If you’re short on time and in a rush, it’s easy to just throw everything in the dryer from the washer and call it a day—but there can be some major consequences for some of your clothing if you do that. So, we reached out to dryer experts to find out exactly what should never, ever end up in a dryer. And trust us, it’s worth taking an extra minute to make sure your machine is free of these 14 things.
Flammable stains
According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2010 and 2014, U.S. municipal fire departments responded to almost 16,000 fires that involved dryers and washing machines. Of those statistics, dryers were the culprit of 92 percent of them. While it might seem obvious to never put anything that can catch on fire in your dryer, it’s easy to just toss those pants you spilled gas on in the dryer without thinking. “Washing clothes will not completely remove oil residues,” says Tim Adkisson, Director of Product Engineering at Sears Home Services. “Failure to obey this warning can result in fire, explosion, or death.” Here are 13 ways to de-stink your clothes without washing them.
