Plastic in your dryer

The Feisty Felter · #1 03-09-2009, 06:15 AM

I am frequently asked, "You put plastic in your dryer? Won't it melt?" The answer is to this is no - and yes. The plastic that comes with your kit or your paper is meant to be used on top of the roving, when rolling your piece up. This prevents the paper on the back side from fusing to the roving on the front side. When rolled up, we suggest you put this inside a pair of trouser socks. You can also rubber band up the ends and the middle and toss it in your dryer as is. Since your piece is so saturated, it keeps the plastic wet and prevents it from getting too hot. I have never had a situation where the plastic melted. If you fear of having the plastic melt, simply keep the dryer on low heat. Your project will still felt, as it is primarily the agitation, not the heat, that felts the piece. If you wish to throw your piece into a plastic bag in the dryer (after pre-felting), then you should use a type of plastic that makes a crunchy noise. It seems to do very well in the dryer. As a matter of fact, all the paper and kits are now paired with this type of plastic. It can be reused many times. As for the "yes' portion of the answer above -if you were to leave your piece in the dryer until it was dry - I would assume the plastic would get too hot at that point and possibly melt. So, simply keep an eye on your projects, try to use plastic that makes a crinkly sound, and if you are still worried, keep your dryer on low heat; you should not have a problem.