Who doesn't know it: your favorite sweater is freshly washed, but it takes what feels like an eternity to dry. Are you already looking for a replacement outfit? Then be patient for a moment: We'll tell you how to dry your laundry properly so that it's ready for use again quickly.
How long it takes for your laundry to dry again depends primarily on how you dry it. Do you have a dryer at home?
- You can slip straight into your favorite pieces using the “extra dry” program with a running time of 95 minutes.
- If you want your laundry to be “cupboard dry”, you will have to wait around 75 minutes.
- It is “damp” after a running time of around 60 minutes.
If you dry your laundry on the drying rack indoors or on the clothesline outside instead, the question of how long it takes is not that easy to answer. Because then different factors can influence the duration of drying.
Hanging up the laundry: If the laundry is hung too close, it will be difficult for air to reach the wet clothing, which can prolong the drying process. So always leave enough space between individual items of clothing and it is best to hang larger pieces facing outwards.
- Type of laundry: The size, thickness and type of fabric of the laundry also play a role in how long it takes to dry.
- Spin level: Depending on which spin cycle you have set, the laundry comes out of the machine at different levels of wetness. A high spin cycle automatically shortens the subsequent drying time. Please note, however, that not every item of clothing can tolerate a high spin speed.
- Drying laundry indoors: If you dry your laundry indoors on a drying rack, the room temperature, the size of the room, the air circulation and the regularity of ventilation play a crucial role.
- Dry your laundry outside: As you know, your laundry dries particularly well and quickly outside in the fresh air. But here too, factors such as the weather, the wind and the intensity of the sun determine how quickly it will dry out.
Drying your laundry using a dryer is particularly practical and quick. So that nothing can go wrong, we have put together a few tips for you:
First, choose the right program for your laundry. To do this, take a look at the label, divide the laundry by type of fabric and select the appropriate dryer program. The programs may differ from device to device. They are usually named after the respective type of fabric - for example cotton, jeans or bed linen.
Now it's the turn of the drying level. Most devices differentiate between “extra dry”, “cupboard dry” and “damp to iron”. Laundry that is damp to iron is not yet completely dry, which is ideal for ironing. If the laundry comes out of the machine “cupboard dry”, it no longer has any residual moisture. You can fold them and put them away straight away. After “extra dry” you can immediately put on the dried clothes.
A little tip: Don't put your laundry in the dryer immediately after washing, because the wetter it is, the more energy the device uses. Ideally, you let them dry briefly on a stand or on a line until most of the moisture has escaped.
After drying, you have to be quick. Get the laundry out of the drum as quickly as possible. If it stays there for too long, it will wrinkle - which means more ironing work.
If you have the opportunity to dry your laundry on the balcony or in the garden, you should always prefer this to drying it indoors. In the latter case, there is a risk of mold forming, and a clothes horse like this takes up a lot of space in the room and doesn't look particularly attractive.
On a warm, sunny day, your laundry dries best outside. Of course, it can also be in the shade, but then it will take a little longer. On cool spring days, it's best to hang your laundry outside right after breakfast and before dark. You shouldn't leave your laundry outside overnight because the higher humidity prevents the evaporation and thus drying process.
If it is foggy or rainy outside, you should also avoid drying outside. Even if the laundry is kept under cover, the humidity is too high, meaning that the laundry cannot dry properly even if it dries for a very long time. And what about drying laundry in winter? It may come as a surprise, but in winter you can safely dry your laundry outside in sub-zero temperatures. Thanks to the so-called sublimation - the transition of a substance from a solid to a gaseous state - the laundry initially freezes, but then dries.
Tip: You don't have the option to dry your laundry outside? Then the only thing left to do is dry inside. Read another article about what you need to consider if you want to dry your laundry in the apartment.