Click to visit this external linkKenmore HE5 Steam Dryer: First Look

This new dryer uses water and heat to get rid of wrinkles and odors.Price we paid: $1,050

Let’s say you don’t have a thousand bucks to toss into a new steam dryer, but still would like the option of a quick machine refreshing for your clothes. While many of us would love to have each new and fancy gadget that comes to market, it’s not always a feasible option. Besides, why remove a perfectly functioning washer and dryer when our current machines can do all (or many of) the same tricks with a little know-how.

Quick Washes

Any modern washer can be set to quick wash. On some machines it may be in the form of a lingerie wash or delicate cycle. Other machines may not be so specific but may offer a second/extra rinse or a soak-and-spin cycle. The two features needed in any quick wash cycle are agitation (for washing) and spin (for water removal).

These “light” cycles can run from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. Find which cycle suits your quick wash needs on your machine. Also set the agitation level to what is appropriate for the type(s) of clothing you are washing. Cottons can stand a fast or hard agitation while delicates will require a gentler, slower agitation. And lastly, the amount of spin can vary from cycle to cycle and machine to machine. A fast or hard spin will remove the majority of water from clothes while a gentle or slow spin is better for items that will be line dried. To increase agitation no matter what the setting, add a thick bath towel or two to the quick wash cycle.

For a quick clean and refreshing, add in any one of the following ingredients to plain water (no shelf detergents): 1 cup of plain white vinegar, 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar (cheaper store brand; save the good organic kind for health purposes), 1 cup of baking soda, or 1 capful of fabric softener.

Using the Dryer to Refresh

Any dryer can be used in the same fashion as many steam dryers available on the market today. Some high-tech dryers simply dry the clothes for a few minutes, add a few blasts of water vapor, then dry the clothes a bit more.

So how do you get the same effect from an older dryer? A wet washcloth can provide the same functionality as shooting steam in a new dryer. Simply wet a cloth to the point of heavy dampness and toss it in the dryer with your dry clothes. If the cloth is too wet, it will take longer for it to heat up and produce steam in the dryer. If you have some fabric refresher handy, spray the wet cloth before adding it to the dryer. A wet cloth plus a fabric softener sheet in the dryer are a good working combination as well.