Air-drying your laundry is an easy, affordable, and low-stress action that can bring you one step closer to being carbon-free.
And air-drying your clothes is not just an energy saver – it also saves wear and tear on your clothes and makes them last longer. Heat and tumbling weakens fabric fibers.
To learn more, click “Steps To Take” on the tabs above.
Step 1: Set up some places to air-dry your laundry.
Some households may choose to dry their clothes on a line outside while others may choose to dry their clothes inside their home, either on drying racks or on shower/towel rods. Having both options available means you can choose to dry indoors or out, depending on the weather and type of laundry.
Indoors, a collapsible wooden rack is a great way to hang clothing and linens. You can find sturdy wooden racks at hardware and department stores. They are relatively inexpensive, low-tech, and work great. They can be moved to a convenient location and later collapsed for storage.
Even without a special rack, shirts are very easy to dry inside. Just hang them on hangers and place on the shower rod.
Outdoors, you can dry on something as simple as a cotton clothesline rope strung on a porch or between trees. However, you may want to get an umbrella-style drying rack that will hold multiple loads and accommodate larger items like sheets. You can find at most hardware stores. Locating your clothesline in the sun provides antimicrobial and whitening effects, but can also cause some materials to fade. An area of open shade can be a good option.
Step 2: Hang your laundry
Be sure to hang your clothing promptly after laundering. This will make sure the clothes don’t get musty and also minimize wrinkling.
When you hang your clothing, give it a good shake to minimize wrinkles. For best results, take a moment to make sure sleeves and collars are turned the right way and smoothed.
Step 3: Enjoy the crispness and fresh smell of your clean laundry!
Nothing beats fresh, crisp sheets dried outside on a clear day. But don’t feel like you have to air-dry every piece of laundry. If pinning up a multitude of socks isn’t for you, focus on larger items like jeans and linens. If you can’t stand air-dried towels, still consider air-drying some of the laundry. A big bonus to drying shirts on hangers is that they are ready to be placed in the closet right after drying!
Tip: If your washing machine has different spin cycle speeds, use the highest one that works for the type of load – it will help the clothes to dry faster.
Laundry dried outside can collect allergens. If you are sensitive to pollen, you may want to dry inside during high pollen seasons. Other times, giving the items a good shake outside might be enough, as well as a quick tumble in the dryer without heat.
Take care when drying near a heater – never put clothing directly on the heat source. A better option is to dry near a dehumidifier if you need a little boost indoors. In the winter, the added moisture from drying indoors can be a plus.
Resources:
Air-drying clothes and linens from Bob Vila