.

2 / 9
Tumble dryer vent
Photo: Ercesuzan/Shutterstock

Sound the alarm if something’s wrong

Some newer dryers have built-in sensors that monitor the dryer-vent status. These models will sound the alarm if the vent gets clogged—which could help you prevent a fire.

Find out the 10 most common causes of house fires in Canada.

3 / 9
bedsheets
Photo: Jes2u/Shutterstock

Refresh your down comforter

If your down comforter has flattened out a bit and lost a little bit of its fluff, running it through a dryer with several tennis balls can help restore its usual loft.

Here are 16 genius cleaning hacks from professional cleaners.

4 / 9
Laundry machine at work
Photo: Pung/Shutterstock

Be super energy efficient

For the longest time, clothes dryers didn’t earn Energy Star ratings because they were energy devourers. But within the past few years, several models have been released that can use 20 to 40 per cent less energy than standard models.

Don’t miss these brilliant DIY cleaning products for every room in the house.

5 / 9
sneakers urban background, sneakers in hand
Photo: Dzmitry Khomich/Shutterstock

Dry your sneakers silently

Drying sneakers can make a sound like a cement mixer, and they could wreck your dryer. But with a drying rack installed in the dryer, you can cut back on the noise that comes with running heavy, clunky shoes in the dryer.

Be sure you know these traditional cleaning tricks that don’t actually work.

6 / 9
Men's briefs socks and shirts weigh in the bathroom on the rope to dry. Linen for every day of the week, linens for every day, bachelor panties, family panties
Photo: SerdyukPhotography/Shutterstock

Kill germs

Most dryers these days come with a handy sanitize cycle—and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of it. Run your germiest clothing through the dryer on that setting, and you can kiss those germs goodbye.

Check out these fast tricks to clean your house while you sleep.

7 / 9
fungus in underwear women so dirty on white background
Photo: Monning27/Shutterstock

Dry your delicates

You don’t necessarily have to air-dry your unmentionables—or your child’s beloved stuffed animal—anymore. Newer models have a separate, smaller dryer section custom-made for keeping your not-so-dryable items safe.

Lazy people will appreciate these 11 brilliant cleaning shortcuts.

8 / 9
Studio shot of couple of man's shirts on a grey background
Photo: Lev Savitskiy/Shutterstock

Refresh an outfit

Some newer clothes dryers can help you easily get a wrinkled or not-so-fresh outfit ready to go. The dryers are hooked up to cold water: The machine heats the water to create steam, releasing wrinkles and adding freshness.

Declutter every room in your home with this step-by-step guide.

9 / 9
The bed bug crawls over the gray paper
Photo: Dmitrii Erekhinskii/Shutterstock

Kill off bugs

The heat of the dryer is an all-natural (and fast) way to murder ticks, bedbugs, or lice, according to the University of Minnesota. Just make sure to run the objects in the dryer for at least 30 minutes at high heat to kill them off.

Next, check out these simple solutions for tough stains.

Reader's Digest
Originally Published on Reader's Digest