A clothes dryer including: a wash tub (2, 3); an air circulator having an air-flow passage defined outside the wash tub (2, 3) and circulating air in the wash tub (2, 3) through the air-flow passage so that the air is returned into the wash tub (2, 3); and a heat pump having a compressor, a throttle, an evaporator and a condenser the latter two of which are provided in the air-flow passage, the evaporator and the condenser being connected to the compressor and the throttle so that the heat pump constitutes a refrigeration cycle which circulates refrigerant through the compressor, the condenser, the throttle and the evaporator, the air circulator and the heat pump being driven so that the clothes dryer executes drying of laundry as well as washing and dehydration of the laundry, wherein the clothes dryer comprises a control device to control the drive frequency of the compressor, wherein frequency control is executed for the compressor so that a rotational speed of the compressor is variable; wherein the compressor is operable at a variable drive frequency so that the clothes dryer selectively executes either a fast-drying course in which the laundry is dried in a shorter period of time with the compressor operating at a higher drive frequency, or an economy course in which the laundry is dried in a longer period of time than the fast-drying course with the compressor operating at a flower drive frequency; characterised in that the compressor is driven with a frequency band having a higher coefficient of performance in execution of the economy course, wherein the coefficient of performance is the ratio between the amount of heat transfer and the amount of work input; and in the fast-drying course, the control device is configured to set the drive frequency of the compressor to a maximum operable frequency, and wherein, after the drive frequency of the compressor has reached a maximum operable frequency, the control device is configured to drive the compressor at a driving frequency equal to or below the maximum operable frequency according to the temperature of the condenser, wherein the control device is configured to maintain the drive frequency of the compressor at the maximum operable frequency until the temperature of the condenser reaches a predetermined upper limit and, in response to the temperature of the condenser reaching the predetermined upper limit, the control device is configured to gradually reduce the drive frequency of the compressor. a wash tub (2, 3); an air circulator having an air-flow passage defined outside the wash tub (2, 3) and circulating air in the wash tub (2, 3) through the air-flow passage so that the air is returned into the wash tub (2, 3); and a heat pump having a compressor, a throttle, an evaporator and a condenser the latter two of which are provided in the air-flow passage, the evaporator and the condenser being connected to the compressor and the throttle so that the heat pump constitutes a refrigeration cycle which circulates refrigerant through the compressor, the condenser, the throttle and the evaporator, the air circulator and the heat pump being driven so that the clothes dryer executes drying of laundry as well as washing and dehydration of the laundry, wherein the clothes dryer comprises a control device to control the drive frequency of the compressor, wherein frequency control is executed for the compressor so that a rotational speed of the compressor is variable; wherein the compressor is operable at a variable drive frequency so that the clothes dryer selectively executes either a fast-drying course in which the laundry is dried in a shorter period of time with the compressor operating at a higher drive frequency, or an economy course in which the laundry is dried in a longer period of time than the fast-drying course with the compressor operating at a flower drive frequency; characterised in that the compressor is driven with a frequency band having a higher coefficient of performance in execution of the economy course, wherein the coefficient of performance is the ratio between the amount of heat transfer and the amount of work input; and in the fast-drying course, the control device is configured to set the drive frequency of the compressor to a maximum operable frequency, and wherein, after the drive frequency of the compressor has reached a maximum operable frequency, the control device is configured to drive the compressor at a driving frequency equal to or below the maximum operable frequency according to the temperature of the condenser, wherein the control device is configured to maintain the drive frequency of the compressor at the maximum operable frequency until the temperature of the condenser reaches a predetermined upper limit and, in response to the temperature of the condenser reaching the predetermined upper limit, the control device is configured to gradually reduce the drive frequency of the compressor.