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6 Things You Should Never Put In The Tumble Dryer

Tumble dryers are a great appliance; they dry clothes efficiently and save you time from hanging clothes on the clothesline. However, while the tumble dryer makes the chores easier, it’s not made for every garment item.  Here is a list of items you should never put in the tumble dryer.

1. Leather Jacket

Leather jackets are the epitome of style and elegance. They’re clothing accessories that need to be taken care of. As good as they look, they should never be put in the tumble dryer because the heat in the dryer can ruin their shape and texture. So next time your leather jacket gets wet from the rain, hang it up to preserve its material.

Leather jacket - item shouldn't be put in tumble dryer

2. Bags and Packpacks

Whether it’s school bags or normal bags, they do need cleaning. Just like the leather jacket, bags shouldn’t be put in the tumble dryer because they will shrink and ruin the insides of the bags.

Also, if you are travelling, it’s best to avoid putting backpacks in the tumble dryer. It’s best to air-dry both backpacks and bags.

School bag - item should never be put in tumble dryer

3. Silk

Silks are delicate fabrics, and they should never be put in the tumble dryer because the heat will overwhelm the material and cause wrinkles to form.

silk is item that should never be put in the tumble dryer

4. Sweaters

Perfect for the winter weather, sweaters are items that can be quite sensitive to the dryer’s heat as it shrinks them. Once your clothes have been shrunk, it’s hard to get your sweater back to its original shape. Always follow the care labels and air-dry to take better care of your sweaters.

Sweaters - items that should never be put in tumble dryer

5. Swimwear

Washing your swimwear after using them is important to get rid of any sand or chlorine. Once washed, this item should never be put in the tumble dryer because of its fabric material. The heat will ruin the swimwear’s fabric.

Swimwear, woman in beach near water

6. Wool

Wool is a delicate material that is prone to shrinking due to the high heat in the tumble dryer. It’s worth noting that some wool items are manufactured to withstand tumble dryers, but the rule of thumb is to always read the label for instructions. If your wool garment’s label says it is not made to go in the tumble dryer, heed the advice and start to air-dry.

For every item you put in the tumble dryer, always read the care label to be on the safe side. Your clothes deserve to be taken care of and safely laundered and dried.

Wool

If you need clothes to be laundered or dry-cleaned, just contact Laundryheap!

laundry service

To learn more about us, visit the Laundryheap website or download the free app on iOS or Android!


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8 Surprising Facts About Laundry

In all honesty, when most people think about facts to do with laundry what springs to mind first are things like stain removal tricks, or when did mankind start washing their clothes. The truth is laundry has lots of surprising tales and facts associated with it. This post will highlight 8 of the most surprising facts about laundry!

  1. How Vikings did their laundry.
  2. Ancient Roman’s use of urine to clean clothes.
  3. Chinese were the first people to use the iron. 
  4. H.Sidgier invented the washing machine.
  5. Astronauts incinerating their dirty laundry. 
  6. Pochon invented the early tumble dryer.
  7. Washing detergent was invented because of soap shortages during the First World War.
  8. 70% of dirt on your clothes is invisible.

How Vikings did their laundry.

Early sea voyagers like the Vikings used to tie their laundry up and hang it off the back of ships to wash as it passes through the waves.

Ancient Roman’s use of urine to clean clothes.

In Ancient Rome they would heat urine with water, insert the clothes into the cocktail and stomp on the clothes to clean them.

Chinese were the first people to use the iron. 

Ironing as we know it today was invented by the Chinese. They were the first people to iron clothes with metal over a thousand years ago.  

H.Sidgier invented the washing machine.

1782 was the year the first washing machine was invented. Its creator was H. Sidgier of Great Britain. This was a very primitive version of what we have today, Sidgier designed a rod cage that would crank. Years later inventions like the hand-powered drum machine helped form the machine we use today. 

Astronauts incinerating their dirty laundry. 

Astronauts have historically incinerated their dirty laundry in the Earth’s atmosphere on their way back down. This was initially a way to save water but Nasa does hope to use soiled laundry to feed plants in the future.

Pochon invented the early tumble dryer.

Dryers have been around for 200 years. Although this is new in comparison to the washing machine, they were not commonplace in houses until after the 1960s. You can thank Pochon from France who designed and created the first-ever hand-cranked dryer. Even after the first electric dryer was created in 1936, most people continued to use the old-fashioned model for many years to come. 

Washing detergent was invented because of soap shortages during the First World War.

Washing detergent as we know it today was invented because of soap shortages during the First World War. Chronic shortages of fat meant soap could not be made which led to the creation of synthetic detergent. It was first marketed as ‘Dreft’

70% of dirt on your clothes is invisible.

70% of dirt on your clothes is invisible. According to scientists’ even if your clothes appear to be clean what makes them dirty isn’t necessarily what you can see. Various types of human matter like dead skin cells, sweat, natural body oils and even the wrong type of detergent can make your clothes much dirtier than they may appear.

If you are too busy reading surprising facts about laundry instead of getting some done then let Laundryheap help with our convenient and professional service.

washing machine and tumble dryer


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Why Your Clothes Really Shrink In The Dryer

Isn’t it frustrating when you go to take your clothes out of the dryer and discover that your favourite shirt has magically shrunk into a kids’ size? *sighs*

After that experience, I’m sure you’re sceptical about putting your clothes in the dryer again.

If you didn’t know already, the main reason why your clothes shrink in the dryer is not because of the heat but because of agitation inside the dryer… and possibly because it has a ‘Do not tumble dry’ label but you choose to put it in the tumble dryer any way.

Here are 3 main reasons why your clothes shrink in the dryer and how to prevent them from shrinking!:

  1. It has a ‘do not tumble dry’ tag: For starters, you want to check to see if your garments are safe to tumble dry, even if that means checking every single clothing you want to put in there. Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for disappointing results.

    If you’re not sure what the tumble dry label looks like, here’s a basic guide. If you’re still unsure and want a helping hand, you can always schedule a laundry collection service with us.

  2. Delicate fabrics x tumble dryer= Disaster: If you don’t want to read the label, then here are some common fabrics that display the ‘do not tumble dry’ label: Cotton fabrics, Silk garments, lace, wool jumpers, bathing suits and bras. Basically all delicate fabrics that require air drying.

  3. You’re using the wrong temperature with the wrong fabric!: Too often, people use the wrong tumble dryer temperature settings. To stay on the safe side, use the tumble dryer at the LOWEST setting or on the normal setting BUT on a shorter cycle. This will prevent shrinkage as well as damages altogether.