If you\u2019re short on time and in a rush, it\u2019s easy to just throw everything in the dryer from the washer. And call it a day\u2014but there can be some major consequences for some of your clothing if you do that. So, we reached out to dryer experts to find out exactly what should never, ever end up in a dryer. And trust us, it\u2019s worth taking an extra minute to make sure your machine is free of these 14 things.\n

– by Reader’s Digest\n

Flammable stains\n
According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2010 and 2014, U.S. municipal fire departments responded to almost 16,000 fires that involved dryers. And washing machines. Of those statistics, dryers were the culprit of 92 percent of them. While it might seem obvious to never put anything that can catch on fire in your dryer, it\u2019s easy to just toss those pants you spilled gas on in the dryer without thinking. \u201cWashing clothes will not completely remove oil residues,\u201d says Tim Adkisson, Director of Product Engineering at Sears Home Services. \u201cFailure to obey this warning can result in \ufb01re, explosion, or death.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Activewear\n
While tossing your activewear into the dryer won\u2019t damage the machine itself, it could ruin your clothing. Since most activewear is sweat-wicking or even coated to protect from the sun\u2019s rays, it\u2019s definitely not dryer-friendly. \u201cDrying your activewear in the dryer. And exposing it to all that high heat and friction can be damaging to the functional components. That these technical fabrics are developed for,\u201d – according to Brit Turner, co-founder of Fit Atelier. \u201cThe heat can also wear away on any elastic properties that your garments may contain and weakens the material\u2014leading to tears, holes, picks, and runs.\u201d Instead, Turner suggests hanging. Or laying your activewear flat to dry after washing it in a cold or delicate washing cycle.\n
$\"\"$ \n
Dryer sheets\n
Yes, you read that right. While dryer sheets might be intended to be used, well, in the dryer, that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re good for your health. \u201cThey are bad for your respiratory system, your skin, and moreover, the environment,\u201d says Dr. Elizabeth Trattner A.P. DOM, doctor of Chinese and Integrative Medicine. \u201cThese are toxic and cause long-term health hazards. It is worth throwing them out and trading them in for a healthier option like scented wool balls using essential oils.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Lingerie\n
As anyone who has tossed lingerie in the dryer might know, this greatly reduces its lifespan. \u201cDo not put a good investment in the dryer. Heat will shorten the lifespan of a bra and wear down the latex, lace and other fabric in it,\u201d according to Dr. Elizabeth Trattner A.P. DOM, doctor of Chinese and Integrative Medicine. \u201cTreat your undergarments with respect. Put bras in special lingerie bags and remove them and hang them from the washing machine or better yet hand wash and hang dry.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Chewing gum\n
While you\u2019re probably not actively trying to dry your chewing gum, it does occasionally get thrown in there by accident. And unfortunately, by the time you notice, the damage has probably already been done. \u201cGum can have lasting damage if left in the pockets of your clothes,\u201d says Josh Matteson, a writer for Lula, a home services on-demand company. \u201cIt can either permanently stick itself to clothes or fall out of the pocket and stretch all over the wall of your dryer.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Sandy towels and beachwear\n
Warm sand might be nice to sit down and relax in when you\u2019re at the beach, but it can be a pretty pesky nuisance if it ends up in your dryer. \u201cSand can get trapped between gaps in the drum,\u201d according to James Peters, Kenmore Laundry Product Manager. \u201cThis adds an irritating sound when drying and can damage the dryer over time.\u201d\n\n
$\"\"$ \n
Pet hair\n
Anyone who has a furry friend at home knows just how messy things can get\u2014their hair ends up everywhere. But one place where it should never, ever end up is in the dryer. If the hair builds up over time, it could begin combining with lint and debris around it. Especially if the lint screen isn\u2019t emptied before every load. \u201cExcess dryer lint is a major fire hazard, can cause your dryer to become damaged. And also reduces the efficiency of your dryer,\u201d according to Dave Lavalle, founder of Dryer Vent Wizard. \u201cTo avoid a possible fire sparking, make sure to keep the areas around your dryer. Including underneath and behind, free of extra pet hair, lint, and debris that might build up.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Spandex\n
If you\u2019ve ever bought spandex leggings or yoga pants, you probably know that they can be pretty expensive. With that being said, if you toss them in the dryer, they probably won\u2019t ruin your machine itself\u2014but there\u2019s a good chance they\u2019ll shrink a bit, which could be costly to replace. \u201c[They should] be hang-dried to avoid shrinking,\u201d says Peters. \u201cAlthough many people will also dry them with an air dry cycle with good results.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Suede\n
According to jsonline.com, while some faux leather is actually washable, it should never be put in the dryer. \u201cHeat melts plastic, ruining your garment and possibly your dryer. This obviously rules out ironing as well.\u201d The same goes for dry cleaning. Ultimately, air drying your suede garments is definitely your best bet.\n
$\"\"$ \n
Tights or pantyhose\n
If you\u2019ve ever worn tights, you probably know how easy it is for them to rip and tear. And after a trip in the dryer, that little hole that wasn\u2019t noticeable before is probably running down the entire leg. The material your tights are made out of might even cause them shrink when its exposed to high heat. \u201cThe best thing you can is to air dry them, but do NOT hang them! Hang drying tights will stretch out the material and even potentially ruin them,\u201d says Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics. \u201cAs an alternative, try rolling your freshly laundered tights into a dry towel and let them dry overnight.\u201d\n
$\"\"$ \n
Anything embellished\n
Unfortunately, you should probably find another way to dry your favorite sequined top. Sequins, gems, stones, or whatever other items that are embellished onto your garments can hook onto other items in the dryer, or even the dryer itself. This can potentially damage the garment itself and its surroundings.\n
$\"\"$ \n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019re short on time and in a rush, it\u2019s easy to just throw everything in the dryer from the washer. And call it a day\u2014but there can be some major consequences for some of your clothing if you do that. So, we reached out to dryer experts to find out exactly what should never,\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[85,96,163,39,30,46,6,31,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-9882","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-cleaning-mistake","9":"tag-diy-home","10":"tag-dryer","11":"tag-home-organization","12":"tag-household-hacks","13":"tag-life-hacks","14":"tag-life-style","15":"tag-tips","16":"tag-tricks"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Colorful-Pop-Tutorial-YouTube-Thumbnail-1-2.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9882"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9882\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}