Do You Tumble Dry Low?

Updated on June 11, 2012
S.S. asks from Los Angeles, CA
19 answers

All the clothing in the world seems to be tumble dry low but when I actually set the dryer to "low", the clothes are never fully dried! So I've been just drying them on high but now my clothes are all too small. lol. do you really tumble dry low? how long does it take to dry?? thanks!

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

love the "low" setting....& it only takes about 45 minutes to dry.

I also use the "air dry" setting....works great, too.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

No I don't.
I don't have the patience to wait.
If I am afraid something will shrink, I just hang it outside.

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K.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

I do tumble dry "low" and set the dryer to "more dry" or "most dry" to make sure everything is, in fact, dry. Takes longer, but it's better for the clothes.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

All our clothes either get hung up to dry or put in the dryer on "More Dry."

Anything we worry about shrinking or damaging, we hang, so that's most of the "low" stuff.

Try throwing a dry towel in with your stuff on low... it really does help speed the drying time.

HTH
T.

1 mom found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I dry some lightweight clothes on low. I tend to do that with clothes that would be similar to a slip like lycra spandex items, tricot, polyester. And very few of them in the dryer. I set the dryer to more dry and on low. That way they are all the way dry but not burned up.

I dry perma press clothes on med or perma press. I dry towels, sheets, underwear and socks, jeans, heavy clothes on high and more dry. They can't really get too dry in my opinion.

If you get perma press clothes to hot they will often get permanent wrinkles.

1 mom found this helpful

N.P.

answers from San Francisco on

Always make sure to clean the lint trap after every load. That helps. The spin cycle on my washer usually gets my clothes to the "mildly damp" stage so when clothing requires "tumble dry low" I usually just hang them outside or on a rack indoors to air dry. Dryers are total energy hogs so I just use them for loads of unfussy clothing, towels and sheets.

1 mom found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

Yes, I do. I am not sure how long it takes as I have a setting that basically runs until they are dry. Jeans and other thick clothes I begin air/hang drying then I tumble dry them (out for 3-4hrs) then into the dryer on low.

1 mom found this helpful
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N.W.

answers from Eugene on

yup, tumble dry on low, take them out, shake them out, hang to finish drying.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

I tumble dry everything on low! I usually break up my laundry into medium sized loads that way everything gets washed and dried without so much wear and tear on them or my appliances.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Yes, I only put the dryer on "low". I live in an apartment and our dryer seems really hot even on the low setting. A whole load of clothes dries in about 45 minutes or even less. If I have something that might shrink I take it out early or just hang it up to dry.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Yes.. But my auto sensor broke last year, so I do the timer now. Takes 1.5 cycles... Or apx 1.5 hours

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Nope. If it doesn't make it through, it wasn't meant to be :)

If you have delicates you care about, dry them separately in a small load.

~.~.

answers from Tulsa on

I don't think I have ever used the low setting with the current dryer I have now. My clothes always shrink in the dryer, no matter what temp I have it set on. I adjust by buying clothes a size up if I know the material will shrink.

I usually use mine on medium, unless I am drying towels and jeans. Those get dried on high. Mine cools down towards the end of the cycle, so that helps when it is time to get the clothes out. My cycles are usually 30-45 minutes. Towels/jeans take about an hour, unless it is a extra large load.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Cleveland on

The only thing i put in the dryer is whites/ underwear towels sheets etc.

all the rest are either layed flat or line dried.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Tumble dry low with my dryer means it will be running all day and the clothes will still be damp.
Life is too short to be waiting on a dryer that long.
We buy clothes so they fit after washing/drying (initially they are a little large).

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Portland on

I really do tumble dry on low. And even then, my t-shirts shrink some over time. You just have to have the dryer dry for a longer period of time. Set yours for the longest time available. I'm guessing it takes 45-60 minutes. I've not really paid attention.

I dry sheets and towels on high.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

I dry on the highest setting and always make a mental note to remove them quickly so they aren't in there too long. Then I remember them when the buzzer goes off. Oh well, I have too many things on my plate, laundry holds a low priority.

My dryer doesn't work well when my lent basket is full. When I notice damp clothes I clean it and the dryer works great again.

Maybe removing the lent will help since my first comment doesn't.

C.P.

answers from Columbia on

Yep.

My front loading washer has an excellent spin. Clothes are mostly dry before I put them into the dryer.

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

I do dry everything but towels and bedding on low. Towels and bedding get high. I also use the extra high spin cycle to remove as much water as possible. Yes, it takes longer to dry but the pictures on shirts don't crack and melt and things don't shrink. I have a large capacity HE machine so I can fit a ton of laundry in there. I tend to set it for 1hr 20 mins on low. If it's a load of lighter weight clothing it doesn't always take that long. If it's a load of nothing but jeans I might need to add 10-15 mins depending on if it's the first load and therefore the machine is starting from cold.
It is worth the extra time to not ruin all our clothes IMO.
I also turn everything inside out to protect the designs on the clothing and to really clean the part of the material that is actually touching the body.

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