How To Dry Your Clothes During The Winter Without A Dryer

LifestyleHow to Dry Your Clothes During the Winter Without a DryerBy Tobias Roberts, Rise WriterLast Updated: Apr 7, 2025

Homeowners across the United States are collectively throwing away over 4 billion dollars annually to dry their clothes. Unfortunately, clothes dryers are one of the more energy-intensive appliances in the home. They often use as much energy as your refrigerator, clothes washer, and dishwasher combined. This simple energy use calculator shows that a 3,000-watt clothes dryer used on an average of one hour per day could cost your household $110 each year.

The sun and wind are free, and air drying your clothes is a simple strategy that will radically reduce your household energy bills. During the warmer months of the year, clothes will generally air dry outside in about the same amount of time that it takes you to dry a load of laundry. However, during the winter, a pair of recently washed jeans might turn to ice if you attempt to hang them outside to dry when temperatures are well below freezing.

While cold and wet winter months create a challenge for families seeking to live without a clothes dryer, it is possible to avoid the energy-intensive tumble dryer during the winter. Below, we offer a few hints and a few innovative products to help you continue to air dry your clothes during the wintertime.

Table of Contents

  1. Do You Need Heat to Dry Clothes?
  2. Indoor Clothes Hanging Tips
  3. A Few Innovative Products

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