Many people have dryers in their homes as they can be convenient and a household lifesaver. Whenever they can get old and wear out, owners find themselves needing or wanting to replace their old dryer with a newer one. Before you can get the new one, however, the old one needs to be disposed of, but what should you do with your old dryer to dispose of it?
To dispose of a dryer, take it to the landfill, sell it, donate it, return it, or trade it. It is difficult to move a dryer, but it can be done with the proper equipment. Some companies will remove an old dryer when they deliver the new one to a home. However, they often charge for this service.
There are many things that you can do with your old dryer to dispose of it such as throwing it away, selling it, donating it, trading it, or storing it. However, some methods might be better than others. It is important to know more information about what each option entails for a person to be able to make the best decision regarding their dryer.
Put Your Old Dryer in a Landfill or Scrapyard
Perhaps the most common method for drier disposal is simply putting their old products in a landfill or scrapyard. This is especially common if the drier no longer works. There seems to be no additional use or benefit to trying to find another use for the old drier, so it makes sense to drop it off at one of these locations.
Plus, there can be less hassle when an individual utilizes disposal companies to help move and trash their current drier. It also makes it so an owner doesn’t have to worry about preserving any part of the drier since it will all be wasted away in the junkyard or landfill. Now, as a note, it is important to make sure that a local junkyard or scrapyard accepts old dryers. An individual needs to find out if they accept full driers, only accept a few parts of dryers, or will not take old household machinery. Once an individual has figured out where they can dispose of a drier, there are a few things that should be done before putting the old dryer in a scrapyard or landfill.
- Disassemble the dryer: Disassembling the dryer may be seen as boring and taxing. However, in the end, it will allow you to transport it more easily from your home to a scrapyard or landfill. The parts can also be sold to make some extra money.
- Contact a local junk service: There are many companies that pick up things that people want to throw away. Oftentimes, for a service fee, they will remove and take away your old dryer. This can remove a lot of hassle and worry.
- Leave it on the curb: Some garbage companies will dispose of large appliances on certain days if they are put on the curb. Call the garbage disposal company and ask if they have set aside days for large appliance pick up. If they don’t have specific days, it is possible to try and get rid of it in other ways. One option is to put a dryer on the curb with a “free” sign on it. Someone will likely pick it up within a few days or weeks. (source)
If an old dryer can no longer be used, putting it in a landfill or junkyard can reduce a lot of worry. It makes it easy to not worry about what is best to do with the dryer and it is the most common disposal option. Something to consider is that an individual will have to pay an additional disposal fee for throwing away the dryer. It is important to make sure to call a local landfill before bringing in an old dryer to reduce additional hassle and potential tickets and fees. However, there are more options than just tossing an old dryer away, especially if it might still be usable.
Selling or Donating Your Old Dryer
Selling or donating an old working dryer is a wonderful option. Dryers are not a cheap appliance, so whether an individual is strapped for cash or wants to help others, this option allows for additional benefits from a drier besides warm towels and dry socks.
Selling
There are times when a person might be looking to get rid of an appliance because they have gotten an opportunity to get a newer model. If an old dryer still works perfectly and still looks good, selling it is a great option to get some extra cash and there is a market for used appliances.
Dryers are a common household appliance, but they are extremely expensive when you purchase new ones. Some people can’t afford to purchase a new dryer and instead look for used ones on websites or social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Offerup. These websites are crucial to find people that are looking for a cheap, large appliance.
When selling your old dryer, the first step is to put up an ad for it. Taking pictures with both up-close and far away shots, putting up a starting price, and listing facts about the machine is a great way to start the process of selling. It is also important to clarify if the seller is willing to deliver the dryer or not. Here are some tips for creating an effective listing:
- Be clear about what is damaged, scratched, or doesn’t work. Buyers look for honesty more than a good salesman!
- Check what similar dryers are selling for in your area, and list yours at a reasonable market price.
- List dimensions of the dryer and the connections in the back very clearly or you might find yourself messaging that info to interested parties.
- If you can, add a link to the manufacturer’s online listing for the dryer new so that people looking at your listing can get more info on the dryer.
This will help people determine if the dryer is in good enough shape to purchase. Once you have marketed your dryer, individuals and groups will be able to see and look into purchasing it. Once interest has peaked, the individual or group will contact you. This process can go quickly or take some time, so it is important to consider if a person has the space and time to wait for someone to buy it.
