Unplug the energy hog

    If your electric bill is bugging you, it’s a good bet your electric clothes dryer is one of the culprits. Not only are electric clothes dryers a household energy hog, they are the cause of over 13,000 structure fires every year in the United States. Most fires are caused by neglecting to clean the lint filter, or by using fabric softeners whose chemicals form an invisible film over the filter. A blocked filter or vent hose increases inefficiency and causer dryers to use more electricity. When your dryer works harder than it’s designed to, it overheats, causing a dangerous fire hazard. And even if your clothes never catch fire, the heat and tumbling is hard on fabrics and shortens the life of your clothes.     Remember the handy clothes line that went out of fashion years ago? It’s now back in vogue. Unplugging your dryer and its 5000 watt usage saves energy and helps the planet. It also reduces your electric bill and your risk of fire. Modern clothes dryer racks are high-tech, portable, compact and ready to use. Wooden holders that attach to walls and fold out of the way when not in use also add a nostalgic touch to many progressive households. Hanging clothes inside to dry adds moisture and a fresh scent to your indoor air and saves you much of the price of a new dryer in reduced annual electrical costs.
    While using a dryer gives us soft wrinkle-free clothes, hanging laundry doesn’t always give the softest results, especially for towels and jeans. Using a rinse-cycle fabric softener in the washing machine will help solve the challenge, and most clothes that are hung out to dry will dry to an acceptable degree of wrinkle-free if you shake them out before hanging. Another option is to start drying them in the dryer, but only for a few minutes — just enough to get the wrinkles out — then hang them on clothes hangers on inside racks or on outside lines for final drying.
    When purchasing a dryer, keep in mind that gas dryers cost less to operate than electric models, but the gas supply must be installed safely.
    Another idea if you just can’t stand the thought of not using your dryer, is to install a dryer heat recycler. These can only be installed on electric dryers, but will vent the warm moist air outside in the summer; and with a flick of a lever keep the moist 130 degree air in your home during the winter. Many households report that dryer heat recyclers mitigate the need for a winter season humidifier. But remember, like your electric dryer, the dryer heat recycler has its own lint filter that will need to be cleaned and rinsed.
    Implementing alternatives for your clothes dryer to reduce its use, or totally unplugging it, will result in substantial electrical savings and provide for a healthier planet. Better yet, the added benefits of reduced fire risk, clothes that last longer, and the warmth of recycled heat are a welcome bonus.
    This column was submitted by Vicki Schmidt, a GIS environmental specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Bureau of Land & Water Quality. She is a Buckfield firefighter and a state fire instructor. Vicki also serves on the Maine Fire Protection Services Commission as a representative for volunteer firefighters. In Our Back Yard is a weekly column of the DEP. E-mail your environmental questions to infoDEP@maine.gov or send them to In Our Back Yard, Maine DEP, 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.