15 things you shouldn't put in the dryer

While putting your sneakers in the washer is fine, skip the dryer. The heat and constant spinning make your sneakers shrink, warp and just become a big mess.

There's nothing worse than a droopy swimsuit at the beach. That lack of elasticity can come from chlorine or salt water, but it can also come from your dryer. The heat from the dryer wears down the fibers of the material, making them limp instead of stretchy. This is another item that should be air-dried.

Your bra shouldn't go in the washer or the dryer if it has underwire or padded cups. The wiring and padding can get warped by oscillating with other items. Skip the dryer for any bra, though. Just like with swimsuits, the elastic can wear out quickly because of the heat.

Fake leather is a big no-no in the dryer. The heat will make it shrink, pucker and warp.

Real leather is an even bigger no-no. Heat can make it crack. Besides, leather should never get thrown in the washer in the first place unless the label says it's OK.

Bath mats that have a rubber backing will crumble when exposed to the heat of the dryer. Trust me. Cleaning pieces of yarn and rubber out of your dryer is not fun.

I feel like I shouldn't need to say this, but I think I better... just in case. Even though you can wash Legos and other toys in mesh bags in the washing machine, that doesn't mean you can quick-dry them in the dryer. There's no water in a dryer to cushion them. The tumbling of the dryer could break the toys and they could dent the inside of your machine.

The metal hooks on overalls can beat the drum of your dryer and leave dents. The best way I've found to dry overalls is to throw the straps over a clothes line and buckle them. No indentations from clothes pins on the straps and they dry wrinkle-free.

The heat can also wear down any glue used to hold on rhinestones, glitter and other embellishments. Even if you use no heat, the tumbling around in the dryer can bend and warp decor. It's best just to let these items air dry.

Tights and hosiery are just too delicate to put in the dryer, where they get runs or tangle up into a mess.

If you don't want to constantly be pulling your pants up during poses, keep your gear out of the dryer. Heat can quickly make the fabric in your favorite pair of yoga pants, shorts or leggings saggy.   

This goes for your yoga mats, too. Yes, you can wash them in the washer, but remember to air dry them.

There's a debate among jean lovers whether you should toss your blues in the dryer or not. Some give an outright no on the topic, since the heat from the dryer can wear down cotton. Plus, leaving jeans too long in the dryer can make them shrink.

Others, like Good Housekeeping, say drying jeans in the dryer is OK, as long as you take them out while they're still damp and don't see a lot of lint from your jeans in the dryer filter.

You may have seen a tip online suggesting you can put sandy beach towels in the dryer to get the sand off. Don't do this unless you want to get thousands of grains of sand stuck in your dryer filter.

The heat from the dryer will basically jack up anything made from suede, even your laptop bags.