You’re not alone if fear creeps into your mind every time you enter the laundry room, and you face the enormous mound of freshly washed clothing, and have to figure out how to dry it all. However, maintaining your clothing shouldn’t take up all of your time. Here is a quick guide to help you decide once and for all whether to dry your clothes by air or by machine.
What Advantages and Disadvantages Come with Air Drying?
There are many advantages to using a garment rack or clothesline, even though air drying takes far longer than machine drying. When you use an outdoor clothes line for drying, the fibres of your clothes seem to hold up longer. So even if the clothes dry by sunshine or over the day, they don’t lose their form. Additionally, there are no machine, electricity, or maintenance costs when you air dry your clothes.
The three things to think about before fully committing to air-drying are time, space, and weather. Air drying takes a lot longer than machine drying, which might be a problem for some. Additionally, you need enough space on your balcony, porch or in your yard to install clotheslines. Besides, it’s practically impossible to dry your clothes outside during the rainy, snowy, and humid seasons.
Also bear in mind that specialists advise against air-drying clothing inside your home because it may harm your health. According to research, drying garments in spaces with limited ventilation raises the air’s moisture content. Asthma and other health issues can arise from this since it fosters the growth of mould spores, according to doctors.
Short version: If you want to benefit from hanging your clothing, it’s preferable to dry your clothes outside in a dry environment for a whole day to allow the water to evaporate.
How Should You Hang Your Clothes on an Air-drying Rack?
You should hang each article of clothing in a specific way to ensure that it looks its best after air-drying it, whether you do it inside or outside on a clothesline.
- Pants: Match the inner leg seams of pants, and clothespin the hems of the legs to the line, with the waist hanging down.
- Shirts and tops: Pin shirts and tops to the line starting at the side seams of the bottom hem.
- Socks: Pin socks by the toes and hang the top opening down while hanging socks in pairs.
- Bed linens: Fold blankets or sheets in half, then pin the ends of each half to the line. If you can, leave space between the goods to allow for optimal drying.
What Advantages and Disadvantages Come with Machine Drying?
Time is frequently cited as the primary consideration in the argument between machine versus clothes line drying. When compared to utilising a garment rack, drying machines significantly shorten the time it takes for clothing to dry machine drying can expedite the laundry process by removing the need to iron your clothing because the heat from the dryer frequently eliminates wrinkles in the fabric.
There are certain disadvantages to machine drying as well, despite how convenient it may seem. Drying equipment, first and foremost, can be costly. But this is just the beginning; using a drying machine also means paying more for energy. They won’t skyrocket but expect them to be higher than before. Additionally, dryers may require maintenance costs, which will probably rise if you do any of these things that diminish the life of your dryer.
Furthermore, machine drying is less environmentally friendly than air drying. Drying your clothes can have a big negative impact on the environment due to the carbon emissions of drying machines and the plastic fibres that clothes emit.
Bottom line? Using the dryer if get the clothes done as quickly as possible is your top priority. But be careful to know what should never go in your dryer before you fill the machine. Your clothing is also heated up in the dryer. Not every piece of clothing is heat-resistant. therefore the clothing may shrink or change shape depending on the material such as wool vs. polyester.
Most dryers allow you to select the temperature at which to dry your garments so you can adjust the temperature in this manner to the kind of clothing you are drying but this may not be as effective to remove all wrinkles.
How to Get the Best Results When Machine Drying Clothes?
- Cleaning the lint filter after each load can help your dryer perform to its full potential. On occasion, make sure no weeds or other outdoor material are blocking the vent hole on the exterior.
- Avoid overdrying: Cotton shirts, for example, might suffer damage from being overdried and experience shrinkage. Cotton clothing should ideally be taken off while still moist, hung up, and allowed to air dry completely on a drying rack.
- Eliminate mould: Before putting anything away, let it completely dry out if you take something out of the dryer while it’s still damp. In places with inadequate airflow, including closets and drawers, this will aid in preventing the growth of mildew.
- To help prevent wrinkles, take items out of the dryer as soon as the cycle is complete. If it’s not possible, run the dryer for an additional 10-15 minutes, then take the clothes out right away and gently.
Which Method Is Superior to the Other?
In theory, air drying is always preferable to machine drying. Saving money, reducing the damage that tumbles drying causes to clothing, and assuaging worries about ruined clothing are all benefits of air drying. It is also beneficial for the environment and your health to air dry your clothes outside. However, you should fall back on utilising a drying machine if you don’t have the necessary time, space, or weather.
In the end, it all boils down to what is more practical and best suited to your needs. Simply review these laundry recommendations before your next load to prevent any avoidable mistakes and determine which drying process best suits your household, preferences, and time limits.
