The 'secret' tumble dryer setting that stops bedsheets 'balling' up
Tumble dryer owners will appreciate their convenience, especially in the winter months when the weather is too cold or wet to hang a washing out on the line to dry.
Despite the cost of running them, many homeowners swear by them for drying larger items like towels and bedsheets quickly and effectively.
But drying duvet covers can be challenging even if using a tumble dryer. They will often become tangled up in a massive ball and need regularly shaken out to get them fully dry, which is frustrating and time consuming - not to mention a waste of energy.
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On the Facebook group Family Lowdown Tips & Ideas one fed-up person asked for help with the issue. And she got some very helpful advice.
She wrote: "I have a king size duvet cover and when I wash it and put it n the tumble dryer to dry it just rolls itself up into a massive ball and after the cycle it comes out damp still. Does anyone have a wonderful hack for me to stop this nonsense?"
And a poster replied asking: "Do you have a bedding option on the dryer? It changes the direction it rotates throughout the cycle, I find it helps a lot."
She went on to say her dryer has this option and was a Samsung tumble dryer. Others were surprised that there was a bedding cycle and the original poster remarked: "I didn't even know this was a thing. It's a new dryer so I would imagine it has actually and I'm going to check."
It is worth checking if your appliance has this setting as it could mean an end to shaking out the duvet covers and repeatedly turning the dryer on again while wasting energy.
But if your tumble dryer doesn't have this option there are a few other ways to prevent your bedding from 'balling' up while drying or fishing soggy pillowcases from the corners of it.
Firstly it is advised to give it a good shake out before putting it in to the dryer. Then make sure to button up the duvet cover to prevent anything working its way inside. Good Housekeeping advised: "If yours have buttons or poppers, do them up before putting them in the wash as this will discourage them from gobbling up other bedding."
Popping the duvet cover in with a heavier item, such as a towel, can also stop balling. And dryer balls, wool or plastic are also suggested as a way to prevent the dreaded tangling.
It is also important not to overfill the dryer and to choose a lower heat setting. Whirlpool suggest: "Using lower heat settings can help keep sheets from balling up in the dryer.
"Drying at lower temperature allows for more controlled drying, helping sheets maintain their shape and reducing the likelihood of them twisting and clumping together during the cycle."
