How To Dry Clothes Without A Dryer

We all need to have more than clean clothes — they need to be dry, too! But living in an apartment can mean you have limited space for both a washer and a dryer and you may only want to have one of them. Or, you need to pay to rent an in-unit dryer or to use one at a laundry facility, which can really add up over time. Plus, dryers use a lot of energy.

But whether you don’t have a dryer at home, you’re trying to save money at the laundromat or you want to be a little more eco-friendly, there are plenty of ways to dry your clothes. Here are a few tips for how to dry clothes without a dryer.

Things to keep in mind when drying clothes indoors

When drying clothes indoors without a dryer, particularly in an apartment, there are several nuances to consider to ensure your clothes dry properly and your living space remains comfortable. Here’s a detailed look at a few of these factors.

1. Manage humidity and air quality

• Control moisture: Indoor drying can increase the humidity level in your apartment. Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to manage moisture, especially in smaller or less ventilated spaces.
• Ensure proper ventilation: Open windows or use fans to improve air circulation, which helps to dry clothes faster and prevents the development of mold or musty odors.

2. Optimize your space

• Multi-functional racks: Opt for multi-level or tiered drying racks to maximize vertical space. Racks with adjustable wings are also helpful for accommodating larger items.
• Door and shower rods: Utilize existing structures like shower rods or over-the-door hangers to create additional hanging space.

3. Strategic placement

• Space out garments: Avoid overlapping or bunching clothes. Spreading them out allows air to circulate each item. This drastically speeds up the drying process.
• Heavier items at the bottom: If using a multi-tiered rack, place heavier items like jeans or towels on the lower levels where there’s less risk of tipping.

4. Time it out

• Schedule: Plan your laundry so that clothes have enough time to dry, especially if you need them for a specific occasion. Overnight drying can be effective for morning use.
• Rotate: If drying space is limited, rotate clothes periodically to ensure all parts get exposed to air.

5. Conquer limited airflow

• Use fans: If your drying area lacks natural airflow, strategically place fans to help move air around the clothes.
• Create air gaps: Ensure that there is a small gap between the wall and the drying rack to prevent damp spots and to allow air to circulate behind the clothes.

6. Consider the temperature

• Optimize room temperature: Warmer room temperatures can speed up the drying process. However, avoid placing clothes near direct heat sources like radiators, as this unnatural heat can damage some fabrics.

7. Minimize odors and dampness

• Frequent air changes: Regularly change the air in the room to prevent dampness and odors from settling.
• Use of fabric fresheners: Lightly spritz clothes with a fabric freshener or a mix of water and essential oils to maintain a fresh scent during the drying process.
• Lay flat to dry: Some delicate items, like sweaters or knitwear, are best dried flat to maintain their shape. Use a mesh drying rack or a clean towel for this purpose.

A step-by-step guide to drying your clothes without a dryer

Drying clothes without a dryer in an apartment can be a practical and rewarding endeavor. This step-by-step guide is designed to help you master the art of air-drying your garments, ensuring they remain fresh, well-preserved and efficiently dried.

From selecting the ideal drying spot for clothing to effectively using space-saving techniques, these tips will transform your laundry routine into an efficient and garment-friendly process.

1. Post-wash prep

• Optimize washing machine settings: Choose a gentler spin cycle to prevent heavy creasing and make wet clothes easier to dry.
• Shake them out: Vigorously shake each garment after washing. This loosens the fibers and helps clothes dry quicker and with fewer wrinkles.

2. Sort effectively

• Sort by time: Group clothes by thickness and fabric type. Lighter fabrics dry faster and should be hung separately from heavier ones like jeans or towels.
• Color care: Prevent color bleeding by drying similar colors together, especially for new garments.

3. Select the right spot for drying

• Air circulation is key: Choose an area with good airflow. A room with a ceiling fan or near an open window is ideal.
• Consider sunlight: While natural light is beneficial, direct sunlight can cause fading. A balance is essential.

4. Utilize drying racks efficiently

• Invest in quality racks: A sturdy, foldable drying rack is a worthwhile investment for apartment living.
• Strategic placement: Don’t overcrowd the rack. Arrange items with enough space in between for cool and warm air to circulate.

