All posts in: Clothes Dryers

Cut energy bills: Dry your clothes the right way

Home & Garden
By Amy Livingston on September 25, 2011 in

dryer with towels

There's no denying it: your clothes dryer is one of the biggest energy hogs in your home. And unfortunately, replacing it with a newer model is unlikely to save you much. In fact, according to the Energy Star website, most dryers no matter the age, use roughly the same amount of energy to dry a specific volume of clothing. Given there's little energy efficiency to be gained from a new dryer, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recommends not replacing a working dryer until it has reached the end of functioning life (about 12 years). If you're in the market for a new dryer, check out our updated clothes dryers report.

Sticking with your old dryer and looking to save energy? Since drying your laundry on a line outside might not be a possibility, we compiled this list of simple ways to cut down drying time and, in effect, your utility bills as well:

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Awesome Black Friday washer/dryer deal... for vampires

Home & Garden
By Christine Frietchen on November 9, 2010 in

Sears washer

Halloween is over, but vampires and other creatures of the night can snag a fantastic deal on a front-loading washer and dryer pair from Sears -- just $600 for the pair according to the leaked Black Friday ad posted on BlackFriday.info and similar sites. The catch? You better get ready to tailgate: each store will only have FOUR of them available after the 4:00 a.m. opening on November 26. Of course, this is from a leaked circular, which may or may not be the real thing.

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Best new dryer innovation might also be the simplest

Home & Garden
By Christine Frietchen on October 25, 2010 in

Whirlpool dryer

Last week, we stopped by the joint Whirlpool/Maytag press event intended to show off fancy new laundry gear. Are you ready for an LCD touchscreen and a USB port on your washer and dryer? Also new are dedicated function buttons -- kind of like the "popcorn" button on your microwave, only for jeans and towels instead. You can also custom-select dirt levels and can tweak controls to maximize energy efficiency. And did we mention the new auto-inspired paint jobs? But do you really need any of this stuff in your laundry room? Instead of gee-whiz digital tech and iPhone-style control panels, we think two new under-the-radar features are more likely to cut down on everyday laundry annoyances. One of those -- a new baffle system for dryers -- was a real slap-your-forehead moment for Whirlpool engineers, according to senior brand managers Tanu Grewal and Brandon Buckingham.

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High and dry: Clothes dryer considerations

Home & Garden
By Sarah Burns on March 12, 2010 in

Dryer

Need a new dryer? Today's drying technology is fairly standard. Instead, current clothes dryers mainly differ in terms of noise insulation, capacity,  appearance, and extra features. For instance, pricier dryers may feature more bells and whistles like electronic control panels and stainless-steel drums, but experts say all these extras aren't essential. Recent reviews demonstrate that some budget brands also perform very well.

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