Do you leave your clothes dryer on when you're not home

[skuttle]

I'm washing/drying clothes right now, but I need to go to the mall later today. Usually, if the dryer is on when I leave, I turn it off and then put it back on when I get home. Am I just paranoid that I'll burn the house down? What do you do?

 

[airhead]

family down the road left their dryer on while they went into town only to come back to fire trucks and the back of their house gone!!!

 

[Pam]

I shut mine off as well as that is my greatest fear!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I agree, safest is to turn off. Dryer lint can and does cause home fires.

 

[helenabear]

I would do the same thing too! I just don't like the thought of the dryer running while no one is home.

 

[Blondie]

I used to leave it on and then go run errands, etc. I had been doing that for at least 10 years....until I read in the local newspaper about someone's house burning down because of a lint trap fire!

Now I always turn it off!

 

[twinmomto3boys]

Oh my! Never heard of this - guess I'll stop leaving it on.

 

[skuttle]

How scarey!! Definately turning it off everytime!

 

[montessori]

I never have left it on when we aren't home and it's a good thing!
Our dryer went on fire a couple of years ago but we were home to put it out.

 

[becka]

I have never left it on when I leave home but sometimes I will turn it on right before I go to bed.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Some thoughts on this

 

[skuttle]

Becka: I've also left the dryer on when we go to bed. Wonder if I should stop doing that, too.

 

[BWVDenise]

Not while I'm out OR while we are sleeping! I knew someone who just barely got her children out of the house from a dryer fire!! Don't do it!!

 

[cinlee3]

Our dryer caught on fire while we were home. There was lint built up in the top of the dryer (all always cleaned the lint trap after each use) the lint trap was on top. It was very scary and this was one week after my washer flooded all over the laundry room.

 

[Chattyaholic]

I always turn my dryer off whenever I'm leaving the house or going upstairs to bed. My former daughter-in-law's dryer caught fire in her apartment, it was a pretty scary situation, one that can easily happen to anyone.

 

[pumba]

we leave the house.....but we do let it go when I am in bed....we have hard wired smoke detectors there in the celler as well as the hallways ....so if anything even smoked......we would be woken up really fast.......my husband also cleans out the inside of the dryer hose that goes to the outside......each month that is done....and when the dryer buzzer goes off ...before I remove clothes from the dryer .....I take the lint trap out and remove it......and NO we are not paranoid....also helps on the electric bill ......the dryer does not have to work harder....

 

[skuttle]

Hmmm...I've only cleaned the lint trap...maybe I should get DH to check the hose, too.

 

[Zurg]

if i get it going i aint gonna stop it

 

[RitaZ.]

You're not being paranoid!

One thing that people may not realize is that lint is highly combustible, even a small amount. I never paid attention to this, until my mom's friend's dryer caught on fire and burned down the garage. Fortunately, no one was home when this happened, it could have been worse.

Better be safe than sorry!

Safety Tips: Clothes Dryer

 

[CamColt]

I always leave it on when I go out, and I always think how dangerous it is. I do worry while Im out too. I know its wrong, but if I dont, either the laundry will never get done, or Ill never go anywhere.