Genius House Hacks · a GopherCentral & PulseTV publication
Laundry & Time-Saving · October 29, 2026 edition

The Dryer Trick You Must Try

From Anisa's Genius House Hacks newsletter.

Anisa at her dryer, dropping one completely dry towel in on top of a damp load of laundry.

Hello Neighbor! Last weekend I washed a load of bath towels and jeans together, and the jeans were still damp a full hour after the buzzer went off.

A neighbor of mine mentioned her trick: toss one completely dry towel in with a wet load, and it pulls extra moisture out of everything else as the dryer tumbles.

I tried it on the next load and everything came out dry almost twenty minutes sooner. Below is how I do mine.

Be Well,
Anisa

Toss a Dry Towel in With Wet Laundry to Dry It Faster

A completely dry towel added to a wet load acts like a sponge in the dryer, soaking up extra moisture so the rest of the load does not have to work as hard to finish drying.

How to Do It

Pull one towel straight from the linen closet, it needs to be fully dry, not fresh out of the wash. Toss it in with your wet load before starting the dryer as usual, then run the cycle like normal, there is no need to adjust the heat or time setting. Pull the dry towel out partway through if you are drying something delicate, since it will be noticeably damp by then.

More Ways to Use It

The same trick helps dry a single bulky item, like a comforter, faster. Keep a couple of towels set aside just for this so you are not grabbing one you actually need dry.

Ask the Genius: Does Adding a Towel Slow the Dryer Down?

"Does adding a towel make the dryer take longer overall?"

No, if anything the load often finishes faster, since the towel pulls moisture away from your clothes instead of everything drying at the same slow pace together.

Did You Know?

A terrycloth towel can soak up several times its own weight in water, which is exactly why one works so well tossed into a wet dryer load. Just remember to swap in a fresh dry one each time, a towel that is already damp will not do the job.

Got a handy tip of your own?

Reply back to Anisa, she loves reading your emails.

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