Assuming that the dryer is in good condition, there are 3 factors that determines how long it takes to dry clothes.
They are:
- The dryer type
- The fabrics type
- And the dryer settings
Generally, lighter clothes take a shorter time to dry. While heavier and thick clothing takes slightly longer.
- Generally, an average dryer takes 40 minutes to dry cotton.
- Thicker cotton like denim and wool take 45 to 50 minutes to dry.
Because my denim gets dried in 45 minutes, I always set my dryer to 45 min whenever I wash denim.
But use 40 minutes when drying other cloth types.
How Long Does An LG Dryer Take To Dry Clothes?
Different models have slightly different time duration to dry different fabrics. But the table below is a guide that you can use irrespective of your model.
Of course, you should allow some room for small differences on your model.
MANUAL AND SENSOR DRYERS DRYING TIME
| Fabric types | Temperature range | Duration in Minutes (Adjustable) | |
| 1 | Small loads. E.g sucks, singlets, a few t-shirts | High | 25 |
| 2 | Rayon, and other plastic and rubber materials | No heat | 30 |
| 3 | General drying | High | 40 |
| 4 | Lingerie, silk and other delicate materials | Ultra low | 50 |
| 5 | Jeans and other heavyweight items | High | 50 |
Aside from lingerie and materials made from silk and rubber that require very low temperature, 40 minutes is the sweet spot to dry most household wears.
Most cotton materials are able to dry out in 40 minutes. And with an additional 5 minutes, you should have your denim dresses dried and good to wear. Cotton, wool and polyester are completely dried without loss to fabric quality.
Th LG DLE5955W, for example, has this automatic settings, all based on sensor dry cycles:
| S/No. | Fabric Types | Temperature | Duration (in minutes) |
| 1 | Jeans, Heavyweight items | High | 54 |
| 2 | Heavy cotton materials, Denim, towels | Mid High | 55 |
| 3 | Work clothes, corduroys | Medium | 41 |
| 4 | Synthetic items | Low | 36 |
| 5 | Lingerie , sheets , blouses | Low | 32 |
| 6 | Workout wear , sheer or lacy garments | Ultra low | 34 |
Why Does My Dryer Take So Long To Dry?
- Lint build-up
- Clogged vent
- Bent Restricted Exhaust Vent
- Temperature 0 and 32
Lint build-up
That transparent net screen in front at the door of your dryer, is not some fancy net. A clogged lint screen can reduce the dryer’s efficiency resulting in a longer drying time.
The rule of thumb is to clean your lint after every washing cycle. Simply brush it with a soft painter’s hand brush. In the absence of a brush, a soft lint-free clothes, handkerchief or even your fingers can be used to brush off the lint from the screen.
Clogged vent
During drying, moisture from the clothes is vaporized and mixes with the air in the dryer. The vent serves as a passage through which this moist air is expelled from the dryer. The expelled humid air gives way for dry air to reabsorb moisture from the cloth. This process is continued until your clothes are fully dried.
A clogged vent prevents or reduces the outflow of moist or humid air, which in turn increases your drying time.
To resolve this, seek the help of a plumber. However, if you’re good at handling such appliance:
- Locate the vent opening at the back of the dryer. Usually located at the bottom.
- Disconnect the hose for the dryer.
- With the aid of a screw driver or any long narrow metal, free-up built-up debris from the vent and hose opening.
Bent/Restricted Exhaust Vent
Just like a clogged vent, a bent vent hose can restrict air flow. A hose can bend any intersect. Try to locate these points of failure and unwrap or straighten the hose.
If a hose has some tear due to object pressing on it, or some other reasons, it might be due for a replacement.
Very cold or hot temperature
Like many electronic appliances, dryers are affected by temperature of its immediate environment.
Below freezing temperatures (less than zero degree celsius) or hot temperature above 32 degrees celsius can affect the functionality of the dryer.
If the weather is too hot or too cold, you should expect some delay in drying time. This is not always something to worry about, as you have little control of weather and temperature. But understanding this fact, will help you to factor this expected delay into your washing schedule.
Is 30 minutes enough to dry clothes?
No.
Most cotton and similar fabrics take 35-40 minutes to dry at high temperature. Some dryers allow you to manually adjust dryer temperature.
Increasing dryer temperature might reduce your drying time by a few minutes, but this will come at the expense of your cloth health, resulting in shrunken clothes. Also hot temperature fades clothes dye with time.
Why does my dryer take 3 hours to dry?
- You might be using the wrong settings. For example using air dry when drying jeans or other heavyweight clothes will increase your drying time.
- Check for clogged vents and lint screen
- Your machine might just be indicating that it has exceeded its lifespan and needs replacement.
How do I get my clothes to dry faster in the dryer?
Increase the drying temperature. But know that using an unrecommended dryer setting or temperature can damage your clothes.
The course of wisdom when drying is: if you want your clothes to dryer faster, start earlier. That way, the machine will run at its normal rate, and you get your clothes ready on time.
Do you have to run a dryer multiple times?
No. one session is enough to dry your clothes.
If your dryer is unable to fully dry clothes in one cycle, you’re probably using the wrong cycle. So check your dryer setting to ensure you’re using the write setting for the types of clothes washed.
Of course, there are exceptions like:
When using a washer dryer combo. You will need to dry half your washed payload. This means running the dryer twice or a full washed load.
Other than this, you do not need to run your dryer multiple times, except you wash multiple times.
But can you run a dryer multiple times? Yes you can. Dryers are strong appliances and do not easily break down on heavy workload. So you can run a dryer several times a day without harming the machine.
Conclusion
So, back to the beginning. How Long Does A Dryer Take To Dry Clothes?
Well, it all depend on:
- The dryer type
- The fabrics type
- And the dryer settings.
