Reasons Why Your Dryer Takes Too Long to Dry Clothes

If you notice that you have to run a dryer cycle more than once to get the clothes dry, you may have a problem on your hands. How big of a problem depends.

Wondering why your dryer takes a long time to dry clothes? Here are a variety of reasons why your clothes are not drying quickly. We will list some common problems that may occur and cause a dryer to take excessive time to dry.

6 Reasons Why Your Dryer Takes Long Time To Dry

Problem With Incoming Power

When your dryer doesn’t dry clothes sufficiently check your power source. An important distinction between gas vs electric dryers is that an electric dryer requires a 240V outlet to provide adequate power. A standard 120V outlet delivers less electricity, creating drying times that can be 3x longer.

Dryer Is Overloaded

When a dryer is filled to the top it’s considered overloaded. Overloading leaves no room for the dryer’s hot air to properly circulate and limits tumbling. When this happens you’ll find that your dryer takes two cycles to dry a large load. As a general rule, only fill your dryer 2/3 of the way full to allow for hot air to circulate. Refer to your use and care manual for the specific load recommendations for your model dryer.

Washer Leaves Clothes Too Wet

When you find your washer leaving clothes damp the washer could be responsible. Selecting a wash setting without a spin cycle or an insufficient spin cycle leaves clothes too wet when they enter the dryer. Consequently, a standard drying cycle isn’t enough to dry these items. It’s also possible that a washer malfunction is leaving clothes too wet after a wash.

Before you begin a wash cycle check your settings to make sure they include a sufficient spin cycle. If clothes remain too wet after washing your washer may require professional service.

Dryer Lint Screen Needs Cleaning

Our clothes shed tiny pieces of fabric fiber with each drying cycle. The dryer’s hot air blows these fibers around and into the lint screen. When the screen is full of lint it can prevent the proper circulation of hot air, leading to longer drying times.

To maximize airflow clean your lint screen after each drying cycle. Simply pull out the screen, remove the lint with your hand or a paper towel and replace it.

Clogged Dryer Vents

Lint in debris buildup inside exhaust vents is a common cause of a dryer taking too long to dry. Clogged dryer vents can also restrict airflow in the dryer and lengthen drying times, not to mention cause dangerous dryer fires. These clogs can occur if the lint screen isn’t cleaned regularly or if you don’t clean out your dryer vent pipes annually.