"The wet clothes expel moisture into the air as they dry; which, if not ventilated enough, can condense on cold surfaces and eventually develop into build-ups of mould and mildew," says Lee Devlin, Managing Director at Homecure Plumbers. "Where possible, dry wet clothes outside or use a dryer.
Did you know that drying clothes inside can increase the damp in your property by around 30%? This may encourage mould growth which can turn into health problems and so much more. Ventilation is key when it comes to air drying inside, so remember to open windows, place clothes near a vent or invest in a dehumidifier.
The high temperatures in the dryer can ruin some fabrics, causing irreversible damage. Indoor drying increases the humidity level during winter months when the air in homes can become overly dry. And, line drying is energy-efficient, reduces utility bills, and prevents possible dryer fires from excessive lint.
It's advisable to avoid drying laundry in the rooms where you spend the most time: for example, the living room and bedroom. Instead, you should place the drying rack in the bathroom, the kitchen or hallway where you spend less time.
Line drying will prevent your clothes from withering or shrinking each time it's sent to get dried, and it will also save you the cost of re-purchasing them over time. Yay savings! It creates laundry consciousness.
Outdoor drying takes advantage of nature's unique deodorizing and stain-fighting powers. The sun and fresh air do more than dry, they continue to clean your clothes. Direct sunlight helps naturally bleach and disinfect laundry – removing visible and invisible dirt and bacteria.
Promotes freshness and helps remove odors
There really is nothing better than fresh air. Line dried clothes smell so much fresher than clothes that have been tumbled dried.
Place clothes near a fan or a heat vent to air-dry more quickly. Lay sweaters and other stretchy garments flat on a drying rack to help retain their shapes. Turn them at least once to allow them to dry evenly. Hang fleece garments from a rod to dry.
For a load of laundry that was spun in a washing machine, and hung indoors in average conditions, the "easy" items will be dry in about 5 hours, and the "difficult" items will finish in about 9 hours. Also see our Air Dry All Types of Clothing article for tips on each different clothing type.
Be thoughtful about how you dry
To help maintain shape and avoid wrinkles, how you hang things up matters, experts say. Putting shirts on hangers, for example, could help reduce creases that might occur if you just drape the garment over a line or on the bar of a rack, Mandal says.
"If it's humid and cold outside, your clothes might dry only very slowly or not at all. That would be an ideal situation to use an indoor drying rack to take advantage of the heat inside your house.
This isn't a wishy-washy gimmick, it's science. The distinctive fragrance of line-dried laundry is actually down to a photochemical reaction. This occurs when sunlight hits wet fabric and produces a range of aldehydes and ketones.
They may hang clotheslines out of the way in the basement or arrange drying racks over wood-burning stoves. One popular item in Amish communities is a “bicycle wheel dryer,” which Williams explained is a drying rack for small items like socks, towels, and head coverings.
You can leave washing out overnight, but it may not dry as effectively without the sun's rays. Laundry left out overnight may further dampen due to mist, dew or unexpected rain. If you need to leave laundry outside at night, it's best to do so in the summer, since the air will be warmer and drier.
Sunlight Acts as a Disinfectant
The natural rays and varying heat intensity allows the sun to disinfect clothes when hung outside. Japanese families with small children prefer hanging their clothes outside to ensure that they drain all the water, leaving the fabric clean.
Sunny, dry weather is ideal for line-drying unless it's so dry that dust is kicking up and staining your clothes. Even worse is a quick rain shower, which can bring down leaves and debris that can stain clothes and require another washing.
The Weather Is Too Humid
At the same time, the water inside the clothes also evaporates more quickly. This is the ideal combination. Things go wrong when the weather does not allow the laundry to dry fast enough. Then fabrics can develop a dank or musty smell that might require you to wash them again.
The most common causes are: Leaving wet clothes in the washing machine too long. High humidity/ poor ventilation in your drying room. Hanging wet clothes too close together.
A breezy day is always best, but so long as the ground outside is dry, you should be able to get a load of washing dry. Aim to hang it out as early as possible to give it the maximum amount of time to dry before the sun goes down. Bring it in promptly at the end of the afternoon.
Using a clothes airer (55 per cent), washing line (54 per cent) or radiator (36 per cent) are popular alternative drying methods. Households could spend up to nearly £200 of their annual energy bill running a tumble dryer.
If your radiators are big enough, you can hang clothes straight on them – just make sure you take them off once they are dry so as not to waste the heat. Take time to hang out your clothes, ensuring they have plenty of space so that they get plenty of air to dry.
Some garments dry up better in a machine.
"There are certain items that do not fair well with air-drying," he explains. "Many heavy sweatshirts and sweatpants, as well as towels, are better off in the dryer." Lighter pieces like linen items, on the other hand, dry nicely on a line.
Air-drying is not bad for your skin! There's no reason you would need to towel off after getting wet, other than the water may get on your clothes or make you a little colder. And as we've covered, air-drying can actually have benefits, so the answer is really quite the opposite!
"Line-drying prolongs the life of both your clothing and your linens," says Cindy Bogart, founder of Artisans List and a former editor at Better Homes & Gardens. "The heat and tumbling in the dryer are abusive to fabric and, over time, you will see the wear."