Winter laundry is a special kind of frustration. Most Indian homes don’t have a tumble dryer, and even if you do, running it all winter isn’t cheap. The good news is that you can speed things up a lot with simple tricks, many of which cost nothing. With a bit of planning, your clothes can be dry by evening, with no damp smell at all. Here are five tips to try.
The sun is weak, the air is damp, and that pair of jeans you washed yesterday is still cold and clammy this morning.
Hang shirts and jackets on hangers instead of draping them over the rungs, so that air reaches the inside and the outside. Open a window slightly, ideally with another window or door open somewhere else, so that the damp air can escape and fresh air comes in. The fastest way to dry clothes is to start with clothes that aren’t dripping. Before you take them out of the washing machine, run an extra spin cycle for about ten minutes, which can save hours of drying time. For heavy items like jeans, hoodies and sweaters, try the towel trick. Lay the wet garment on a dry towel, roll them up together like a burrito, and press or twist gently. The towel soaks up a surprising amount of water. It’s tempting to cram everything onto one rack, but air needs to move around each garment. Hang items individually, with gaps between them, and avoid overlapping clothes. If you can, leave a bar empty between hung pieces, which helps a lot with airflow. And put the thicker, slower-drying items on the outer edges, where there’s more air. Moving air takes moisture away from wet fabric. A small fan on low speed pointed at your drying rack makes a big difference too. In the daytime, put the rack by a bright, sunny window or on the balcony, and bring it in when the evening chill returns. The bathroom, with its exhaust fan on, also works well. Cold, humid air is slow at taking moisture from clothes, so a bit of warmth helps. A dehumidifier in a small room pulls the moisture out of the air and can dry clothes much faster. A heated clothes airer is another option, and it uses far less power than a dryer. If you use a room heater, place the rack at a safe distance, and never drape clothes directly over a heater or radiator, since that’s a fire risk and it also traps moisture. A single load of wet laundry can release almost two litres of water into the air, and if that happens in every room, the whole house gets damp. Instead, choose one room for drying, keep the door closed and a window slightly open, and let the moisture escape. This helps prevent that musty smell and the mould that can follow. Washing in the morning, so clothes get the most daylight hours to dry, is another easy way to get ahead.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only. Never place clothes directly on or over heaters, radiators or other heating appliances, as this can cause a fire, and keep drying racks at a safe distance from heat sources. Ensure adequate ventilation when drying clothes indoors to reduce damp and mould, and follow the care labels on your clothes. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.