These Air Drying Alternatives Are Perfect When You Don't Have A Clothesline
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There are a ton of benefits to air drying your clothes. Not only do you save on electricity, but you also help prolong the shelf life of your wardrobe. Dryers are a bit rough-and-tumble with our socks and sweaters, leading to pilling, shrinking, or misshaping. Air drying is a safer alternative, but what if you don't have access to a clothesline? Whether you live in an apartment or it's the middle of winter, drying your clothes outside isn't always possible. Luckily there are some great air-drying alternatives.
The easiest workaround is installing a clothes rod in your laundry room. Whether you put a permanent rod across the wall or invest in a rolling rack, either one will do the trick. Then, fill it with hangers, and hang your items to dry. You can also invest in sock drying racks to dry smaller clothing items such as socks, tights, and undergarments.
If you don't have space for a rod or rolling rack, you can get a drying rack instead. These racks are temporary helpers and can be folded up and put away when not in use. They also come in different shapes and sizes, allowing you to pick a design that best fits your laundry needs. For example, if you're only doing laundry for one person, a small one with two flaps will suffice. But if you're in charge of drying clothes for a family of five, it might benefit you to get a four-tier one.
How to dry bigger items
While airdrying athleisure and t-shirts is self-explanatory, finding the room to dry things like spa towels or bedsheets might be trickier. The trick is to find a spacious enough space. "The best way to dry your bedding indoors is to aim for a large surface area to allow the fabric to fully breathe," Lucy Ackroyd, Head of Design at Christy, told WalesOnline. This ensures they won't get mildewy and take on a damp smell.
If you have a staircase, the banister is one of the best places to dry these items. Simply drape them over the railing, and make sure to spread them out so they get sufficient airflow. If you don't have access to a staircase, you can also drape them over curtain poles or doors. Just make sure the tops are dust-free to avoid dirtying the linen.
Since this method forces you to take your drying outside the laundry room, make sure to wash all your big-ticket items together in one day. That way, your house won't feel like a giant laundromat weeklong.
How to keep air dried laundry fluffy
If you've ever tried airdrying something, you might have noticed that the clothes and towels often end up feeling stiff rather than fluffy. But this isn't due to air drying. Instead, it has to do with the way you wash your clothes. Stiff sweaters and towels are a result of using too much detergent. The soap isn't properly rinsed out of the fibers, which in turn causes the material to harden. Try using less detergent, taking special care to measure your needed amount.
Another great way to cut down on residue is to add vinegar to your rinse cycle. The acid in vinegar cuts through the soap buildup, allowing the water to rinse it off more thoroughly. If you've tried the vinegar route but didn't find much success, you can instead add a teaspoon of fabric softener to the rinse cycle. This will coat your laundry with a conditioner that will feel soft to the touch, ensuring you won't feel any telltale crunch.