Clothes Still Damp After Using the Dryer? Here’s What to Do

Dryers are great household appliances – especially in the cooler months – as they offer the convenience of being able to quickly dry your laundry. But sometimes they don’t work as they are supposed to, or people don’t use them properly and the laundry will come out damp even after a long drying cycle.

When this happens, it’s usually due to human error like not using the correct settings, or because a component within your dryer like the timer has become defective. To find the cause of your dryer not working correctly, simply follow our advice below and you should be able to uncover the source of the problem and fix it.

Step 1 – Check the settings

The best place to start is to make sure you are using the correct setting when putting on a load of laundry in your dryer. Depending on your specific dryer model, there will be several settings to choose from. The correct settings depend on the size of your laundry load, the type of laundry items you’re drying, and the type of fabrics you want to dry. The easiest way to check you are using the correct setting is to consult your user manual.

Step 2 – Make sure your laundry isn’t too wet

If the dryer setting isn’t the cause of the problem, make sure you’re also using the correct washing machine settings – specifically the rinse and spin settings. When your laundry comes out of the washing machine too wet and then goes into the dryer, the drying cycle might not be long or powerful enough to fully dry your clothes. If necessary, you can also put your washing machine through an extra spin cycle if you’re washing heavy items like towels.

Step 3 – Make sure the dryer isn’t overloaded

It’s also important that you make sure the laundry in your dryer is properly balanced and not overloaded. When it isn’t balanced or is too full, there won’t be enough space for hot air to circulate properly and your clothes will come out damp. If your clothes are coming out damp, make sure you don’t overfill the dryer and if you’re drying heavy items like towels make sure you spread the laundry items around so it’s balanced.

Step 4 – Clean the lint trap

The lint trap in your dryer is responsible for catching lint so it doesn’t block the vent. When the lint trap gets filled up with lint it can prevent the airflow from working correctly in your dryer and as a result, your clothes will come out damp. To clean the lint trap you need to remove it from the dryer and then clean it out with a damp cloth before putting it back into your appliance.

Step 5 – Clean the air vent

If your air vent is blocked up with lint and other debris air won’t be able to flow out of your dryer and moisture could develop in the dryer drum. When this happens, your clothes will come out damp.

To make sure your air vent is clear, switch the power off to your dryer and disconnect the vent. Once disconnected, use a vacuum cleaner to remove any lint and debris from the vent. Once clean, reattach it to your dryer and turn the power back on.

Once you have gone through the steps above, turn your dryer on to a drying cycle and check if it’s now working correctly. If not, you or a technician will have to check some of the electrical components within your dryer (see below).

Step 6 – Test the thermal fuse

To check the electrical components within your appliance, you will need to use a multimeter. The first component to check is the thermal fuse.

The thermal fuse is responsible for telling the main control board to turn the dryer off when it’s overheating. If it becomes defective, your dryer may turn off when it shouldn’t, and your clothes will come out damp.

This is how to test the thermal fuse:

1. Switch the power off.
2. Locate the thermal fuse (consult your user manual if necessary).
3. Disconnect the thermal fuse.
4. Test the fuse with your multimeter for continuity.
5. If the fuse doesn’t have continuity, it will need to be replaced. If the fuse passes the continuity test, reconnect it to your dryer and move on to check the door switch.
6. After the new thermal fuse has been installed, check if your dryer is now working correctly. If your clothes are still coming out damp, check the door switch.

Step 7 – Test the door switch

The door switch is there to make sure the dryer door is closed properly during a cycle. If it becomes defective, it might turn your dryer off prematurely which will cause your clothes to come out damp.

This is how to test the door switch:

1. Switch the power off.
2. Locate the door switch (consult your user manual if necessary).
3. Disconnect the door switch.
4. Test the door switch with your multimeter for continuity.
5. If the door switch doesn’t have continuity, it will need to be replaced. If the door switch passes the continuity test, reconnect it to your dryer and move on to check the timer.
6. After the new door switch has been installed, check if your dryer is now working correctly. If your clothes are still coming out damp, check the timer.

If these are not finding a straightforward solution, reach out to our team today to schedule service!