Consumer Agency: "Small Clothes Dryers Show Differences in Key Performance Such as Drying Efficiency"

"Drying Capacity Display Needs Improvement"

Clothes dryers sold on the market showed differences in quality and performance depending on the product. The drying time varied by more than an hour between products, and the annual electricity bill gap reached up to 25,000 KRW.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 21st that these findings were confirmed after testing and evaluating the quality and performance of small clothes dryers from eight brands. The products surveyed were Minix (MNMD-110G), Shinil Electronics (SCD-T03CP), Oa (OET-001WH), Winia (WWR03SGDV(A)), Winix (HS2E400-MEK), Cheongho Nice (CH-03ESB), Hanssem (HAF-DR420WH), and Hanil Electric (HLD-5100W).

When evaluating drying performance by placing cotton laundry equivalent to 80% of the maximum indicated capacity, the Winia product was found to be relatively superior. Five products?Minix, Shinil Electronics, Cheongho Nice, Hanssem, and Hanil Electric?were at a satisfactory level, while Oa and Winix products showed insufficient drying performance.

Drying times differed by up to 1 hour and 23 minutes depending on the product. When operating on the standard course, Hanil Electric took the shortest time at 1 hour and 43 minutes, followed by Winia at 1 hour and 53 minutes. The Oa product took the longest at 3 hours and 6 minutes.

Based on 160 uses per year, the electricity bill was lowest for Hanssem at 40,000 KRW, followed by Minix, Shinil Electronics, and Cheongho Nice at 41,000 KRW. Winia cost 44,000 KRW, Winix 47,000 KRW, Oa 53,000 KRW, and Hanil Electric was the highest at 65,000 KRW.

The Consumer Agency pointed out that small dryers use a heater method that dries clothes with high-temperature hot air, which increases the likelihood of fabric shrinkage compared to natural drying. Test results showed that cotton garments shrank by an average of 3.9% in total length.

The Consumer Agency urged consumers to be cautious when purchasing products, as small dryers are sold with a maximum capacity that exceeds the standard drying capacity. They also announced plans to improve regulations to require the display of the standard drying capacity, which is the certified capacity for energy efficiency ratings, on small dryers and recommended voluntary improvements to manufacturers.

The Consumer Agency stated, "Products offered various drying courses such as wool/delicate, strong, and small loads, allowing users to select courses according to the type and amount of laundry," and added, "Since products provide features such as door open detection, filter cleaning alerts, and reservation functions, careful checking before purchase is necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.