Welcome to Ask Wirecutter, where deputy editor Annemarie Conte helps you figure out how to make the most of your stuff in real life. If you have a shopping conundrum for our advice columnist, submit it using this form.Dear Wirecutter,My friend likens leaving the house while the clothes dryer is running to leaving the house with a pot over a lit burner on the stove. That’s crazy, right?!R.E.Dear R.E.,The thing about risk is that everything is fine until it’s not. Yes, of course there are best practices in this regard, but real life sometimes involves needing to pop out for a few minutes to walk the dog or to grab a forgotten recipe ingredient from a neighbor. Is taking that risk worth it? Only you know what’s best for you, and what’s best for you might be different from what’s best for your friend.But your friend isn’t entirely wrong.