Long Drying Times...It May Not Be Your Dryer's Fault! There's probably nothing wrong with your dryer! In fact, drying times can depend on many variables such as size of load, garment thickness, fiber content, etc. In general, 6 bath towels (weighing 5 lbs.) will dry in a dryer in about 40-50 minutes, including a brief cool-down. A 12-piece permanent press load with slacks, shirts, shorts, dress, etc., (weighing 5 lbs.) will dry in 30-40 minutes. As the load size increases, so will the drying time. If the dryer seems to run longer than expected, it may be due to the cool-down portion of the cycle. Cool-down occurs at the end of the cycle, tumbling the load without heat to minimize wrinkling. In addition, some dryers offer extra tumbling without heat to allow time to remove the load when it is convenient. The load will be dried to the selected dryness at the beginning of the cool-down. If the dryer control knob does not appear to be advancing at the start of the cycle, please be assured that this is normal. A dryer is designed to measure either the temperature of the exhausted air or the wetness of the load. With either of these methods, it takes a substantial amount of time initially before the control knob advances, but as the load dries, the knob will advance more rapidly. Sometimes your dryer is the culprit. Here are some things that your dryer -- or you -- may be doing wrong than can lengthen the time it takes to dry clothes. Dryer Exhaust Duct Proper exhausting is critical for good results. An obstruction in exhaust ducting, hood or extra-long ducting restricts the air flow and results in longer drying times. If at all possible, use 4-inch diameter rigid aluminum or rigid galvanized steel duct. Do not use smaller duct. If flexible metal duct must be used, use the type with a stiff sheet metal wall. Do not use flexible duct with a thin foil wall. Never use plastic flexible duct. Lint Filter Failure to clean the lint filter can also result in longer drying times. Clean the lint filter after EVERY LOAD so the dryer's air flow is not obstructed in any way. Dryer Settings Check the dryer controls for proper settings. Make sure that one, and only one, temperature button is selected. When determining where to set the control knob on a dryer, we suggest setting the knob initially in the middle of "More Dry" and "Less Dry" or on "Normal Dry" depending on the model. Selecting "More Dry" will increase drying times. Overloading/Underloading One properly loaded wash load is also a proper dryer load. Overloading may prolong drying time. It can also cause uneven drying because the clothes cannot tumble properly. If only one or two items are placed in the dryer, the items do not dry efficiently. More items need to be added. Mixed Loads Avoid drying heavy, hard-to-dry items with light-weight items. Washer Spin Cycle Check to make sure the water is being spun out of the washer properly. Here's how: After the washer has filled to the maximum water level, manually advance the dial to the final "spin." Start timing at the beginning of the spin, wait 90 seconds and then open the lid to see if all the water is drained out. If there is water remaining in the tub, there may be a drain restriction (kink in the drain hose, improper washer installation, etc.) which may need to be checked by an authorized service technician.