How to Air Dry Clothes and Linens: Dos and Don’ts

Wipe your outdoor clothesline clean of dust and bird droppings before hanging freshly laundered garments, linens, and towels. Each of these steps helps reduce energy consumption per load, saving you money and extending the life of your dryer. Your garments soak up fresh air, and natural sunlight helps sanitize and whiten white fabrics. This eco-friendly practice minimizes waste and helps protect waterways from dryer lint pollution. You might need a drying rack or some hangers, depending on your space. By reducing energy consumption and minimizing carbon footprint, you contribute to a greener planet with each load.
Air drying clothes offers both financial savings and environmental benefits. However, it does come with some disadvantages, such as weather dependency, time consumption and space requirements. While electric dryers have become the go-to option for most households, air drying laundry still has its place in today’s world. Limited space can be a deterrent for those considering air drying as a laundry option.

• Here are the specific advantages you can expect from adopting this practice.
• Instead of separating laundry loads by colors and whites, sort by drying speed.
• Let’s explore the pros and cons of air drying laundry to determine whether anyone still engages in this time-honored method.
• Maximize spin speed efficiency by following care labels for delicate items and separating heavy towels from lightweight synthetics.
• Full sun is also the best for air-drying socks and underwear, because the sun’s UV rays quite effectively kill the bacteria that cause odor on these types of garments.
• Supporting this practice promotes sustainability and conserves valuable resources, benefiting both you and the planet.

If you can’t put up a clothesline, consider using an indoor drying rack to hang clothes in the laundry room. In addition to choosing ENERGY STAR® models, you should consider a front-loading washer, which uses about 45% less energy and 50% less water than top-loading models. One load of laundry with an ENERGY STAR® machine can cost as little as a quarter, adding up to a savings of over $100 a year. When it’s time for an upgrade, purchase an ENERGY STAR®-certified model to help cut energy costs. That way, you can wash all hot-water laundry in one load and use cold for everything else.

Medium spaces and balconies

There are many good reasons to air dry your garments and linens, not the least of which is that fresh, crisp scent and feel you only get from laundry that blows in the breeze. If you routinely transfer your clean laundry directly from the washing machine into the adjacent dryer, it may be time to break the habit. Perhaps most powerfully, these practices help reduce your household carbon footprint.

Product picks we love for a low-waste laundry routine

With the advent of electric dryers, it’s no wonder that air drying has become less popular. In an era of advanced technology and convenience, many traditional practices have fallen by the wayside. By understanding how your laundry saves electricity, you can cut back on energy usage in the laundry and save money on your monthly utility bills. Although ducts collect lint much more slowly, you should still take time to clean your ducts every year. A cleaner dryer will work better because buildup in the machine’s ducts and lint trap can block heat, leading to more energy usage to dry your clothes, which means more money on your monthly utility bills.

• The bleach or peroxide in the detergent handles that job, as does regularly cleaning your washing machine.
• While electric dryers have become the go-to option for most households, air drying laundry still has its place in today’s world.
• This closed-loop heat exchange technology delivers 20–60% energy savings compared to conventional models and reduces wear on fabrics.
• When air-drying clothing on hangers, the type of hanger you use matters.
• Air drying clothes offers numerous benefits, both financially and environmentally.
• Embracing this method can enhance your daily routine while delivering tangible benefits to your wallet and the environment.
• Instead, lay sweaters, jackets, and heavy knit shirts on a flat rack like this easy-to-fold, mesh drying rack from OXO Good Grips.

Instead, lay sweaters, jackets, and heavy knit shirts on a flat rack like this easy-to-fold, mesh drying rack from OXO Good Grips. That way, you can make the most efficient use of space on the line. This 2-level drying rack from SONGMICS was the top pick in our researched guide to the best clothes drying racks. If you suffer from hay fever or other pollen-based allergies, it’s wise to avoid drying clothing outside on days when pollen counts are high. It clips right to your clothesline, belt loop, or drying rack. Once you confirm that you’re in the clear, follow these dos and don’ts for great results.
It is a truth universally acknowledged (by my laundry basket) that air-drying sounds quaint… until you try it and end up wincrown with crunchy towels and a damp T-shirt that smells like it took a nap in a rainforest.

Hanger strategies that double your capacity

Knowing the differences helps you make informed decisions about your laundry routine. Air drying clothes offers distinct financial benefits compared to using a dryer. Hanging clothes outside or in a well-ventilated space can speed up the process. Furthermore, minimizing energy consumption lowers overall utility bills, translating to more savings.

If you have clothing that needs to be washed in warm or hot water, separate your loads based on this criteria. As much as 90% of the energy that your washer uses comes solely from heating water but washing your clothes in warm or hot water is a waste of energy. If you’re trying to cut back on energy usage and costs, you may be looking for small changes you can make throughout your home. Try air-drying just half your loads for one week.

Full sun is also the best for air-drying socks and underwear, because the sun’s UV rays quite effectively kill the bacteria that cause odor on these types of garments. Take advantage of the sun to help bleach out white clothing and linens by setting these fabrics in full-sun, slightly breezy locations. When air-drying dark or bright garments outside, the rack or clothesline should be in a shaded but warm spot, preferably with a slight breeze for better airflow. Direct, intense sunlight breaks down the dyes used on fabrics and leads to fading. Hanging wet laundry properly helps it to dry quickly and with few wrinkles. A gentle breeze is ideal when you’re air-drying clothing outside, because it whisks away moisture, and creates good airflow around the wet laundry.