Easy Laundry Hacks That Cut Drying Time In Half
I feel like I spend half my weekend just waiting for the dryer to finally finish. You load up a giant pile of heavy jeans and wet towels and it seems to take hours for them to actually get dry. It is incredibly frustrating when you just want to finish your chores and relax. Recently, I started trying a few simple tricks to speed up the process and it honestly changed my whole laundry routine. Here are the ones that I think are worth trying.
Giving It One More Spin
The best way to cut down your drying time actually starts while the clothes are still in the washing machine. When your normal wash cycle finishes, just set the machine to run one extra spin cycle. It only takes about ten extra minutes. That fast spinning pulls out so much hidden water that the fabric feels damp instead of soaking wet when it’s done. Your dryer will not have to work nearly as hard to finish the job.
Throwing In A Clean, Dry Towel
This is probably my absolute favorite trick because it’s almost too easy. When you transfer your wet clothes into the dryer, just toss a clean, completely dry bath towel in there with them. For the first twenty minutes that dry towel acts like a giant sponge. It absorbs the extra moisture bouncing around the drum. Just remember to take the towel out after half the cycle is done so it doesn’t trap the dampness.
Not Using Dryer Sheets
We all grew up using those strongly scented dryer sheets, but they actually coat your clothes in a thin layer of residue that traps moisture. I finally switched to plain wool dryer balls instead. You just toss three or four of them into the machine. They bounce around and physically separate the heavy wet fabrics, allowing hot air to circulate much better. Plus they last for years so it saves you a lot of money over time.
Cleaning Inside The Lint Trap
I know we all try to remember to swipe the lint off the little screen before every load. But a lot of invisible buildup happens down inside the actual trap housing. If air cannot flow freely through that vent, your machine will take twice as long to heat up. Every few months I take a long flexible brush and sweep out the deep lint trapped inside the slot. It makes a surprisingly big difference in how dry my clothes get.
Sorting By Fabric Weight
I used to be so guilty of throwing everything into one giant mixed load just to get it done faster. But mixing heavy denim jeans with thin cotton shirts is a recipe for disaster. The thin shirts dry quickly while the jeans stay wet and keep everything else damp. If you separate your heavy fabrics from your lightweight items, the machine can dry each specific load much faster and with a lot less wasted energy.
Leaving More Room
When the laundry basket is overflowing it is so tempting to just cram every single piece into the dryer at once. I totally get it. But clothes actually need plenty of empty space to fall and tumble through the hot air. If the drum is packed tight, the warm air just cannot circulate through the wet wrinkles. Filling the dryer only halfway gives your clothes the breathing room they need to dry in record time.
Giving Everything A Good Shake
Taking clothes directly out of the washing machine usually means they are tangled up into tight little knots. If you toss that twisted wet ball straight into the dryer, the hot air cannot reach the fabric hidden in the center. I started taking just a few seconds to shake out every single shirt and pair of pants before tossing them in. It loosens the fibers and helps everything dry evenly from the very start.
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Doing the laundry will probably never be my favorite chore but, it feels so good to not be waiting for the machine all day long. Shaving just twenty or thirty minutes off every load gives you so much of your weekend back. Plus, it saves your clothes from a ton of heat damage in the long run. A real win win!
Bliss Donahue-Power
