Dryers and Towels

[mattl]

I finally got my Whirlpool Gas Duet dryer running today, been a pain.  I dried a load of towels in it and was surprised at how they felt fluffier.  I had been using my Kenmore Electronic 90 dryer from the mid 90's, never on high, always set to not over dry, yet there is a definite difference in the end result.

 

Anyone else notice different results with different dryers?  I know the Filtrator's have a reputation for doing a great job on towels, but I've never run across one.

 

[alr2903]

Yeah!  Glad you got your  G.  dryer running.  Just my opinion, mine does not get any hotter than the electric dryer we had at our previous home.  But it gets up to drying temp very fast.  Gas dryers have a tad of moisture from the combustion  from what I remember reading here.  So fluffier towels sounds right to me.  Another bonus you save money drying with gas.  alr

 

[wayupnorth]

I grew up with a gas dryer and now have had an electric dryer since 1984. All of the dryers had to have the lint filter cleaned at least once during drying. Especially if you have pets, you will have pet hair everywhere and that lint screen will catch alot but that corner of the house you just cleaned is full of hair again. I nicely tell both of them to please stop shedding and they ignore me and shed more just for me to clean up, lol.

 

[mattl]

Yes, it was a bit of a hassle getting the Duet up and running, but all is good now.  My other dryer is gas also, in fact I've never used an electric dryer...

 

[brucelucenta]

The trick is having animals that do not shed. There are breeds that fortunately do not shed at all.

 

[whirlcool]

We find that if we dry our towels using the Knits/Gentle setting they come out softer and fluffier than if we use Regular or Permanent Press. The time seems to be about the same too. This is on our Whirlpool Electronic Electric Dryer.

 

[sudsmaster]

Air flow rate may make a difference as well.

 

By way of example, this house came with late '70's GE Filter Flo pair. I replaced the electric dryer with a White Westinghouse gas unit, which by the way had identical construction down to the lint filter, but noticed that it was taking longer and longer to dry. I replaced everything with a Neptune 750 set, and the first thing I noticed is that the much more power blower on the Neptune dryer blew a fairly large plug of lint out through the 15 feet or so of underfloor dryer vent duct work. After that I paid more attention to keeping that duct clear. It probably hadn't been cleaned out for a couple of decades before that. It seems to me that modern dryers may have more powerful blowers to try to conserve on heating costs, drying the fabrics with more air movement as opposed to more heat, than older designs.

 

Larger drums may also make a difference.

 

 

[norgeway]

A Norge dryer

Makes things fluffier I think, they really move a lot of air....unfortunately, they blow a lot of lint around too!!

 

[frigilux]

I had gas dryers from 1986-2002. Never really noticed any difference in fluffiness. Electric rates are very low out here on the Minnesota prairie, so given the choice I'll take electric. Modern frontloaders spin so fast that even huge loads of bath towels are in and out of the dryer fairly quickly.

Tim--- Had to chuckle at your cat commentary. I have the same conversation with Beastie Boy and Miss Kitty, to little effect.

 

[mrboilwash]

Never noticed much of a difference with different dryers, but there is a tremendous difference when I shake each towel (and other clothes) thoroughly before putting into the dyer versus just dumping the load into the dryer just the way as it comes out of the washer.
Works a treat for line drying as well in terms of fluffiness and wrinkles.

 

[Practigal]

Electric vs gas

My old Maytag gas dryer overdried everything. My newer GE compact electric dryer dries things to a wonderful softness but like mrboilwash above I do shake the towels out as I am putting them into the dryer.

 

[henene4]

Drying degree

With the basically 12 drying degrees for cottons our Bauknecht (Whirlpool) heat pump dryer offers, I noticed that even with such a "low" power drying system, even just 5 minutes can make fluffy towels hard as rock.

The main drying degrees are:
- Iron dry
- Energy preferred
- Cupboard dry
- Extra dry

Then, the fine selection allows for a shorter drying time (sensor guided), a regular drying time (Iron dry and energy preferred end at sensor command, the higher once include a timed drying period after the sensor is satisfied) and an extended drying setting (adds 5 minutes of timed drying after the sensor is satisfied, except for the EP setting, which adds 8 minutes on that setting).

Now, with the plain EP setting, towels are just a tad damp and need to be removed immediately after the cycle ends due to the lack of a cool down.
With the added 8 minutes, most towel loads with even thickness are just dry enough.
However, some bigger loads or mixed kinds of towels, this just won't be enough.
BUT the plain cupboard dry setting makes all towels rough.
So, you have to set it with these loads for cupboard dry with shorter drying time.

There are literally only 2 minutes difference displayed for EP/+ and CD/- and 5 to CD/0, but these are 3 entirely different beasts of cycles.

 

[jerrod6]

A tad damp

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"Now, with the plain EP setting, towels are just a tad damp and need to be removed immediately after the cycle ends due to the lack of a cool down. "

 

Then what?  Can you fold them and put them away?

 

 

 

[mamapinky]

All it takes is a tad damp for folded towels to mildew. I know you didn't want to hear this Cheryl