The presence of a
drying programme with steam in the dryer.
In this mode, the laundry in the drum is treated with hot steam. Note that this procedure is not suitable for drying as such; its purpose is rather to refresh and moisturize the fabric. For example, steam drying can be used as an alternative to washing when clean unwashed clothing has absorbed an unpleasant odour. It can be used to moisten overdried laundry for subsequent ironing.
Quick dry programme that dries in a relatively short time. It saves time, but the laundry wears out more than during normal drying and is not suitable for delicate types of fabric.
A programme designed to remove odours from clothes, such as tobacco smoke, or an unpleasant odour that appears after a long period of storage.
The refresh programme is useful if the clothes are clean, but the smell still needs to be eliminated — refreshing in the dryer takes less time and effort than quick washing and then drying (even if using the same dryer). This function is especially relevant for
drying cabinets.
The direction in which the door of the dryer opens.
Most users are right-handed, so from this point of view, the best option is
leftward opening — the free space for loading and unloading laundry is just under the right hand. However, specifically in dryers, the
rightward opening is noticeably more common. It is because such units usually complement washing machines and are most often installed side by side. And in most washers, the door opens just to the left (again, based on convenience for right-handed people). Therefore, it is most convenient to place the dryer on the right and equip it with a hatch that opens to the right — this will allow you to overload the laundry from washer to dryer with minimal effort and time. And vice versa, if the door in the washing machine opens to the right, then it is better to choose a dryer with a leftward opening and install it on the left.
Sometimes both machines are installed as a column — a dryer on top of a washing machine. In such cases, the hatches of both machines should open in one direction — this is more convenient both from the point of view of ergonomics and purely psychologically. Moreover, if the "column” adjoins the wall sideways, then the opening should also occur towards the wall; otherwise, the laundry will have to be loaded and unloaded through the space between the open hatch and the wall, which can be very inconvenient.
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Note that in some dryers both opening options are claimed. It usually means that the door has a reversible mount, and the direction of opening can be chosen at your discretion. However, this feature does not hurt to clarify before buying.