The laundry buy declared a waste of money for your dryer

A laundry accessory for dryers that claims to help cut drying time and make clothes feel softer might not be worth the cost.

Choice made the recommendation in a list of mistakes we might be making when using the dryer.

The consumer group says dryer balls don't live up to the hype and money is better spent on selecting an efficient model.

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"According to our testing of a range of dryer ball products, they won't make a huge difference, if any, to the time and energy required to dry your clothes,' they said.

But if you have dryer balls and like using them there's no real harm, they just won't reduce your power bill or drying time.

What will help to cut the drying time though is using the highest spin setting on your washing machine to extract as much water as possible before you put your clothes and towels in the dryer.

Another tip from Choice that will help your dryer work more efficiently is separating items by weight.

Just like with the washing machine, it's best to put thick and bulky items in one load and lighter items in another.

"This is because fabrics with different weights can hold greater or lesser amounts of moisture, so they'll dry at different rates – a thin garment will dry much quicker than a heavy denim or a towel, so that means you could be over-drying (and therefore damaging) some clothes, while others are still damp," Choice said.

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It also helps to know which of your clothes are safe to go in the dryer to avoid wasting money on damaged garments.

One type you should never put in the dryer is woollen clothes, even if your appliance has a woollen setting.

"This is because, when wool is spun and made into clothing, the fibres are stretched out and straightened. When you apply heat, that stretch can relax and the fibres can retract, like a recoiling spring," Choice explained.

The best way to dry knitwear is flat on a clothes airer so that it doesn't stretch out of shape. A shady spot is good too, as direct sunlight can lead to colours fading.

Another money-saving tip from Choice is to choose the most suitable model for your needs.

For example, if you only use a dryer when it's raining a lot then a cheaper model will end up being more cost-effective.

But if you use the dryer frequently then a heat pump or energy-efficient model is best because it will cost less on electricity.

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And regardless of which dryer you use or how often you use it there are two important cleaning and safety tips to remember.

The first is to clean out the lint trap every single time so that your dryer is able to work more efficiently and doesn't become a fire hazard.

Opening a window is the other top tip. This is to avoid condensation on the walls while the dryer is running to help prevent mould growth in the laundry.

"If you're unable to open a window or ventilate effectively when your vented dryer is in use, then we advise looking to buy a condenser or heat pump condenser dryer – they cost more to buy but are cheaper to run, so they can save you money in the long run, and won't leave you with water dripping from the ceiling and down the walls," Choice said.

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