Can I tumble dry my stretchy clothes and underwear?

[Doughnut100]

I just got a washer dryer. At the moment 90% of my clothes are stretchy as I'm pregnant so they have elastase or Lycra in them. Almost all of them say don't tumble dry. I definitely don't want to ruin them... but is this true? Can I really not tumble dry them? Any renegades out there that get away with it?

I tumble dry everything in the winter with the exception of leggings, but sometimes they get through by pretending to be a long sleeved black T shirt. I used to buy cheap leggings to wear under trousers in the winter if I was going to be outside, and they did end up looking rough after a few tumble dries. The more expensive (but still at the cheaper end) ones I have now still look OK - don't know if that's because the fabrics have improved over the years though.

I wash and tumble dry bras and small items (fask masks nowadays) in net bags and theyfine too.

• face masks (obv!)

Thank you! I'm gonna give it a go...

I had a washer dryer and it was very hard on everything - I only used it for towels - it was one temperature/ boiling! Test it on something first- I don't want you to lose all your stretchy clothes.

I’m a revel and throw them in but on a reduced heat mode.

The dryer part of a washer dryer is absolutely shit. I wouldn't bother trying.

Yes I only really bought it for bed sheets. But now it's there I'm tempted. I think I'm going to try it low heat on my really budget stuff like massive knickers and boring socks. And my eBay secondhand maternity leggings. Then if they are ruined it's no big deal. I really hate hanging out laundry!

I do, but that’s because modern eco-friendly tumble dryers don’t use a lot of heat, which is why they take 3 hours to dry a load.

I wouldn’t have done it with a tumble dryer of the 80s or 90s, as they just about cooked your clothes and left them too hot to touch when the drying stopped.

I have a tumble dryer not a washer dryer. I used to have one and it took forever to dry clothes we only had it a few months and sold it and bought separate machines. Had to put the dryer in a cupboard.

It's a risk but I do have a few items that I tumble dry that say not to and they r absolutely fine and haven't shrunk etc.

Lots of stuff does shrink in the dryer though. I never put my girls gd clothes in the dryer or mine. Leggings shrink so does t shirts etc. Not so bad if they already a bit big but if ur pregnant Ul want them big so it's a chance u take.

I do and it doesn't seem to do them any harm. I wear clothes until they fall apart and I have only recently got rid of some Lycra sports bras that were older than my accountant son!