There are a lot of laundry hacks regarding how to wash your clothing and maintain their vibrant colors and textured fabrics—but what happens when your clothes go in the dryer? How can you keep them equally as fresh during their drying cycle?

We’ve created a list of our 7 favorite drying hacks that will best make your clothes dry, crisp, and wrinkle-free.

Aluminum Dryer Sheets

Traditional dryer sheets are made with a thin film that helps to reduce static electricity, which occurs when heated clothing rubs together. These sheets also help to create a softer feeling and fresher smelling clothes. But dryer sheets can be costly, and some even leave a “slimy” layer on clothing that can damage the fabric and the color.

Instead, try aluminum foil. Roll up a sheet of aluminum foil into a ball and throw it in the dryer. This helps to reduce static electricity and keep clothes crisp. Plus, it will not leave any grime on your clothing, and it can be reused for 1-2 months, which can save a lot of money on your laundry!

Fluffy Tennis Balls

Throw in 1-3 clean, unused tennis balls (depending on the size of the wash). Tennis balls help to keep comforters, jackets, stuffed animals, and other items fluffy and soft. They also help to further prevent static, so they’re especially great for puffy down jackets!

If you’re truly a dryer sheet lover, consider cutting each sheet in half. Half a sheet is proven to have the same effect, but leaves less residue and saves money.

Dry With A Towel and A Salad Spinner

If you have a large load or need to dry a load quickly, throw a dry towel in with the wet load. The dry towel helps to absorb moisture faster than heat alone.

There are some items you shouldn’t throw in the dryer, such as delicates and spandex pants. However, you don’t want these items sitting out, drying for days on end. Instead, spin these items in a salad spinner to remove excess water! This helps them dry significantly faster than hanging alone.

Dry Faster With A Clean Filter

If your dryer lint filter isn’t clean, your dryer’s motor works slower. Thus, it takes significantly longer to dry clothes and it uses up more energy, increasing that electric or gas bill quickly. Clogged lint filters can also overheat your dryer, creating a fire hazard. Thus, you need to clean your dryer filter free of debris before each and every cycle.

Keep your dryer filter even cleaner by washing it out with warm water and a bit of soap every month. This deep cleans the filter so it’s ready to give your dryer the leg-up it needs to get your clothes dry and crisp!

P.S. Dryer sheets clog filters faster. Another reason to use aluminum foil!

Dry Erase Your Notes

As we mentioned, some items aren’t supposed to go in the dryer:

• Chiffon
• Delicates/Bras
• Tights
• Leather/Faux Leather
• Bathing Suits
• Suede
• Lace
• Silk
• Velvet
• Rayon
• Spandex (such as workout attire)

If any of these items are in your wash, you want to make sure you don’t accidentally throw them in the dryer when you’re switching loads. Remind yourself by writing on the machine with a dry-erase marker. Write, directly on the machine, a list of clothing items inside the load that needs to be dried separately.

You can also use a dry-erase marker to remind you or your family members to clean out the dryer filter.

(Please note that most, but not all, machines will not stain due to dry erase markers. Check your make and material before using a dry erase marker on your dryer.)

Remove Wrinkles With Ice

This is one of our favorite dryer hacks. Some clothes wrinkle in the dryer, no matter how quickly you take them out. Ironing can be a time-eating hassle. So, skip the wrinkles with ice cubes! Throw 2-4 ice cubes in the dryer, and the melting ice will interact with the heat of the machine to produce steam! This works to reduce wrinkles while the clothes are drying!

Of course, you still shouldn’t leave your clothes sitting in the dryer too long, or they will wrinkle again. Also, this ice trick works best for smaller loads of laundry, where the released steam can work its way into fabrics with ease.

Lavender’s Last Minute Wrinkles

an item has gotten wrinkled in your closet or drawer, spray your clothes with a solution of 1-cup water and 5-10 drops lavender oil. Lavender oil helps to relax clothes fibers, so the creases and wrinkles fall away! You can also hang your clothing in your bathroom when you take a hot, steamy shower, so the moisture can work as a steamer to remove wrinkles.

P.S. Avoid wrinkles altogether by quickly removing items from the dryer. For items unable to be dried in the dryer, lay the wet clothing on a flat surface. Hanging on a rack or clothing line can cause stretching as the water pulls down.

Check out HomeRev’s dryer lint filters, which are made to keep your machine, clothing, and family healthy and eco-friendly! Your clothes will be dry, wrinkle-free, and smelling fresh in minutes!