Laundry

Summary

Clean and maintain your clothes dryer and washing machine to prevent fires starting.
Even if you keep a neat and clean laundry, a fire could start from a fault in the control circuits of your washing machine or dryer.
Be home and awake when doing the washing or drying.

Preventing laundry fires

Anywhere you have electrical appliances in your home can become a fire risk, including the laundry. The combination of heat, things that can catch on fire, water and electricity creates an environment where fires can start.

Be around when you do your laundry

It might sound extreme, but being around when you have a load of washing in the washing machine or dryer could be the difference between losing your home, or not.

You don't need to sit and watch it, but be home so you can act if something happens. Being awake if a fire starts could save your life. This is why we suggest you never go out, and never go to bed while your washing machine or dryer is operating.

Clean your lint filter regularly

A person removing a lint filter from a dryer. The filter is filled with yellow and grey lint.

Lint is made up of small fibres that have come off your washing in the dryer. Your clothes dryer operates at high temperatures and lint can catch fire very easily.

To prevent a fire starting in your laundry because of lint:

clean the lint filter on your clothes dryer after each load/use
don’t use a clothes dryer without a lint filter or if the lint filter is loose or damaged
clean the back of the dryer regularly to prevent a build-up of lint.

Using washers and dryers safely

Install washing machine and clothes dryer according to the manufacturer's instructions and follow the manufacturer's guidelines when using them.
Keep electrical appliances and cords away from water.
Don't put too many clothes in the clothes dryer.
Don't use your dryer or washing machine if they are damaged.
Let the dryer complete its cooldown cycle before stopping it and getting your clothes out.
Make sure there is enough space around the clothes dryer to allow for air flow to prevent overheating.
Do not put clothes that have flammable substances like cooking oil, petrol, paint or alcohol on them into the dryer. Even just small amounts of these liquids can lead to a fire starting in the clothes dryer, or when you remove the clothes into a basket. Laundry containing even a small amount of oil has been known to spontaneously ignite and cause dangerous fires.

If you store chemicals in your laundry, follow our advice for safe chemical storage.