5. The art of hanging clothes

• Hanger drying: Utilize hangers for shirts, dresses and pants. This not only saves space but also minimizes the need for ironing. If you hang clothes now, you save yourself time down the line when you need to put them on.
• Hanging techniques: For pants, clip the waistband to the rack. For sheets and larger items, fold them over multiple bars.

6. Indoor enhancements

• Dehumidify: In humid apartments, a dehumidifier can accelerate drying times significantly.
• Fans are friends: Positioning a fan near your drying setup can simulate a gentle outdoor breeze.

7. Outdoor options

• Use your balcony: If accessible, balconies are great for air drying but always secure clothes properly. You don’t want to be the neighbor who introduces themselves to the block while chasing half-dry laundry down the street.
• Innovate: Portable, retractable clotheslines can be a game-changer for balcony drying.

8. Prevent humidity problems

• Deny dampness: Wet clothes should never be left in heaps or kept in the washer. this does nothing but promote mold growth and the nasty smells that accompany it.
• Ventilate: Regularly air out the room you are drying clothes in to prevent moisture buildup, remove excess water and ensure a healthy living environment.

9. Iron

• Dual-purpose ironing: Ironing clothes when slightly damp smooths out wrinkles and completes the drying process, especially for materials like cotton and linen.

10. Maintain your drying rack

• Clean regularly: Keep drying racks clean to prevent any rust or dust transfer to your cleaned dry clothes.

Other tips for drying clothes sans dryer

1. Spin dry in a washing machine

You can get most of the water out of your clothes by placing them into a washing machine on a high spin setting. This may not get them 100 percent dry, but it will get them pretty darn close. You can also purchase a separate spin dryer that’s made to spin at even higher speeds than a washing machine, so your clothes will end up even drier!

Pro tip: Doing fewer items at a time will get the clothes drier than if you have a large batch to spin.

2. Hang dry your wet clothes

A classic method, hanging clothes to dry has been used for ages. Hang your clothes up wherever you can — a drying rack, a clothesline, the back of a chair or anywhere else you can find.

To make the drying process faster, be strategic about how you do it. That might mean opening the window to allow better airflow in your laundry room, placing a fan near the clothes or hanging them close (but not too close!) to a heat source, like a radiator or heating vent.

And if the weather and your space allow, you can hang clothes to dry outside on a balcony or in a backyard.

Pro tip: Use clothespins to hold your items in place, especially if you’re hanging them outside. You don’t want your clothes to blow away!

3. Roll clothes in a bath towel

A pretty simple method for drying your clothes is using a plain bath towel. Use your hands to wring the water out of a clothing item. Lay down a dry bath towel, then spread the clothing item onto the towel, so both are as flat as possible. Then, roll the towel up to encase the clothing item and twist the opposite ends of the towel. The towel will absorb the moisture from the clothing.

Pro tip: You can also put the rolled towel onto a hard surface, like countertop or floor, and apply pressure with your hands to get even more water out of it.

4. Try a hairdryer

Hairdryers will dry more than just your hair! Using a hairdryer is a great fix for when you need a single piece of clothing to dry quickly. Just hang the item on a hanger or towel rack and blow-dry it.

Pro tip: Be sure to hold the hairdryer at least six inches away as a safety precaution.

5. Use a towel and iron

You can essentially heat the moisture out of your clothing by laying it flat, placing a dry towel on top of it and ironing on top of the towel. You may need to switch out the towel and run the iron over it a few times to get all of the water out of your clothes.

Pro tip: Don’t let the iron sit for too long in one spot on the towel and make sure you don’t put the iron directly on wet clothing. This could leave burn marks and cause tearing. So, keep that towel in place and keep that iron moving.

6. Tap the power of the sun

If you live somewhere that gets lots of sun, it’s one of the quickest ways to dry clothing. Lay your clothing on a flat surface that’s completely exposed to sunlight — this could be on a table, chair seat or even the floor of your patio (make sure it’s clean!). Or, you can hang it on a clothesline outside.

Pro tip: Don’t leave clothing in the sun for too long, or else the colors might fade. Bring in your clothing once it’s dry and try not to let it sit out any longer.

A dryer isn’t a necessity

While dryers can be nice in many cases, they certainly aren’t necessary. Once you figure out how to dry clothes without a dryer, you might not even miss having one. Save yourself the space and money, while also saving the environment and dry your clothes using an alternative method.