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Your Dryer Cycle Just

Ended. What Do You Do?

by Maria Gracia Published on July 1, 2025 Discover how readers handle laundry when the dryer buzzes! From immediate folding to line drying, see the full range of habits in this fun GON reader poll with real-life tips and comments. Join our newsletter to be notified when new content is added to our website. The Dryer Just Buzzed. Now What? GON Readers Weigh In Laundry habits are a funny thing. Some of us treat the dryer buzzer like a starting pistol, while others…well, let’s just say we circle back eventually. In our recent GON reader poll, we asked what you do when the dryer cycle ends. Your answers gave us the full range, from wrinkle-busting champions to "I'll get to it later" realists. More than half of you are on it right away. 57% said they fold immediately (or at least try to), which is an impressive show of discipline. Some of you take a more relaxed approach, giving the load “a few minutes” that somehow turn into hours. And yes, a few brave souls admitted to rediscovering clothes days later. No judgment—we’ve all been there! As for me, I try to fold right away so clothes don’t wrinkle. I like having hangers nearby too, so I can hang certain items straight from the dryer. One tip I loved came from a reader who said they fold laundry on their bed—because it forces them to put everything away before bedtime. Smart, right? We also heard from several readers outside the U.S. or in smaller spaces who don’t use a dryer at all. Many line-dry their clothes, using the sun and fresh air instead of heat. It’s gentle on fabrics, energy-efficient, and surprisingly relaxing. Whether you fold right away, fluff and stall, or hang your clothes in the breeze, the goal is the same: clean, fresh laundry ready to be put away (eventually). However you handle it, find a system that works for your lifestyle and makes laundry feel a little less like a chore. Here are all the results in order, followed by some favorite reader comments: 57% Fold immediately – I’m on it! No wrinkles on my watch 18% Other 14% Give it “a few minutes” – Which usually turns into hours 7% Run it again – I have to warm it up to get those wrinkles out before folding 3% Forget completely – I find the clothes three days later 1% Leave it for someone else – Out of sight, out of mind Personal GON reader comments: • Whenever I can, I fold immediately, but sometimes I have forgotten! • I haven’t got a tumble dryer. l have to line dry everything, quite challenging with the British weather! • All of the above? I usually get them right away, but occasionally forget. • Empty it when I get around to it • Take clothes out immediately, have hangers ready for what is it to be hung right away, fold the rest and put away • Check load. Some may be dry (take those out) but others need to stay in longer. • Immediately put in the basket, take upstairs, and then fold the next day. • I hang up clothes or spread them around immediately so clothes can cool first and dry completely. When cool, I fold some and hang the rest in the closet. Folding clothes when hot sets in wrinkles and may encourage mold growth. Just because clothes are hot, does not mean they are completely dry. Frying clothes may shrink them and/or their life span. • I run the dryer for about 5 minutes. Then I take the clothes outside and hang them. • Hang up all the clothes. NO folding because that does leave WRINKLES!! • I run the washer and dryer in the morning, but only fold in the afternoon. • I usually try to get to it as soon as the cycle ends. But the washer/dryer combo my landlord put in doesn't beep at the end of a cycle. So sometimes I miss it for a while. Also, sometimes I don't hurry if there is nothing that won't wrinkle a lot if it sits. • I use a laundromat, so I take them out and fold them sometimes a little before they are done to avoid wrinkles. • I don't use a dryer. Line dry washing outdoors. • I usually dry my clothes on my beloved clothesline outdoors! Where I live, the sun dries them quicker than the dryer. • IF I'm there when the cycle ends, I will take them out and put them in the laundry basket; very rarely do I fold them right away. Otherwise, it may sit for a few hours before I take them out. • Take them out and put them in a clean laundry basket. • If I'm around, it is folded straight away. If I'm not, no one else will even notice, so it will be left for a few hours until I return! • It depends on what's in the dryer. Towels sometimes get left until I have time to fold them. Hang-up clothes usually get taken out right away and hung up. Other clothes like underwear and t-shirts usually get folded right away. • I do a 20 minute fluff either right away and fold or the next day depending on how badly I need what's in there. • Depends pm the load. Clothes that will wrinkle, I try to hang quickly. Towels can wait. • Don't have a dryer. Hang clothes on a clothesline. No dryer lint, clothes last much longer. Saves energy. • I try to hang as many of my clothes to dry as possible in my laundry room. Towels, undies and sheets go in the dryer and I try to get to them as soon as possible. • I give it a few minutes depending on what type of clothing is in there. • Don’t have a dryer so it is line drying for me. As the clothes dry I hang/fold put away immediately. Sheets are put back on the bed so the bed is made for the evening. I live in a 397 sq ft house. I do not have room for a pile of laundry. • Sometimes have to run it again for the next few days! • Yes, I remove them when I hear the timer. I didn't think about it when we purchased the washer/dryer combo, the dryer didn't have a timer! So I purchased a timer that sticks to the dryer but I don't always hear it. If I take it with me around the house I will leave it somewhere and not hear it. • I hang clothes soon after folding, which also helps prevent wrinkles. I must fold clothes or I will have nowhere to sleep (do folding on my bed, as there is no other surface available.). • I will usually get to it within a few hours. Then I throw the stuff that doesn’t matter for wrinkles into a laundry basket, and lay the hanging stuff flat. I put away the hanging stuff pretty soon after, but save all the basket stuff (underwear, bras, workout clothes) when all the loads are done for the week. • Fold if it'll wrinkle. Jeans, wait until the next load and are folded all at once. Back to Web Poll Results Index