In addition to a washing machine, many households also have a tumble dryer. This tumble dryer is particularly useful in the winter months when the laundry cannot dry outside in the garden or on the balcony. The modern dryers have many different programs that are a bit confusing at first glance. But if you find out more about the dryer programs, you ultimately save time, electricity and thus a lot of money.

The different programs

The dryer programs differ depending on the model and manufacturer, but there are a few dryer programs that each device has:

Standard and Cotton

Every tumble dryer has a program for drying cotton laundry. This program shows the energy consumption per year, which is shown on the EU energy efficiency label. Bed linen, towels and even underwear can be dried perfectly with this program.

Eco

This is an economy program that is particularly energy-saving and does so with low temperatures. This can save up to 30 percent energy.

Anti-crease

The anti-crease function switches on shortly before the end to loosen up the laundry with a few turns.

Smoothing and steam smoothing

Dryers with smoothing and steam programs offer optimal care for the laundry. The clothes are freshened up with steam and have significantly fewer wrinkles. The laundry looks perfect when it leaves the dryer. Even suits or jackets made of sensitive fabrics can be cared for in this way without having to go to the dry cleaners.

Easy care laundry

When it comes to drying delicate fabrics such as silk or satin, easy-care dryer programs are just the thing. It is dried at a temperature of 50 degrees and with reduced drum revolutions. Curtains or sportswear can also be dried wonderfully with this program.

Dry quickly

If you want it to be quick, the quick programs, which are integrated in many dryers, are a good choice. The short and quick programs take between 30 and 45 minutes to complete the drying process, depending on the load, the moisture in the laundry and the material. Quick programs dry with a higher temperature and compression power.

 

Gentle programs

For the particularly sensitive textiles there are so-called gentle programs, in which both the rotation of the drum and the air temperature are reduced. This extends the drying time, but is essential for synthetic fabrics such as acrylic fibers or delicate.

Wool

Sweaters or jackets made of wool are usually not suitable for the tumble dryer as wool felts quickly. Modern dryers also offer the option of gently drying clothes made of pure wool. The wool lies like a kind of ring on the drum, which is equipped with a so-called inverter motor. The drum rotates very slowly so that the clothes keep their shape. The tumble dryer drum stops every ten minutes so that the wool can be relocated.

Time programs

Time programs are also standard on most tumble dryers. You work for half an hour or a full hour, cold and warm, regardless of humidity and load. These dryer programs are ideal for drying individual items of laundry that have not become completely dry in the first cycle.

What can you put in the dryer?

For example, canvas shoes can be dried very well with the wool program and the standard program is exactly the right choice for cuddly toys. Delicate underwear, on the other hand, should be dried in the easy-care program or in the gentle program, some dryers even have an extra program only for jeans. Curtains can be dried on delicate and pure silk can only tolerate the delicate program. Even coats, pillows or blankets that are filled with down can be put in the tumble dryer, but a so-called dryer ball should be used here.

Conclusion

What a dryer cannot take so well is overloading, and in the worst-case scenario it can even result in expensive dryer repairs. If the drum is too full, the laundry will not dry properly either. If you want your bed linen to be cupboard dry, you just have to set the dryer correctly. However, if the laundry is still damp so that it can be ironed more easily, then that is also no problem for a good tumble dryer.