Tumble Dryers?! Dumb question..

[Peekaboo]

I've never owned one. Occasionally when I get snowed under I'll take a load of towels down to the laundromat to run through the dryer. 99% of the clothes we have say "do not tumble dry" on their tags, yet I hear so many people who seem to use the dryer for everything. Are there issues with doing this? Do clothes shrink? Are there certain fabrics more prone to shrinkage in the dryer - flannelette, track suiting, t-shirts?? TIA

[Doing my best]

on the rare times I use ours, everything goes in. Most of ours say don't tumble dry, but we don't have any delicate fabrics. Ours has 2 settings, and I always use the cooler setting. Even though it takes longer, I find it doesn't harm the clothes.

[Amaunet]

I find anything that can go through on a regular wash cycle can go in the dryer. I don't put any knits/woolies or good work stuff in (the stuff I wash using the delicates cycle)

[Cally]

I don't tend to put Tshirts in - I find they shrink, but that is if they are put in their frequently (a one-off when desperate doesn't seem to matter).

Ours tends to be used in emergencies only, although in winter time DH will frequently put smalls through - socks and undies, so he doesn't get so cold hanging them out on the line. I find the elastic in DD's socks seems to wear out a bit faster when he do this.

Towels are great in the drier though - so nice and fluffy.

[Tinks]

As a general rule, natural fibres will shrink. Once they've been shrunk they won't shrink any more though.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

WE use it for everything. Don'treally pay attention to tags and don't have any problems. More ironing if they sit in the dryer too long once dry but if i get stuffout straight away it is perfect.
I actually don't like the smell from dryer dried towels.
We are in the bad habit of using it pretty regularly simply because we had no choice back inour uni and sharehousing days so i guess we became quite lazy. I also find it hard to complete with weather and full time work hours etc.