Why Is My Dryer Taking So Long to Dry Clothes? 9 Causes and Fixes

A dryer usually takes too long because hot, damp air cannot get out. The most common causes are a full lint screen and a clogged dryer vent. Other causes are overloading the drum, clothes that come out of the washer too wet, dirty moisture sensors, and a heating part that has failed.

Most of these are quick to fix, and fixing them also makes your dryer safer. Lint is very flammable, and a blocked vent is a real fire risk.

Quick test: does the dryer get hot?

Start a cycle with a few towels. After 5 minutes, open the door and feel the air and the towels.

• It is hot, but clothes still take forever: the problem is almost always airflow (lint screen, vent, or overloading). Start with causes 1 to 5.
• It spins but the air is cool: the dryer is not heating. Jump to causes 8 and 9.

9 reasons your dryer is taking so long

1. The lint screen is full or coated

A lint screen full of fuzz blocks air. Even a screen that looks clean can have an invisible film from dryer sheets and fabric softener that blocks air.

Fix:

1. Clean the lint screen after every load.
2. Test it: run water over the screen. If the water pools on top instead of going through, it has a film.
3. Scrub it with warm, soapy water and a soft brush, rinse, and let it dry fully before putting it back.

2. The dryer vent is clogged

The vent is the tube that carries hot, wet air from the back of the dryer to the outside of your home. Lint slowly builds up inside it. When it clogs, the damp air has nowhere to go and your clothes stay wet.

Signs of a clogged vent:

• Clothes take two or more cycles to dry
• The outside of the dryer feels very hot
• The laundry room gets hot or humid
• You smell something burning
• The flap on the outside vent does not open much when the dryer runs

Fix:

1. Unplug the dryer (and turn off the gas valve if it is a gas dryer).
2. Pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the vent hose.
3. Clean the hose and the vent opening with a dryer vent brush kit and a vacuum.
4. Go outside and clear lint from the outside vent hood. Make sure the flap opens and closes freely.
5. Reconnect everything and make sure the hose is not crushed behind the dryer.

Have the whole vent line cleaned at least once a year. For long vents or vents that go through the roof, hire a vent cleaning service.

3. The vent hose is crushed, too long, or the wrong kind

A hose that is kinked or squashed behind the dryer blocks airflow just like lint does. Very long vents with many bends also slow drying.

Fix: Leave a few inches between the dryer and the wall so the hose is not crushed. Use a rigid or semi-rigid metal vent, not thin plastic or foil. Check your dryer's manual for the longest vent length it allows.

4. The drum is overloaded

Clothes need room to tumble so hot air can reach them. A packed drum dries slowly and unevenly.

Fix: Fill the drum only about half to two-thirds full. Dry heavy items like towels and jeans separately from light items like T-shirts.

5. Clothes are too wet from the washer

If your washer does not spin out enough water, the dryer has much more work to do.

Fix:

• Make sure the washer finishes its spin cycle.
• Use a higher spin speed for towels and cottons if your washer allows it.
• If clothes are dripping when they come out, the washer may not be draining. A clogged washer drain filter can also cause bad smells. Our guide on cleaning the washer drain filter and seal shows how to clean it.

6. The moisture sensor is dirty

Many dryers have two metal bars inside the drum, near the lint screen. They sense when clothes are dry. A coating from dryer sheets can fool them, so the dryer stops too early or runs in the wrong way.

Fix: Wipe the sensor bars with a soft cloth and a little rubbing alcohol or white vinegar every month or two.

7. You are using the wrong setting

"Air fluff," "delicate," "eco," and low heat settings dry slowly on purpose.

Fix: Use a normal or timed dry cycle with medium or high heat for towels and cottons. Check the care labels, though. High heat can shrink some clothes. If that already happened, see how to stretch shrunken clothes back to size.

8. The dryer is not getting enough power or gas

• Electric dryers use a special 240-volt outlet with a double breaker. If one half of the breaker trips, the drum may still spin but the heater will not work.
• Gas dryers need the gas valve behind the dryer to be fully open.

Fix: Check your breaker panel and reset any tripped breaker. For gas dryers, make sure the gas valve handle is in line with the pipe. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company right away.

9. A heating part has failed

If the dryer spins but never gets hot, a part inside has likely failed. Common ones are:

• Thermal fuse: a safety part that blows if the dryer overheats, often because of a clogged vent
• Heating element (electric dryers)
• Igniter or gas valve coils (gas dryers)
• Cycling thermostat

Fix: These repairs usually need a technician. If the thermal fuse blew, the vent is probably clogged too, so clean it or the new fuse may blow again.

Why towels, jeans, and bedding take longer

Some loads are slow even when the dryer works perfectly:

• Sheets and duvet covers roll into a ball, and the middle stays wet. Stop the dryer halfway, untangle them, and restart. Dryer balls help too.
• Towels and jeans hold a lot of water. Dry them in their own load, not mixed with light shirts.
• Pillows and comforters need room to move. Dry one at a time, and add a couple of dryer balls to break up clumps.

If only these heavy loads are slow, your dryer is probably fine.

Dryer problem finder

How to keep your dryer fast and safe

• Clean the lint screen after every load.
• Wash the lint screen every few months if you use dryer sheets.
• Clean the vent line at least once a year.
• Do not overload the drum.
• Keep the area around the dryer free of lint, boxes, and clothes.
• Do not leave the dryer running when you leave the house or go to sleep.

When to call a technician

Call a technician if the dryer does not heat after you check the breaker and gas valve, if you smell burning, if the dryer stops mid-cycle again and again, or if the vent is hard to reach. A technician can also test the thermal fuse, heating element, and igniter.

What to do first

Feel the air after 5 minutes. If it is hot, the problem is almost certainly airflow: clean the lint screen, clean the vent, and dry smaller loads. If the air is cool, check the breaker or gas valve, then call a technician. Keeping lint under control makes your dryer faster, cheaper to run, and much safer.