Amen on the detergent. When I go to the large laundromat down the road, I usually wash the first loads without any detergent at all. Reason - most people seem to pour detergent like it's the Salvation of the Clothes (it's not). The end result is they usually leave enough detergent residue behind in the washer drum that adding more detergent will just transfer the extra detergent onto my clothes even after rinsing - why waste my money and end up with itchy clothes?

My trick when I have to use the dryer is to run it only to steam the wrinkles out of my clothes. I then put them on hangers and stick them in the closet, well-spaced, with a fan in front to finish the dry.