You should see the big wad of lint I just plucked from inside my clothes dryer. Yuck! Where did all of it come from? I know I emptied all my pockets and I'm certain I did not wash a bag of pillow stuffing.

I'll tell you what it is, and I am not happy about this: It's visual proof that the dryer is killing my clothes. Those fibers were neatly woven into these clothes, towels and sheets 30 minutes ago. For all the convenience a clothes dryer offers, it comes at the price of having to replace clothes much too often.

Drying clothes causes them the shrink — and not just the first time they're washed. Sleeves and pant legs continually get shorter and shorter when machine-dried improperly.

There are tactics to counteract this abuse. You don't have to go back to the days of hanging sheets and towels to become frozen stiff on a clothesline (does anyone else remember that?). Here are some ways to dry your clothes and end up with comfy jeans and fluffy towels.

GET THE SOAP OUT. Residual detergent in fabrics causes them to feel rough. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the last rinse cycle. This will help remove the residual detergent from the fabrics even if they're air-dried. Clothes and linens will be softer, too.

KEEP CLOTHES SEMIDRY. Never machine dry clothes — especially jeans — completely. 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient to remove the major wrinkles from most items. Then, smooth them out and hang them to finish drying.

HANG BY THE ANKLES. Remove partially dry jeans and all other pants from the dryer, and hang them by the hems on hangers with clothespins or clamps. The weight of the pant will pull the fibers into place and keep the pants from getting shorter.

EMERGENCY SPEED DRY. When you need something to dry in a big hurry, here's a great tip: Place the wet item in the dryer with one dry bath towel. Set the dryer to the highest temperature that's safe for that particular item. You will have dry jammies (or whatever) in less than half the time because the towel will absorb a great deal of the moisture.

STEP AWAY FROM THE DRYER. Any item that has a rubber backing, such as a bath rug, should never come in contact with the inside of a dryer. Lay it flat to air-dry.

DON'T KILL THE SPANDEX. Fabrics that contain spandex, latex or elastic, or have painted or printed logos should not meet the intense heat of the dryer. Even the elastic in pajamas and underwear will break down quickly if they're dried on the hot setting. Make sure you always read the fabric content and laundering instructions on clothing labels. Get a portable drying rack or install a few extra towel bars so you can air-dry the delicate fabrics.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: David Goehring