How to Use a Dryer Rack in a Dryer? | Master the Stationary Drying Tool

If you’ve ever pulled a favorite sweater out of the dryer two sizes too small, the dryer rack is the fix you’ve been missing. This stationary platform sits inside the drum while the drum rotates around it, so air circulates over your items without the tumbling that ruins delicates. The trick to getting it right comes down to installing it properly, choosing the correct cycle, and knowing what should never go on it.

Where the Rack Lives and How It Works

The rack installs on specific models only, so check your manual before digging through the drawer. On Maytag dryers, you’ll find the rack in the drum or a storage compartment. On Samsung models, it ships with the dryer or must be ordered as an accessory.

Once installed, the rack stays perfectly still while the drum spins around it. Your items rest on top of the rack grilles, and warm air flows over them from all sides. That’s why it’s ideal for anything that would mat, shrink, or deform if it spent 45 minutes getting thrown against the drum walls.

Installing the Rack Step by Step

Both major manufacturers make installation straightforward. Here’s how the process breaks down by brand.

Maytag:

• Open the door and align the two front hooks with the holes in the door opening, then press down firmly.
• Rest the rear support on the back ledge inside the drum.
• Place wet items on top, leaving space between them for airflow.
• Close the door and select a Timed Dry, Air Only, or Low Temperature cycle.

Samsung:

• Insert the rack with the filter handle facing the front.
• Push the rear part into the recessed areas of the back wall and press down in the middle to secure it.
• Position the front lips into the door frame holes once the rear is locked in.
• Place items without overcrowding, then select Rack Dry if your model has that button, or choose Time Dry or Air Fluff.

When it’s seated correctly, you can spin the drum by hand and the rack won’t budge. If it rattles or shifts, it’s not locked in.

Your exact control names may differ by model and region. Samsung notes that some compatible dryers with a Download cycle can get Rack Dry through the SmartThings app, so check your app if you don’t see the button on the panel. For a comparison of rack options for various dryers, see our roundup of the best dryer racks for every budget.

What Can Go On the Rack — and What Cannot

The rack handles anything you’d normally hang to dry: sweaters, tennis shoes, canvas bags, stuffed toys without plastic parts, and delicate knits. For shoes, Samsung specifically recommends placing the soles facing down. For clothing, fold items and lay them flat, spreading them out evenly rather than stacking.

Now the critical cautions, because these can damage both the rack and your dryer:

• Never use automatic cycles. Maytag says the rack only works with Timed Dry modes; the moisture sensors don’t work correctly with a stationary load.
• Stay away from foam, rubber, and plastic. Samsung warns these materials are a fire hazard at dryer temperatures. Maytag says they belong on a clothesline or in an Air Only cycle.
• Don’t overcrowd. Air needs room to move. Cram the rack full and you’ll pull out damp items after a full cycle.
• Keep items off the edges. Anything hanging over the sides or between grilles will catch the rotating drum and tear.
• Never tumble other clothes while the rack is installed. The rack will be destroyed, and your clothes will tangle around it.

One more detail Maytag highlights: check the lint screen after rack drying. Rack-dried items can shed lint that accumulates differently than tumbling loads, and the screen should stay in place for the entire cycle.

Picking the Right Cycle and Time

Low heat is the rule. LG’s official guidance notes that items are not tumbling, so they heat up more intensely in one spot — meaning high-temperature settings can scorch them. Samsung directs users to Time Dry or Air Fluff, while Maytag lists Timed Dry/Air Only, or Low Temperature.

Key cycle facts:

Watch the load. Check items at 30-minute intervals on low heat, and remove them while they’re still slightly damp — residual warmth finishes the job and prevents stiffness.