Another thing to consider is that it can be relatively hard to sell appliances online as it is possible to encounter scammers or people looking to get a bargain. Sometimes, people don’t want to pay what is being charged for old dryers and other appliances and can get irritated or uninterested when negotiating prices. However, this may not be the case and online sales can go smoothly.
Don’t sell anyone a broken dryer simply so as to recoup some of the cost. It is possible that the buyer will find out and can come and ask for a refund or try to get the seller to pay for a repairman.
Donating
Let’s now shift gears and focus our attention on donating your old dryer. Donating is a sign of selflessness and giving up something for the benefit of society is a respectable practice. Like when you consider selling your old dryer, you must consider the current functionality of the dryer before you decide to willingly give it up. There is nothing worse than having a dysfunctional dryer at a place that needs it constantly, especially if a person donates it to a group. Here are a few places to consider donating your old dryer to:
- Major businesses: An individual can donate an old dryer to most secondhand stores such as Deseret Industries, the Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. They sell donated items at a lower price than many retail stores and often work with people in need. Sometimes, they will even help pick up appliances. The Salvation Army will do this if a person calls and 1-800-SA-TRUCK or uses the website. (source)
- Local businesses: Donating an old dryer to a local business can help immensely with production and make it easier for a business to function. This is especially true for new businesses or smaller, family-run businesses. By donating to a local business, it may be possible to be able to get a discount at that store as payment. However, a donation is not a reliable way to get a discount as the owners are the people who get to decide if/what the discount entails. The best way to look into this option is to reach out to local business owners and ask if they need a dryer.
- Homeless Shelters/Group Homes: Homeless shelters and group homes always have a need for dryers. They may not necessarily need another one for their facility, but they may need one to put in the home of someone that needs it. This can help people who were previously homeless, people who are being moved to cheap or temporary housing, or to other facilities that are also in need. Contact a local homeless shelter or similar facility and ask if they have a need or know of any place where a donated old dryer would be useful. This can immensely help places that have tight budgets and limited means for helping others out of tough situations. (source)
- Online Platforms: It is remarkably easy to post that you are giving away an item on a local community buy and sell page. These posts can be extremely effective, as it hits a wider range of people with a variety of needs.
Selling and donating your dryer will allow it to be used by other people and possibly give it new life.
Trade Your Old Dryer
As with selling and donating, trading is a good option for a person who might still be wanting to repurpose their old dryer. This method of disposal can be especially useful if an individual is simply looking for a moderately better machine or another item of comparable worth.
Many people have older models of dryers or other items that they don’t want to trash and also are not interested in the hassle of trying to sell. This can leave a perfect opportunity for someone to trade items. Maybe one of the people needs a front-loading dryer and the other needs a top-loading dryer, so it makes it the perfect opportunity to trade. There are some important factors to consider when attempting to trade.
- How long has the individual had it?
- How much use has it had?
- Does it work?
- If not, what are the problems?
- What makes it worth trading for?
These are a few considerations when deciding to trade. Once these have been thought out, the next steps are similar to selling. Often, online marketplaces have options where you can mark that you are willing to trade it. In the description, it could be helpful to give an estimate as to how much it would be worth monetarily. This is helpful so potential traders will be aware of what is expected out of the trade. It is important that trades are done with items of equivalent worth. It would be frustrating to trade a decent dryer and receive a less quality one in return.
After the ad is placed, it follows the main patterns of selling. An individual should be aware that trading can be harder to do than simply selling for a variety of reasons. Some people would rather pay with money. Others don’t have something of equivalent worth to exchange. It is important for a person to consider if it is worth the potential risks before trying to trade.
Storing Your Old Drier
This last method is not nearly as common as the others previously brought up. Yet, it is worth mentioning because it is never a bad idea to have extras. There are many times I have had a dryer break and it is always a hassle. A person can become limited to having to try and buy a dryer, call a repairman, and possibly try to find a laundromat or a friend to dry their clothes with until it is fixed. All of these force people to spend additional time, money, and energy that can simply be avoided by saving an older dryer for emergency use.
The only hassle with this method is finding the space for it. Not many have laundry rooms, apartments, or homes large enough for having two dryers. Some homes have plenty of room and this wouldn’t be a problem. However, there are some options that alleviate not having enough room like using a storage unit. to store it. This can end up being costly in the long run, so keep in mind the cost of storing versus the potential costs of repairing, laundromat use, or getting a new dryer.
There are so many ways to get rid of a dryer. It’s simply a matter of choosing what is best for an individual and their situation.
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