I am now convinced that tumble drying reduces the lifespan of clothes, as well as physically affecting the material resulting in clothes appearing older than they are, colours fading, threading, pilling etc. I now do not tumble dry anything of value, my best shirts, tops, jeans etc. I certainly don't TD my boxers and socks, they just end up looking so tatty after a while. This gets difficult during cold weather, but I've invested in a clothes horse. The tumble dryer is satan's tool.
It depends on the material that the clothes are made of and how well the clothes are made. I have used a tumble drying machine for my entire life and found that it hasn't hurt my clothes whatsoever. I use the gas dryers at a laundromat all of the time. I also put it on medium heat not hot heat which seems to take a wee longer but the results are better I've found. I have cotton shirts and denim pants for the most part. I also use those "cling free" little sheets that you toss in when drying.
