The right Maytag dryer cycle for towels is usually a sensor-based heavy or normal cycle on a moderate load, not a long timed cycle on a stuffed drum. Towels and bulky items are the hardest loads for any dryer: they hold a lot of water, they pack together and they have thick hems that stay damp after the rest of the load is dry. These tips show how to set the cycle, how to size the load and how to tell the difference between a load problem and a dryer problem, using the features Maytag dryers carry, such as Advanced Moisture Sensing, the Extra Power option and Wrinkle Control.
What is the best Maytag dryer cycle for towels?
Choose a sensor-based cycle, the kind that stops when the load is dry, rather than a fixed timer. Maytag dryers carry Advanced Moisture Sensing, which measures how wet the load is through the drum and ends the cycle at the right moment. For towels, a heavy or normal sensor cycle works well, and a dryness level of “more dry” helps if the hems tend to stay damp. A timed cycle is useful only for finishing a slightly damp load. If you set a long timer for a wet load, the dryer keeps heating after the towels are dry, which wastes energy and makes them rough.
The option labeled Extra Power is meant for heavy or hard-to-dry loads, and it is worth trying on a full towel load. Check your manual for exactly what it adjusts on your model.
How full should the drum be for towels?
Fill the drum no more than about half to two-thirds with towels. Wet towels weigh far more than they look, and a drum packed to the top cannot tumble them, so the hot air flows around the pile instead of through it. The result is towels that are damp in the middle after a full cycle. If you have more than one load, split it and dry the first batch while the second waits. Mixing a few light items, such as a pillowcase, with heavy towels helps them separate while they tumble, but a single very bulky item alone, such as a comforter, bunches into a ball.
The washer matters too. A towel load that came out of the washer very wet, because the spin speed was low or the machine was overloaded, will take much longer to dry. Our Maytag washer cycle settings guide explains how the spin speed affects drying time.
How do you get towels fluffy instead of stiff?
Stiff towels come from too much detergent, too much fabric softener, or drying them too hot for too long. Use the recommended amount of detergent, skip liquid softener on towels, since it coats the fibers and reduces absorbency, and take the load out as soon as the cycle ends. Shake each towel before you load it, so that the loops open and the towel dries faster. A couple of clean dryer balls help separate the pile. Do not dry towels with lint-shedding items such as new flannel, since lint ends up on both.
Why are the hems still damp after a full cycle?
Thick hems and seams hold water longer than the body of the towel, and a sensor can end the cycle when the average moisture looks right while a hem is still damp. Raise the dryness level one step, or run a short extra timed cycle, rather than assuming the dryer is broken. But if the whole load is damp after a full cycle, and it has happened for weeks, look at the airflow. A lint screen that is clogged or coated with film, or a vent that is partly blocked, makes every load take longer. Our Maytag dryer takes too long guide shows how to check, and the dryer vent cleaning guide covers the duct.
A moisture sensor that is coated with residue can also misjudge the load, which is why the sensor bars inside the drum are worth a wipe now and then. Our guide to cleaning the Maytag dryer moisture sensor explains how.
What should you never put in the dryer with towels?
Do not dry anything that has been soaked with cooking oil, gasoline, paint thinner or other flammable liquids, even after washing, because the heat can ignite the residue. Hang those items outside to air dry. Rubber-backed mats, foam and items with plastic or metal trim can melt or damage the drum. Check the care label and leave out anything that says line dry. Do not run the dryer when you leave the house, and never block the airflow around the machine.
When is it a dryer problem and not a load problem?
Suspect the dryer when a small, well-spaced load of towels still does not dry in a normal cycle, when the dryer runs cool, or when it smells of burning. A dryer that tumbles but does not heat is a different fault, covered in our Maytag dryer not heating guide, and a burning smell needs the machine switched off right away. For energy and cost, the energy saving tips include drying habits that help.
We are an independent repair company, not the manufacturer. If your dryer still leaves towels damp after you have cleaned the screen and sized the load, our Maytag dryer repair service can check the heat and the airflow, and you can book a visit online.
