Moisture Sensor
Sensor strips inside a dryer drum that detect when laundry is dry by measuring electrical resistance.
Definition
A moisture sensor is the pair of metal strips inside a dryer drum that detect dryness by measuring how often damp clothes complete a circuit between them. As the load dries, contacts become less frequent; the controller stops the cycle when the rate drops below the dryness setting. Moisture sensors are accurate when clean but become dull when coated with fabric softener residue or dryer sheet wax. Wipe with rubbing alcohol monthly to maintain accuracy; this is the single most common reason for dryer cycles ending too early or too late.
Where this term appears
Moisture Sensor comes up in product spec sheets, service reports, and troubleshooting documentation across most major appliance brands. If you encountered it in a manual or a service description and want context for how it fits into the larger picture, the related articles in the sidebar drill into the practical details. The glossary as a whole is intended as a quick lookup reference; for a deep dive on any specific topic, jump to the related buying guide or troubleshooting article.