What's Really Happening Inside Your Washer and Dryer?

Dryer Settings to Try

Snap out of your “normal” routine and give one of these options a spin.

Quick Dry
About half the length of a normal cycle, this setting uses high heat to dry a few items, like the uniform needed for today’s game, fast.

Permanent Press
Slow drying with low heat helps wrinkle-free garments live up to their name and keeps the hard creases out of things you typically iron. A cool-down period at the end cuts down on the wrinkles that form when clothes sit in the machine.

Heavy Duty
Choose this for sturdy items that take a long time to dry (towels, sweats, jeans)—they’ll tumble for an extended period with high heat.

Delicates
A short, low-heat cycle for—you guessed it—delicates and other items labeled “tumble dry low,” such as Spandex workout gear, which loses its stretch when too much heat is used.

Air Dry
A cool-air setting for items that can’t take any heat, such as plastic tablecloths and rubber-backed rugs.

Extended Tumble
Periodically tumbles clothes, without heat, for a preset amount of time after they’re dry to prevent wrinkles. Ideal for when the beeper goes off in the middle of dinner. 

Dryness Control
Lets you choose how dry you want your clothes to be—from “damp” to “very dry.”  Leaving things a little damp makes them easier to iron and ensures they don’t get fried.

Manual Dry
Say you have a pair of jeans that fits perfectly when dried for 20 minutes on “medium.” This setting allows you to customize the drying time and temperature.

Delay Start
Sets the machine to turn on at a later time so clothes don’t sit around when you’re not home to fold them.