How to Troubleshoot and Fix a Dryer When Your Clothes Come Out Wrinkled

If your clothes are coming out of your dryer wrinkled, you’re in the right place! Warm, fresh, and crease-free is how we expect our clothes to come out of our dryer at the end of its cycle. If they’re coming out wrinkled instead, there are a variety of reasons why that might be. For all dryer problems, there is a shortlist of possible causes to eliminate first before you need to consider if a part might be faulty, but this is especially true for wrinkly clothes. Make sure you go through our checklist of common issues and identify whether there are some laundry basics you’re neglecting before moving on to a full parts diagnosis. Overstuffing your dryer, putting in clothes that are too wet, selecting the wrong cycle, or even simply putting clothes into the dryer that are too wrinkled and bunched up in the first place can all end up in a wrinkly disaster. If you’ve checked all these issues and your clothes continue to come out wrinkled, there could be parts to blame. From the timer to the moisture sensor bars, we will walk you through the likely culprits that are affecting your cycle and help you find the problem so your clothes will come out pressed and crisp every time.

How to Troubleshoot a Dryer When Your Clothes Come Out Wrinkled

One of the first things to check is if your dryer continues to tumble your laundry even after the dryer has shut off - this is a feature that some dryers have that you are able to turn off. This issue may also happen if your dryer is not going through a cooldown cycle and is compressing because they are being dried for longer than the desired time.

Using This Page, You Will be Able to Troubleshoot the Following Symptoms

1. Clothes Are Coming Out of the Dryer Wrinkled

Inspect These Common Issues First

If you’re experiencing issues with your clothes coming out wrinkled from your dryer, these reasons are very likely to be the culprit. Check that you’re following these regular dryer basics and you should get better results at the end of your dryer cycle.

FIX TIP

Remember, when troubleshooting any washer symptom, start by unplugging it from the electrical outlet or turning off the breaker.

Follow Wash Cycle Basics

Getting wrinkled clothes from the dryer can start with the wash cycle itself. The dryer gets the blame because it’s the destination of the clothes, but really the washer was the wrinkling culprit. Doing smaller loads of washing, choosing gentler wash cycles, and using cold water washes are all proven methods of getting less-wrinkled clothes at the end of a laundry cycle.

Shake Clothes Out Pre-Cycle

Clothes can become tightly knotted, twisted, and balled up during wash cycles, particularly when washed in machines with agitators, which can cause clothes to wrap and twist. So, don’t just bundle your laundry directly from the washer into the dryer and start the cycle. Take the time to remove each individual item from the washer pile, unfurl and shake it out, and then put it into the dryer. Your clothes will thank you in general – and they’ll come out less wrinkled.

Don’t Overstuff the Dryer

Overstuffing your dryer can lead to it having to work a lot harder and still not being able to fully dry every piece of clothing – which can also wear out your dryer faster. As well as not fully dry items, overstuffing your dryer tends to result in wrinkled clothes. So, don’t overload it and don’t put in sopping-wet items straight from the washer – these can be heavy and will ultimately have the same effect.

Select the Correct Cycle

If you’re looking to have your clothes come out of the dryer wrinkle-free, make sure you choose the right cycle, and don’t overheat your clothes. Choosing the right cycle depends on your load and the type of clothes being dried – overheating can lead to maintenance issues and can become a safety hazard as well. If your dryer comes with a “permanent press” or other de-wrinkling cycle option, select that. The cycle names will vary depending on the dryer brand and model, but they share one thing in common: they’re there to help clothes come out less wrinkled. If you have these advanced options, make sure that you’re making good use of them.