There are few simple joys in life more satisfying than warm, fresh, and maybe even lightly scented laundry emerging from the dyer. However, sometimes your clothing is not all it could be by the time the drying cycle ends. Rest assured, to complement your washer hacks and general laundry hacks, we've gathered some helpful dryer hacks to help you achieve clean clothes perfection.
1. Use aluminum foil to eliminate static.
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Hate being shocked by the static buildup in your freshly dried clothes? Wool dryer balls are a go-to solution, but if you don't have any on hand, you can try using aluminum foil instead. Tear off a piece, crumple it up into a tight ball so it doesn't snag on your clothes, and toss it into your dryer. If you typically use dryer sheets, you might even prefer aluminum foil because there's far less waste — the foil can be used over and over again, rather than just once.
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2. Speed up drying time with a towel.
Sometimes we need our clothes dry, and we need them dry now. Here's how to speed up the drying process:
- Grab a clean, dry towel from your bathroom.
- Toss it into your dryer along with a batch of wet laundry.
- Keep the towel in there for the first 15 minutes of the drying cycle.
- Remove the towel.
The towel will help absorb some of the water from your damp clothes, allowing them to dry faster. You'll want to take it out at 15 minutes because once wet, the towel could have the opposite effect and start contributing to the moisture in your dryer.
3. Use ice cubes to de-wrinkle.
It happens to the best of us. We toss wet clothes into the dryer, run it, get busy with life, and then realize that the dry clothes have been sitting in the dryer all day, gathering wrinkles. To get rid of them fast, grab a handful of ice cubes from your freezer, toss them in the dryer with your wrinkled clothes, and run a quick cycle. The heat will cause the ice cubes to turn into steam that will de-wrinkle your clothes with ease.
4. Get rid of pet hair by drying your clothes first.
Anyone with a dog or cat knows the feeling of looking down to find your entire outfit covered in fur. Don't worry, we have the purrfect hack for that. Instead of tossing your clothes straight into the washing machine, dry your pet hair–covered clothes first. The dryer will help lift a lot of the hair off your clothes before you soak them in the washing machine.
5. Use tennis balls to stop your bedding from balling up.
We love (pardon the tennis pun) this hack to help prevent your bedding from balling up in the dryer, which makes it much harder to dry. Throw a few tennis balls into your dryer along with your blankets and sheets. The tumbling tennis balls will help improve air circulation inside the dryer, allowing these larger pieces of fabric to dry properly.
6. Fold your clothes right after the dryer cycle ends — and use a laundry folder.
The best way to prevent your freshly dried clothes from wrinkling is to fold them immediately after the dryer cycle finishes. But we know folding can be a pain. For easy folding, employ the use of a laundry folder, an origami-like board that makes folding clothes with precision a breeze. You'll have your drawer or shelves looking like a retail store in no time.
7. Swap dryer sheets for dryer balls.
This hack combines the best of the aluminum foil and tennis ball tricks. Try swapping out dryer sheets and tennis balls for wool dryer balls, which help with air circulation, fend off wrinkles, and hasten the drying process. They're also great for bedding, preventing it from balling up in the dryer and staying damp. If you're an essential oil person, you can also try adding a few drops of your favorite fragrance to the dryer balls to give your clothes a fresh scent.