A is an electric device that warms and dries a Japanese ''

futon A is a traditional Japanese style of bedding. A complete futon set consists of a and a . Both elements of a futon bedding set are pliable enough to be folded and stored away in a large during the day. This allows a room to serve as a bedro ...

'' by forcing warm air through it.

Mechanism

A ''futon'' dryer works by drawing in air with an electric fan and heating it, and then forcing it into a large cloth pouch. The pouch is usually inserted between the futon mattress and comforter, and hot air is forced through it for about an hour to dry the ''futon''. ''Futon'' dryers run on a timer, and when the timer reaches zero, cold air is blown before the unit shuts off. A ''futon'' drier uses about 600 watts of electricity, about the same as a hair dryer.

Purpose

A ''futon'' must be kept dry because human sweat and body heat create a warm, moist environment which is amenable to

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

s. Traditionally ''futon'' are kept dry by hanging them out on a balcony in the sun to dry in the open air, but some people are too busy to do this since they must be hung during daylight hours and brought in before sunset, when the temperature drops and moisture condenses inside the ''futon''. Finding time to hang a ''futon'' may also be difficult during the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

in Japan, since there are few sunny days and there are frequent and sudden periods of rain so a ''futon'' dryer can fulfill the function of keeping the ''futon'' dry and keeping the level of mites living in the ''futon'' down without needing to hang it out. Many dryers also have attachments for drying shoes or boots, or air pouches which can be folded to dry clothes in place of a

clothes dryer A clothes dryer, also known as tumble dryer or simply dryer, is a powered household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing, bedding and other textiles, usually shortly after they are washed in a washing machine. Many dry ...

. The dryer can be run for under an hour to warm the ''futon'' without completely drying it, or over an hour to reduce the population of mites.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Futon Dryer Home appliances Mattresses Bedding Japanese home Laundry drying equipment Heating