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Late wife always handled clothes laundering chores. She set the temp control on medium rather than medium-high, or high. Even using medium, I'm nervous about a lint fire or melting some fabric.
There are two other settings: low and extra low. Which types of fabrics are they for?
High is usually for sheets and towels. I would not use that for anything else. The lowest setting is what I would use for items I want to hang to dry and do a little fluff/dewrinkle first. I do most of my work clothes on low that do not need the drying.
I never use high heat for anything, if you have 100% cotton clothes it almost guarantees shrinkage. I use medium 99% of the time, although sometimes I use low heat for fleece.
Yes, basically the hotter the heat, the more risk of shrinkage.
Your items you put in the machines often have a tag that tells how to wash. There may be a size tag on, say, the neck of a clothing item with washing instructions. Say, a tshirt... one on the neck and another attached to the inside seam along the side.
For collar type shirts whether short sleeves or long, we take them to the $2.99 cleaners. But that one happens to be excellent in our area. So check around for that and get recommendations from friends and neighbors. Very handy to not have to worry about shrinking some dressier stuff and ironing.
Get your drier items out when done so they don't sit in there and wrinkle.
Fold or hang when warm as a passive unwrinkling.
As far as lint, I dry a load for about 40 minutes and then check the lint trap. Learn yours...yours may be smaller. I clean it out and run it again. Items washed for the first time and towels seems like always will have more lint so check the trap more often.
You should get a dryer brush. Narrow bristles for several inches on a long handle. You also need to clean out where the dryer screen goes because some lint can get out of the trap. Be sure it's a dryer lint brush and not a similar one that is for the back of the refrigerator coils. They look alike but the fridge coil brush is too thick for the dryer.
You might have fun with a dryer lint trap cleaner kit.
Also, do check where your dryer hose lets out. Make sure that area is clear. Say, it's low...make sure no mulch, debris has gotten in it. Or animals nesting.
It sounds like a lot of things to check on but you get the hang of it quickly.
Sorry for the passing of your wife. All the best wishes for your future.
I always hang shirts, even my T-shirts go on a hanger. Might as well just hang them to begin with. Lot easier than folding all that crap anyway. I always use medium heat for anything I'm drying but I don't have anything super delicate either. It's actually more efficient especially if the room air is not heated/conditioned.
Lint fires are a very real hazard and the exhaust pipe should be cleaned/checked occasionally especially if it's ribbed.
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