Washing and drying machines are sold and marketed together as the appliance equivalent of peanut butter and jelly. Having one without the other seems silly until the electric bills come in the mail.

On average, it costs 50 cents per load to run a dryer. This amounts to about $2.50 a week for the average household using electric dryers or about $1.50 per week if a gas dryer is used. That money adds up pretty quickly. The cost of a clothes dryer does not stop with the electric bill. There is the initial purchase of the machine, which runs between $100-$200, and the expedited wear and tear of the clothing. Here are ways to reduce the cost of clothes dryers.


Paying for Convince:

Drying clothes in the dryer has a few hidden costs that seem minute but add up to serious money over the life span of a dryer (18 years on average). Electric dryers alone account for 8% of residential energy consumption. Is placing clothes in a dryer worth 8% of the electric bill?

Dryers are a wonderfully quick way to dry clothes. They are also fantastic at setting stains and decreasing the longevity of clothes and linens. The fibers take a beating in the machine and wear out before their time. That means using a dyer is also costing money through the purchase of new clothes and the need to replace worn out towels.

Compare the cost of using a dryer with the cost of using a clothesline or an indoor clothes rack. The up front cost there is between $5-$20, which is recovered in savings after the first month. In addition to the added savings, air-dried laundry lasts longer, the sun helps remove stains from light clothing and ultraviolet rays kill bacteria.

Dryer Maintenance:


There are a few ways to maintain the dryer to insure it works at peak efficiency:

●  Make sure the dryer is vented properly. The exhaust should be vented outside. To best ventilate, use the straightest and shortest metal duct available. The more flexible ducts (such as vinyl) tend to restrict airflow.

●  The outside dryer exhaust vent should close tightly to keep the outside air from leaking into the home. This will reduce heating and cooling bills. A replacement vent may be found at most home and renovation stores.

●  The lint filter in the dryer should be cleaned after every load to improve air circulation.


Economical use of the Dryer:


Here are a few steps to take in order to decrease the electric costs of running a dryer:


●  Locate your dryer in a heated space. Putting it in a cold or damp basement will make the dryer work harder and less efficiently.

●  Use the cool-down cycle (perma-press cycle) to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.

●  Full loads for the dryer are more economical than small loads. Two small loads of laundry may take 30 minutes each whereas a full drying load may take a total of 45 minutes.

●  Dry two or more loads in a row. This enables the following load to take advantage of the remaining head from previous loads.

●  Use half of a dryer sheet per load. The clothes will not notice the difference.


Fabulously Fast Fact:

Washers and Dryers in the United States alone are the cause of 13 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.


Frugal Fanatic Tip:

To save time and space while air drying shirts, hang them on hangers. They become less wrinkled, take up less space on the drying rack, shower rod or clothes line and are ready to hang in the closet as soon as they are dried.
 

 

About the Author: Melina Gosselin is a free-lance writer who holds a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Business from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. She has worked in the non-profit sector both in the United States and Canada. She currently resides in New Hampshire.  She may be contacted via email at FabulouslyFrugal