Why Does My Steam Dryer Leave My Clothes Wet?

Steam dryers offer plenty of advantages over regular models. However, they also face the occasional problem of leaving clothes wet even after a complete drying cycle. So, why does this happen?

Overloading your dryer or putting clothes in soaking wet could reduce the dryer’s ability to dry your clothes thoroughly. It’s also possible that some parts are faulty, namely the moisture sensor or a leaking steam valve. Lastly, restricted airflow by a dirty lint filter or clogged vent line can also keep your clothes wet.

In the following sections, we’ll take a deep dive into each of these possible reasons.

Related: Whirlpool Washer Not Spinning And Clothes Are Still Wet?

When a steam dryer leaves your clothes wet, one of the first things to troubleshoot is whether or not you’re loading it correctly . You should never fill the entire drum of the steam dryer with clothes, as that’s considered ‘overloading, and it will result in the dryer working less efficiently.

For starters, putting too many clothes inside the drum will add too much weight.  Excess weight can be quite bad in the long run as it stresses the motor and other components in the appliance. 

More importantly, the clothes in an overloaded dryer will not be able to tumble freely. That means they won’t be exposed to enough heat to remove all of the moisture completely.

How to fix:

To maximize your steam dryer’s ability to remove moisture, be sure to only fill the drum up to three-quarters of the space inside.

That way, the clothes will have enough space to tumble freely and get complete exposure to the dryer’s heat.  As a result, moisture will be able to escape the fabric, and all of your clothes will be dry by the end of the cycle.

Another reason that your steam dryer is leaving your clothes wet could be the way that you load the laundry in the first place. 

Steam dryers, just like regular dryers, are designed to remove moisture from clothes that are damp after going through the washer’s spin cycle. They are not designed to work with clothes that are soaking wet.

So, if you’ve placed dripping wet clothes into your steam dryer, it’s possible that they’ll remain wet even at the end of the drying cycle. 

Sure, some models might sense that the clothes are extra wet and react by extending the drying cycle. However, those dryers will still stop automatically before they overheat, even if your clothes are still wet.

How to fix:

To fix this, be sure only ever to load damp clothes into your steam dryer. The most effective way to do this is to run those clothes through a spin cycle in your washing machine. That will squeeze out most of the water, leaving your clothes with the ideal amount of moisture for you to load them into your steam dryer.

Inside your steam dryer is a moisture sensor. As the name suggests, the dryer uses that sensor to detect if the clothes are still wet or if they’ve been dried enough. 

Once the clothes are dry, the sensor will communicate to the machine that it’s time to stop the drying cycle.

Why it fails:

A faulty moisture sensor will not be able to accurately detect how wet or dry the clothes are inside the drum. 

Related: Common Dryer Moisture Sensor Problems

For example, the sensor might mistakenly detect that the clothes are dry and end the drying cycle. As a result, the cycle will end while your clothes are still wet inside.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to replace the faulty moisture sensor. Depending on your dryer model and its design, the moisture sensor might be located towards the back of the drum or right around the appliance’s door area.

You’ll need to remove the screws that hold it in place and remove the electrical connectors. Then, you can remove the assembly and put the new moisture sensor in.

Steam dryers offer plenty of advantages over regular models. However, they also face the occasional problem of leaving clothes wet even after a complete drying cycle. So, why does this happen?

Overloading your dryer or putting clothes in soaking wet could reduce the dryer’s ability to dry your clothes thoroughly. It’s also possible that some parts are faulty, namely the moisture sensor or a leaking steam valve. Lastly, restricted airflow by a dirty lint filter or clogged vent line can also keep your clothes wet.

In the following sections, we’ll take a deep dive into each of these possible reasons.

Related: Whirlpool Washer Not Spinning And Clothes Are Still Wet?

When a steam dryer leaves your clothes wet, one of the first things to troubleshoot is whether or not you’re loading it correctly . You should never fill the entire drum of the steam dryer with clothes, as that’s considered ‘overloading, and it will result in the dryer working less efficiently.

For starters, putting too many clothes inside the drum will add too much weight.  Excess weight can be quite bad in the long run as it stresses the motor and other components in the appliance. 

More importantly, the clothes in an overloaded dryer will not be able to tumble freely. That means they won’t be exposed to enough heat to remove all of the moisture completely.

How to fix:

To maximize your steam dryer’s ability to remove moisture, be sure to only fill the drum up to three-quarters of the space inside.

That way, the clothes will have enough space to tumble freely and get complete exposure to the dryer’s heat.  As a result, moisture will be able to escape the fabric, and all of your clothes will be dry by the end of the cycle.

Another reason that your steam dryer is leaving your clothes wet could be the way that you load the laundry in the first place. 

Steam dryers, just like regular dryers, are designed to remove moisture from clothes that are damp after going through the washer’s spin cycle. They are not designed to work with clothes that are soaking wet.

So, if you’ve placed dripping wet clothes into your steam dryer, it’s possible that they’ll remain wet even at the end of the drying cycle. 

Sure, some models might sense that the clothes are extra wet and react by extending the drying cycle. However, those dryers will still stop automatically before they overheat, even if your clothes are still wet.

How to fix:

To fix this, be sure only ever to load damp clothes into your steam dryer. The most effective way to do this is to run those clothes through a spin cycle in your washing machine. That will squeeze out most of the water, leaving your clothes with the ideal amount of moisture for you to load them into your steam dryer.

Inside your steam dryer is a moisture sensor. As the name suggests, the dryer uses that sensor to detect if the clothes are still wet or if they’ve been dried enough. 

Once the clothes are dry, the sensor will communicate to the machine that it’s time to stop the drying cycle.

Why it fails:

A faulty moisture sensor will not be able to accurately detect how wet or dry the clothes are inside the drum. 

Related: Common Dryer Moisture Sensor Problems

For example, the sensor might mistakenly detect that the clothes are dry and end the drying cycle. As a result, the cycle will end while your clothes are still wet inside.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to replace the faulty moisture sensor. Depending on your dryer model and its design, the moisture sensor might be located towards the back of the drum or right around the appliance’s door area.

You’ll need to remove the screws that hold it in place and remove the electrical connectors. Then, you can remove the assembly and put the new moisture sensor in.